Windex on a gaff rig?

[marshcat]

Does a windex work correctly on a gaff rig? It might be overkill for my small boat, but I find them useful. I am worried that the gaff would spoil the air flow and make the windex read incorrectly.

Thanks

[Jase]

I have one on my boat and it works fine as long as the top-sail isn't up. When it is, all it does on certain wind angles is spin round and round.

[Dave R]

I had one on my little gaff-rigged boat. Well, it was on there when I could remember to install it before raising the mast. (trailered boat) It worked just fine.

[John B]

I have one on my boat and it works fine as long as the top-sail isn't up. When it is, all it does on certain wind angles is spin round and round.
snap.

[George.]

We had one on our foremast. It was rather inaccurate without the jib topsail set and pathetically wrong with it. A couple of years ago it didn't survive an altercation with the jib topsail downhaul, and we have gotten better and better at estimating the wind ever since... :D

There is no practical way to get the wind gage on the top of the thin reefing topmast, above the shroud eyes. On top of the foremast itself, where it stood, it was little more than a distraction from the task of learning to sail.

[Benchdog]

I used one last year on my Cat. Worked well. I really only look at it when running down wind. This year I ran a pennant on a pig stick up there, for a more traditional look.

[John B]

You just put it on a crane forward of the mast instead of aft marshcat. You can still see it when you need to.

[J. Dillon]

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/1048/reefedmainatfarmriverdoxa8.jpg

I use a simple feather. I attach a ferrule to the shaft of the feather with some epoxy and thread.:) I balance it out ,then mount it by a nail, small bolt whatever. It is light and better than any store bought model and beside its renewable Just look along any beach . Try to get a tail feather , they are straighter.:D

JD

[waters'l]

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/1048/reefedmainatfarmriverdoxa8.jpg

I use a simple feather. I attach a ferrule to the shaft of the feather with some epoxy and thread.:) I balance it out ,then mount it by a nail, small bolt whatever. It is light and better than any store bought model and beside its renewable Just look along any beach . Try to get a tail feather , they are straighter.:D

JD

Dang JD!! That is pretty salty:D. My windex worked very well on the top of the mast untill we built our topsail and yard. I went through about three of them before I decided that the tangle factor was too great. Now I have shroud indicators that work alright unless they get caught on something.(halyards, flag halyard, leeward running backstay, you name it.) I have gotten much better at feeling the wind and steering by feel ever since.

[rbgarr]

Nice idea.

My mast is pretty tall and my eyesight is getting worse. Anyone have a condor feather handy? ;)

[Sailor]

How about doing it one of the old fashioned ways? I have never had any sort of wind indicator on my boats other than ticklers on the sails themselves. here's an old rule of thumb. "When in doubt, let it out." that's what we always taught the little ones when we taught them to sail. Let it out till it luffs then sheet in till it stops luffing. Downwind, you have to use a little more skill and find out where the wind is. Usually if you can goos wing or wing and wing it you're pretty much straight downwind or so close that it doesn't matter.
Get a feel for it I say!

[Gary Bergman]

Methinks old ways still work here. That's what a jackstaff and a pennant are for......

[George.]

Let it out till it luffs then sheet in till it stops luffing.


And after you do that a few times with a big main on a breeze, it is amazing how quickly your instinctive feel for the wind develops - almost as fast as your arms get sore. :D

[Jay Greer]

Although the wind on my face tells me most of what I need to know, "Red Witch" has a windex that gives me a crick in my neck and a need to squint. I really like tell tales on the jib luff most of all.