Currently reading Alone Together..."we're" on the way back from Hawaii now, and a couple hundred miles off SF...enjoying every chapter. Greetings from 47º 27" 47" N 52º 42" 23" W

Christian, you are living the life man, I'm enjoying watching every minute of it. Fair winds and smooth sailing friend.

The Cape Horn is indeed an amazing, refined piece of equipment. My spouse and I sailed a 35-footer with one 13k miles from the US east coast to New Zealand with zero problems. Can't recommend them enough. So good to see an in-depth video. Takes me back!

I love you man. You are a great story teller. And the discussion on "who are we gonna be when we are old" really helped me cope with my aging.

Thank you for all your great material...

Well I did it, took my dodger off and what a nice view I have. I sail in Florida and I just can't part with the bimini. Thanks for sharing 👍

Awesome explanation of the Cape Horn system. Up until now, I assumed it was magic. Lol

It's a very interesting example of how often times "sloppy fit" mechanisms are preferable to even a nearly rigid mechanism, for rough uses. I'd be interested to see a live camera shot from below when it is under max loads of the type that makes attachments fail. And I'm impressed that the friction in the system is so low it seems to have no binding issue, again the slop works. Kudos for mentioning the A+ aesthetics of the Capehorn, illustrating that true sailors are concerned with beauty for it's own sake.

Always liked this one, but finally decided to go for the Hydrovane as it steers the boat independently as I am sure you know.

You are like a transfusion, you are keeping me alive. Thank you for all your efforts to keep me at sea.

He's right. It is a intimate thing. I recall taking a delivery from Hawaii to California, and the Skipper had a padel assisted version aswell. Truely a godsent.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on ANYTHING. You are the epitome of erudition. Your adventures inspire me and many (at least 65K) others. It is always a thrill of anticipation when a notification of one of your videos pings my phone. Please keep yourself safe and as active as you want to be.

Great explanation of how this wind vane works. I really enjoy your videos.

Sold! I used to want a monitor, now I want a Cape Horn. Best videos around. Thanks again.

I always get a big smile on my face when I see your upload notification!

One of your country men famously said "No sufficiently mature technology is indistinguishable from magic" i enjoy your erudition very much sir.

Christian communicates like no other, and I still need to re-watch the video of those darn wind vanes! 🌬🌊

Brilliant simple engeenering love this Cape Horn self stearwind vain. Your explanation of how it works well thought out and excellently delivered video 📹 thank you 😊 Buzz

Very interesting Christian Williams I just love the way you explain yourself and the way you upgraded your boat it's such a pleasure just to be able to understand the way things work as you explain them through the story you're truly a great teacher and I appreciate all you've done for the Sailing Community and Mankind tight lines brother

I love to hear you explain things in your sailing life. Well done 👏

You just might be the smartest sailor alive. Your videos are so educational and, at the same time, so educational. I'm not one who sails, but watching your videos ,that desire keeps mounti!

As always, interesting and informative. Thanks Christian.

Eloquence personified. A pleasure to watch. Thank you!

Thank you for explaining the magic of the self - steering Wind Vane. Just Fab! Love your channel.

Beautiful way of telling the Windvane praise! I agree!

Very inspirational, viewing many of your videos. Just subscribed as well. Keep up the great work buddy

Always interesting. Thanks for your great videos. Best wishes, and tight sails 🙂🙏

Enjoyed your profond appriciation for the wind vane thay are a thing of simplisity that does so much and never asks for pay, a brake , vacation or a pat on the back for doing an astonding performance .

Love your videos !

Great episod! Fantastic explanation and smashing imagery.

Your channel is fantastic. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing either, it’s always interesting.

Thank you Sir for adding Everyman language and useful content in your Media. 👍🏻

Awesome production. 👏

Excellent explanation

I'll be in Guanacaste, Costa Rica all next week. Sail on down and give us a tour. :-) Great video Christian. Thanks!

Thanks for the 'Pick me up' Christian. I'm in the process of refitting my Cap Horn windvane to allow gas bottles & sheets to hopefully do their thing without problems. I'll be up & sailing within 6 months (fingers crossed) & as a singlehander, I'll be looking forward to meeting my only mechanical crew member..👍

thanks for the tutorial. Enjoy your journey

Thank you for your good teaching 👍🇨🇦

Great video.. Thank you. Would love to learn and master that anticipation helming in waves that you made a point to mention.

Great Video!

More than a hint of 'Wilson' the personified friend there Christian. Beautifully presented wind vane stuff.

Thanks man, great to see your YT s👍👍

...fantastic explanation...!!!!

Thank you for all

Loving the new Cape Horn " Mr Monk" almost ad much ad this latest video!! Thank You " Beyond All Things Is The Sea " SENECA

Thank you Mr. Williams...

We sailed around the world through the trade winds and the Canadian Arctic via the Northwest Passage aboard Balthazar, our 35-foot centerboard. That's over 55,000 miles with a CapeHorn wind vane with no issues. He holds the course better than a teammate, whatever the wind speed and angle. It's the best investment we've made when building Balthazar. ;)

Respect , Excellent explanation , you are very nice person and Sailer. All Time the Best. Reinhold from Germany 😁😎

Awesome as usual....thank you

Well done !

I salute you wind vane! 🇺🇸

Enjoy your videos

Great vid.

Thank you. Excellent!

Outstanding!!!!

Great video, remembering what it was like from our circumnavigation in the 1980s, presently cruising the Bahamas. My wife's book is a good read, published by Austin Macauley of New York, literally a fictional story of sailing and adventure: "Seychelle and the Cannabis Yachties". It is very entertaining, hoping you will give it a read.

About halfway to Hawaii, we, too, discovered that the eyebolts on the ship's quadrant need to be at least 3/8" not smaller. That alone tells you all you need to know about the tremendous lateral loads in this otherwise ideal system that performed perfectly to NZ and back to the PNW.

I’m 52 years old. When I grow up I wanna be this man.

Nice video

Happy Mardi Gras 2022, Laissez le bon temps rouler offshore !

Olá caro amigo, prazer em novamente revelo. Agradeço a sua explanação. Tenho pena de não puder ser traduzido para português, no entanto deu para perceber os pormenores mais importantes. Muito obrigado. Um grande abraço e até breve.

In an era of electronics armed with Artificial Intelligence software that can replace human thinking, it is a great pleasure to see an ingenious mechanical system that fights successfully an environment with multiple forces fighting back relentlessly against the objective. Hail to the Victors as the U of M song goes.

Seems very complicated with lots of failure/chafe points. Love the videos and the philosophical musings, good luck.

I love your channel and your narrative that goes with it! I look forward to every video that you post. I wish it was far more regular as when I am watching your videos I feel like I am spending time with a man who has a very old wise soul inside even if his eyes still see the World as though he is 17. Thank you so much for giving me the the joy (and admitted envy) that you do. I look forward to the next visit!

Fascinating. Thank you. I look at all those stretchy lines and blocks and fittings, all going through thousands of load cycles hour after hour. I wonder if many of them could not be eliminated with a direct drive, gear-driven coupling between the two quadrants? Quieter, fewer moving parts, less slop in transmitting force to the steering wheel. Probably more expensive, more complicated to install though. Also, I gather that boat heading with this vane is entirely a matter of wind heading, i.e., you could turn in for a night's sleep with the boat set up on a broad reach, heading due west with a wind coming straight out of the north. You wake up a couple hours later and discover you're now heading northwest because the wind has backed around to the northeast. I'm sure you must have some kind of alarm system installed to let you know when there are major changes in heading.

That bilge is cleaner than my kitchen.

I was hoping for the delicate preference for the elegant vs. the more crude alternative in retrospect. I suspect that is better left to the individual as they asses their own requirements. Either way, I fine chapter from one my favorite seamen. Fair winds and following seas!

3 cheers and 3 beers for all the wind vanes out there !

Thank you

Thanks!

You need to see how the yt auto-subtitles render you saying 'Cape Horn' - 'k-porn!' Lol I can't breathe

Man my dream. Is to do this.

YAY your still sailing. Do you ever take people out on your adventures if they would like to learn how to sail? Would you ever sail to the Philippines?

Could this work on a center cockpit boat? Wondering if all the below decks gubbins could hook up to the existing steering mechanism aft of the cockpit.

Christian, you are inspiring me! I am looking at boats, can you please answer a question for me? What type of program do you use to edit your videos?

👍!!!

There is some fiberglass comming undone on your strabord cockpit drain.

It would be amazing to see the specs of what you used to install and where you sourced the pad eyes and pulleys .

I deeply enjoy your content, and look forward to the day I can wave to you from Oasis (a beneteau 423 out of marina del Rey). Other than the obvious value of conserving electricity, are there other advantages of a vane over an electric autopilot?

👍👍

hi christian great video very informative , when running down wind in heavy following sea do you stream lines astern , deploy a drogue , or use one of those devices which is a rope with numerous cups along its length the more you deploy the more drag is placed on the stern preventing broaching , would this prevent the inevitable broach at night that you describe

grande nonno

👌

What made you go for this design over the hydrovane which doesn't require any connection to the ships steering? Your wind vane is very compact and small compared to the hydrovane sail

Do you need to lubricate the system? Or just replace moving parts?

Alot of leads &wires everywhere. Seems like alot of butcha balucha. But what ever makes u happy .good video

I tried to visualize, when shown (9:50) the "Ronstan blocks" where they would be, "safety wired" if they could be safety wired. Is the failure point presumed to be the axle? Anybody know?

I wonder how this CapeHorn vane compares to the Hydrovane and to other options like fully integrated electronics that take course, winds, etc. into account.

how long did it take to install the system? can you sleep while windvane is working?

Christian have you named your Wind Vane?

I’m currently in the process of rebuilding/fitting a 1929 international 8m j-class, I’m wondering if it’s possible to mount a wind vane to the stern? I’ve googled, researched endlessly for a proper way to install a reliable setup that both is incredibly solid and functional, as well as complementing the beautiful classic lines of the boat. If anyone has any suggestions or references, it would be greatly appreciated. My goal is to set up up as a short handed racer/cruiser, and solo her until king Neptune takes her, myself or us both.

Maybe install some wifi cams? The wooden blocks seem to be able to come off indeed. This type of steering also reacts to the tilt of the boat because its fixed..

Are you headed to Hawaii again?

Maybe I missed it: I didn’t hear comment about setting course. The wind vane steers the boat to maintain the course, so shall I assume that you set course first, and then engage the wind vane? Thanks.

Having just completed a 600-mile downwind passage, two-up, with a nonfunctional autopilot, I am now shopping for a windvane gear. No way will I put myself or my shipmate through that torment again. Unfortunately the layout of my steering gear precludes the Cape Horn system, which would otherwise be my choice. I don’t like scaffolding look of the Monitor or Aries, fine systems though they are. Will have to choose between Windpilot or Neptune…

I’ve noticed you don’t use solar power. Is there a reason for this ?

Thank god for all the egg heads out there that figure this stuff out lol.

Mr. Williams, can a good autopilot be as efficient? Or is it because they do not require any electric power!

Six months later, any additional thoughts on the install?

Hi Christian: I have asked you before but never got a response. How do you compare the Cape Horn to the Sail-O-Mat wind vane you had before? Thank you in advance for your response.