The first windvane steering gear we owned was a trim-tab style unit known as Wander. It came with SV Mariah II and quickly earned the nickname “Killer Tiller”. The boat wandered constantly from side to side, and the tiller followed with wild enthusiasm. It swept across the cockpit like a medieval weapon. Ankles were endangered. Cockpit space disappeared. These were not calm sailing days.
Relief arrived in the form of a stainless steel bracket assembled from assorted scraps and clever thinking. That simple piece of metal has now steered us across oceans in heavy weather, rolling swells, confused seas and strong gales. It deserves its reputation. Of course, it also helped that we paired it with an Aries windvane, which brought real muscle and reliability to the system.
Nature’s power
Windvanes are elegant machines. They borrow energy from the water flowing past the hull and guidance from the wind to steer the boat. In steady conditions they are dependable and surprisingly accurate. With a well-tuned setup, course variation usually sits between 10 and 20 degrees, sometimes less.
When sailing close-hauled or on a beam reach this variation rarely causes problems. As the boat bears away, apparent wind drops and vane performance softens. The boat begins to wander, speed suffers, and steering precision declines. Even so, this remains far better than hand steering day and night. On passage we engage the self-steering system as we leave port and often do not touch the tiller again until landfall.
Making a good system better
One limitation of windvane steering is its reliance on wind strength and direction alone. A simple improvement is to connect an electric tiller pilot to the windvane rather than directly to the tiller. The vane continues to handle the heavy rudder loads using water power and gears, while the pilot provides fine directional control.
This combination tightens steering accuracy to around 5 to 10 degrees and dramatically reduces electrical demand. The pilot is no longer fighting the rudder. It only nudges the vane mechanism, which means minimal effort, low current draw and much longer component life.
From experiment to permanent setup
We originally installed this arrangement thinking it would be useful for motoring down the Brisbane River. After sailing more than 45,000 miles with the system, it became our standard configuration.
Load management and reliability
Mariah II carries a large aft-hung rudder with a large surface area. Wave loading can be substantial. A tiller pilot driving that rudder directly would be under constant strain.
During our travels we saw many failures on boats using wheel pilots and quadrant-mounted systems. These units often over-correct, consume large amounts of power and suffer mechanical fatigue. Even large servo systems struggled under sustained ocean loads.
With properly balanced sails our tiller movement is often less than 50 millimetres side to side. Achieving that level of consistency by hand is difficult. Watching the system hold course in three metre seas at six knots, with only slight tiller motion, is deeply satisfying. Better still, the boat stays on track.
What you need for a tiller-steered setup
A quality windvane system such as Aries, Monitor, Fleming or equivalent
An electric tiller pilot with remote control head. We use an Autohelm 4000. A 1000-class unit is sufficient because the loads are minimal
A solid mounting bracket such as an L-shaped stainless bracket bolted to the stern rail
A universal joint assembly that allows three-dimensional movement between pilot and vane
A mounting plate to replace the standard plywood vane connection
Understanding the movement
Windvanes use two separate vanes.
The upper windvane senses wind direction. The lower water vane generates steering force. The upper vane moves in two planes. It rotates on a near-horizontal axis and also pivots slightly on a vertical axis.
This means the connection between the electric pilot and the vane must allow compound movement. A double-axis universal joint solves this problem.
In practical terms this is simply two U-shaped brackets joined at right angles using two bolts. One bolt allows vertical movement. The other allows horizontal movement. The pilot pushrod attaches to one bracket. The second bracket bolts firmly to the vane mounting plate.
Once assembled, the joint allows the pilot to follow the vane’s natural motion without binding or forcing the mechanism.
Correct geometry matters
The length of the mounting plate and the pilot stroke must be matched to the windvane’s movement range. When the pilot is fully extended or fully retracted, the vane must not hit its mechanical stops. If it does, the system will try to force movement where none is available. That is how expensive equipment gets bent.
Careful setup avoids this problem. When adjusted correctly, the system runs smoothly, quietly and with very little wear.
After decades of use across multiple oceans, this arrangement remains one of the most reliable and efficient steering solutions we have found for long-distance cruising.
Can an Aries steer a large boat?
Yes! We installed an Aries on a 51ft centre cockpit sailing vessel, with hydraulic steering, we’ll post an article on that process (with step by step images soon).
Your Turn
What ingenious or practical onboard solutions have you created to solve real sailing problems?