[C320-list] Additional cockpit winches

[Kirk McCullough]

Brian

There are few tricks to help you to set the pilot's parameters, assuming you
have an Autohelm st4000 or newer. Most on the list have done it and I
believe the settings are posted on the 320 site.

Once you get it set up properly it will be a tremendous help. I single hand
very often here in the Vancouver area and have no problems trimming sails,
or even using the Asym. on my own. Although I do love those short tacks out
of a tight harbour when I have crew. 15 or 20 short tacks in a narrow bay is
a lot of fun with someone else grinding. :)

Kirk
#124

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Amirault
Family - S&B
Sent: 23 January 2009 14:54
To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Additional cockpit winches


All:

 

Thank you for your time. The consensus is that I need to use an autopilot.
Bear came with one, which I have looked at but not used; and I suppose that
it works. More to the point I will need to discover if it does in the coming
summer. 

 

Bear sails on an inland river; prevented by two sets of rapids and a dam
from finding her way to the St. Lawrence and the sea. The orientation of the
river is generally west-north west, and the prevailing wind is down river.
On those rare days when the wind is from the south everyone is on the water
making those one tack trips up stream. On a usual day you spend the day
tacking back and forth up river and then a very broad reach to run for the
trip home. Under Canadian Coast Guard rules I carry no flares as I am never
more than a mile from shore regardless of where I am on the water. 

 

The constriction of the location means you are tacking very frequently even
when the river is not busy and so you are not being forced to change
direction 'cause you aren't the right-of-way boat. This aside, my personal
experience has been that a fool and his money are always welcome. As the
advice is that an autopilot is a better solution than new winches and as I
already have the device installed, I will save the 3k$ of an additional
winch set install and teach myself autopilot basics with the manuals that
came with the boat.

 

If this works for me you may be able to hear my squeals of delight.

 

Regards;

 

Brian Amirault

Waltzing Bear, too