This, sorta/kinda, made my head explode, the struggle continues, and in the “help a senior pet” department…
As it happens, I’ve never thought that the Hydrovane was a particularly good design compared to other auxilliary rudder windvane systems. The RVG or Auto-Helm, in my opinion, make a lot more sense.
I base this opinion mainly on the fact that trim tabs are dead simple. An auxilliary rudder system is easy to build, easy for the user to repair, and by their simple nature, easy on the pocket.
A quick look at most auxilliary rudders and you know how it works. Being simple, it’s very easy to reverse engineer and build a reasonable facsimile that works. Most of the windvane self-steering gears I’ve built have been based on the Auto-Helm. It’s as simple as you can get with no fiddly gears involved.
My current project is either a vertical axis Moitessier type or an upside down horizontal vane. I’d love the simplicity of the vertical axis but I’d like to play with the upside down vane because I’d like to test the concept. That said, I just might make the current gear with switchable vanes and see which I prefer.
Anyway, I admire the guy doing a cheapseats version of a Hydrovane-type self-steering gear. For those who lust after such a beast, all power to you. That said, I’m still firmly entrenched in the “trim tabs make sense” brigade.
