This Aries Vane Gear looks reasonably new but its already been on two of my yachts and done three South Atlantic crossings plus the leg from Brasil to Venezuela and then Trinidad and back.
The fact is this vane gear is around thirty four years old,its been looked after and I fitted new stainless gears to it after the last crossing and return to Hout Bay on the trip back from Trinidad.
Spares are still available for the genuine Aries (beware local copies) speak
to Helen Franklin @ http://www.ariesvane.com/products.html
Athol watches on a little bemused as to how the thing works and why,Athol has seen me mount the Aries platform box and connection tubes some while back,he was keen to see how an Aries worked,after about a twenty year lay off,so was I .
The Aries works once more! mind you we had our problems and each time we set a course,after a short while we would wander off a little (a lot) I was becoming bemused myself after about the forth attempt to set it up.We had both Charles and Athol re tensioning the new 8mm Dynema Braid control lines,which I was told when I bought it was just about 100% stretch free.
This is certainaly not the case at all and the 14 meters I bought will now be at least 14.5 meters,I have never seen line stretch this much ever, its locally made, I may revert to a higher quality and import and use the Marlow line that Nick Franklin (r.i.p) used to supply originally.
Note,I have now taken Athols advice and removed the line,fastened it down to a strong point near the deck and then attatched a mast head halyard to it,with a Lewmar 46sta winch doing the job, I am stretching the dynema line,we should see it pre stretched and more suitable for purpose next time out?
Athol now (our line adjuster in chief) now understands how an Aries Vane Gear works,he has the so called Snaffle Lines,which when pulled will turn the wind vane either left or right,each click being six degrees either way. Once the wind vane is trimed to stand vertical,meaning the paddle in the water it contols is then plumb,we can engage the rope clutch on the steering wheel and from then on we are sailing hands free,excepting for the line stretch in our case.
To give you some idea just how much stretch there was,those red lines started off closer to deck level but as they stretched we had to adjust them ever higher to take up the slack,local is Lekker (good) I think not in this case.
A closer look,left click the pictures to view in a larger size.
Always remember to oil the center gears at least once per 24 hours,this Aries Vane Gear is now lubricated with Fluid Film,which should be a perfect long term weather protector for the alloy,stainless and plastics used on this type of self steering.
From the Aries web site on servicing:
In service, keep all moving parts well oiled - if it moves oil it. Of special importance is to oil the bushes No 53, either through the holes provided just below the lower bevel gear or around the outside of the gear where it sits on the thrust washers No 52. Oil on the steering lines, which must be 8mm pre-stretched will considerably increase their life span.
Operation
The wind vane is feathered or edge on into the wind, when the yacht goes off course one face of the vane is presented to the wind and it folds down sideways. This motion is transmitted through a linkage which deflects the servo rudder from 'dead ahead' in the water. The servo rudder is able to swing sideways on its top bearings and this in turn pulls the steering lines which operates the wheel or tiller. The gear only has to develop the low forces to move the main helm, similar to the helmsman as compared to the direct acting type of gear which has to steer the vessel by itself with the main rudder fixed.
Universal Rope Block
The Universal Rope Block is constructed of aluminium die castings. The rope sheaves are contained in a sphere which can be rotated to any angle inside the outer housing and locked in position. This is ideal for wheel steering installations where two steering lines are lead together as a pair to the wheel drum
Now made by Peter? under licence and in Denmark, highly recomended!
If you look closely you can just see a three stand line trailing in the water,that is a safety line that should be tied to the boat,its purpose being the paddle has a break off joint in case of hitting a solid object in the water,that way the joint breaks and not the Aries but for some reason Aries supplied the line about one foot short (305mm) and its near impossible to tie it to anything close.Charles,who was one of our crew for the day, says he can end to end splice another line to the existing one.
Spares are still available for the genuine Aries (beware local copies) speak
to Helen Franklin @ http://www.ariesvane.com/products.html
| Helen Franklin | Telephone: | +44 1326 37 7467 |
6 Dunvegan Road,
Penryn, Cornwall |
Telefax: |
+44 1326 37 8117
|
TR10 8HJ
|
e-mail: | |
England
|
This is certainaly not the case at all and the 14 meters I bought will now be at least 14.5 meters,I have never seen line stretch this much ever, its locally made, I may revert to a higher quality and import and use the Marlow line that Nick Franklin (r.i.p) used to supply originally.
Note,I have now taken Athols advice and removed the line,fastened it down to a strong point near the deck and then attatched a mast head halyard to it,with a Lewmar 46sta winch doing the job, I am stretching the dynema line,we should see it pre stretched and more suitable for purpose next time out?
To give you some idea just how much stretch there was,those red lines started off closer to deck level but as they stretched we had to adjust them ever higher to take up the slack,local is Lekker (good) I think not in this case.
Always remember to oil the center gears at least once per 24 hours,this Aries Vane Gear is now lubricated with Fluid Film,which should be a perfect long term weather protector for the alloy,stainless and plastics used on this type of self steering.
From the Aries web site on servicing:
In service, keep all moving parts well oiled - if it moves oil it. Of special importance is to oil the bushes No 53, either through the holes provided just below the lower bevel gear or around the outside of the gear where it sits on the thrust washers No 52. Oil on the steering lines, which must be 8mm pre-stretched will considerably increase their life span.
Operation
The wind vane is feathered or edge on into the wind, when the yacht goes off course one face of the vane is presented to the wind and it folds down sideways. This motion is transmitted through a linkage which deflects the servo rudder from 'dead ahead' in the water. The servo rudder is able to swing sideways on its top bearings and this in turn pulls the steering lines which operates the wheel or tiller. The gear only has to develop the low forces to move the main helm, similar to the helmsman as compared to the direct acting type of gear which has to steer the vessel by itself with the main rudder fixed.
Universal Rope Block
The Universal Rope Block is constructed of aluminium die castings. The rope sheaves are contained in a sphere which can be rotated to any angle inside the outer housing and locked in position. This is ideal for wheel steering installations where two steering lines are lead together as a pair to the wheel drum
Now made by Peter? under licence and in Denmark, highly recomended!
| Aries Denmark | Telephone: | +45 7445 0760 |
| Damgade 27, Holm | e-mail: | aries@email.dk |
| 6430 Nordborg | www: | www.selfsteer.dk |
| Denmark QuestionAries has by far the best name in the world. Why ? AnswerTo build equipment for using at sea long term is not easy. You never know what can happen. Many builders and customers do forget that you do not always have normal conditions out there. You can not say "the gear will manage to steer from force 1 till 12". This is not enough. Every part of the gear has to withstand rough misuse. Then the gear will survive year after year like the Aries. |
