Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Access to this page has been denied because we believe you are using automation tools to browse the website.
This may happen as a result of the following:
Please make sure that Javascript and cookies are enabled on your browser and that you are not blocking them from loading.
Reference ID: dddcb8c8-5fc1-11ef-b796-9f4c423410b6
Powered by PerimeterX , Inc.
Not just for small boats, these sensors put the fun back in shifty winds.
There are two primary wind indicators on a sailboat. First, we watch the sails. Sailing to windward we watch the jib for luffing and for flow on telltales.
On the main we watch for backwinding near the luff and for good flow on the leach ribbons. Off the wind we are more likely to watch the masthead fly, leading to an epic crick in the neck. More importantly, when sailing in a real breeze we like to keep our eyes near to the water, watching for other boats, the dip of the bow when pressed hard, and scanning for approaching gusts. Theres no time for more than a glance at the masthead. Ribbons on the shrouds help, but often they are too strongly influenced by dodgers and the sails themselves.
Single sail boats, such as Lasers and Optimus dinghies often clamp wind indicators on the forward side of the mast (see Practical Sailor, January 2018, Top Notch Wind Indicators ). Without a jib to interfere with windflow or to luff at every wind shift (thus serving as a wind vane), they give a real-time estimate of wind direction. Thirty years ago Frye developed the habit of watching a Davis Telo-cat indicator that hung suspended under the forestay bridle of his beach catamaran. There it was safe from sheets and sails and directly in sight as he watched the lee bow for signs of submarining, one of the greatest concerns of a beach cat sailor on a fast reach.
As he moved on to larger catamarans, he always found a place to mount the indicator on one of the bows. On his Stiletto 27, the conventional masthead flies mounted at the end of the bow worked fine. That was because, unlike many monohulls or other catamarans, the bows on the Stilletto are far outboard and extend three feet forward of the forestay, where they are relatively undisturbed by air flow.
It was a fast boat and the spinnaker was jibed inside (the sheets passed between the tack and the forestay) like a jib. As is the case with most performance cats, the boat moved so fast off the wind that the apparent wind was rarely if ever dead astern. Instead, the fastest course to steer in terms of velocity made good (VMG) often involved tacking downwind.
When he moved up to a cruising catamaran (PDQ 32), he developed an unbreakable wind indicator ( PS January 2018 ) that could withstand a regular flogging from spinnaker sheets. With his current trimaran (Corsair F-24) he has settled on a pair of wind indicators, port and starboard, since the deck-sweeping genoa blocks the view of the indicator on the off tack. This dual arrangement also ensures at least one of the flies is working in relatively clean air, undisturbed by the jib. On many boats these flies would be vulnerable to sheets during tacking, but in the case of the Corsair, they are protected from reacher and spinnaker sheets by the up-haul used to raise and lower the hinged bowsprit. As the sheets cross the bow, the up-haul keeps them clear of the flies.
Are these sensitive sensors affected by air flow over the jib? Certainly, but they are still extremely useful for adjusting to gusts and shifts. The mounting arm holds them out in front of the jibs luff, and by mounting them low on the bow rail, they escape most of the disturbed air. Even when the jib is close hauled, the distance between the fly and the sail on Fryes boat is at least two feet. On many cruising boats they can be mounted well below the jibs luff, allowing even greater clearance.
The primary function of these bow vanes is not fine-tuning or fine steering adjustments. These are made based on sail-mounted telltales and the look of the sails themselves. Their true value is showing gross changes in wind direction. As you pass through a tack or jibe, what is the approximate wind angle?
A leeward wind shift has stalled the sails, but how big an adjustment is ideal? You’ve just born away in a strong gust to stall the sails, but how far aft has the apparent wind moved?
Sure, you could glance at the masthead, but when things are happening fast, thats not where your eyes should be. When bearing off you should be watching the bow. When attacking or jibing at speed, the movement of the headsail across the foredeck, the motion of the boom, and the position of other boats are more important than looking up.
Just as importantly, new crew and beginning sailors love them. When anchoring or hoisting sails they don’t need to split their attention; Just keep that vane pointed forward. When sailing they avoid disorientation by looking in too many directions. Remember teaching your kid to drive and watching in horror as the car began to turn every time they turned their head to check a blind spot?
Other than preventing them from fouling with ropes, the greatest challenge can be reading them. It’s easy to judge the angle of a masthead fly when looking up, and bow flies are easy to read on a dinghy or beach cat because they are close. But when they are 20 feet away and viewed from the same level, judging the exact angle is difficult. Indicator arms help.
Weve tried several different brands and models and found something of merit in each of them. Our main criteria was durability, but we did not discern a great difference. All of the vanes are vulnerable to a hard wack, so in the end, the best vane for you will be the one that fits your installation needs.
The do-it-yourself yarn indicator that we featured in January 2018 is perfect for locations where a sheet or sail may find the indicator. It bends rather than breaks. On the other hand, the yarn is sometimes plastered down by rain or spray, sometimes tangles, and the direction can be hard to read.
Bottom line: This is the Best Choice if everything else breaks, but otherwise inferior.
Designed by a Laser sailor, the springy Sailsteady is the only vane sensor weve seen that can withstand the abuse of slatting sails and dragging sheets.
We mounted it on the deck of our Javelin and found that a jib will hang up on the vane in light airs, but if theres a good breeze, the vane flops down, lets the line or jib pass, and springs back into action undamaged. It is most useful on small one-designs that have clear foredecks.
Bottom line: Made in the United Kingdom, the Sailsteady offers an option for small boat sailors concerned about deck-sweeping jibs. It comes with one extra vane.
Based on the very successful Telo-cat, this black and yellow indicator has proven its durability over may decades of rough use. The clamp is optimized for a 1 -inch mast, but adjusts down to 3/4-inch pulpit rails. We wish the strut was steel rather than carbon, allowing it to be bent for leveling.
Bottom line: Recommended.
We started with this one over 30 years ago. Specifically designed for beach catamarans, it attaches to the forestay turnbuckle, though the bracket can be adjusted to other configurations. This location is safe from sheets on a beach cat, even with a chute. We used these for decades, always getting multiple seasons from them.
Bottom line: Recommended for beach cats.
Easy to mount, extremely sensitive and highly visible, it looks a little fragile. That said, we havent been able to break one in two seasons. It remains the most sensitive after a year of blasting through waves, even more sensitive than our masthead fly.
Bottom line: Our personal favorite and Best Choice.
Like the Telo-cat, the mounting is designed for the forestay turnbuckle of a beach cat, but we screwed it to a home built rail mounting block and took it sailing. It was more responsive than the Black Max, steadier than the Little Hawk MK II, and easier to read accurately. We wish the tail was more conspicuous; we may spray the tail yellow. The indicator arms were a little too easy to move, but were also the easiest to read. We wish it came with the Little Hawk Mark II mounting, though you can always bend the wand and secure it somehow.
Bottom Line: Recommended.
While not as unbreakable as the DIY version, it is easy to read and the top-and-bottom stays make it quite damage resistant. Bottom line. We wish it were more responsive.
We’ve been sailing with bow wind indicators for 35 years and we’ve yet to figure out why they are not popular outside the world of beach cat and dinghy sailing. They don’t replace a masthead fly or tell tales, but we all use the same wind and what could be more valuable than knowing where the wind is coming from?
Mounting options is clearly a consideration when choosing a deck-level vane. Several of the models we tested have deck mounts as well as spar mount, and rail mounts.
Leave a reply cancel reply.
Log in to leave a comment
Latest sailboat review.
587.00 kr
WINDEX 15 is the perfect choice for all family and racing boats from about 29 to 40 feet. The WINDEX Wind Indicator offers exceptionally good performance. The secret is the needle that rests in a sapphire layer, which means that Windex 15 finds the shifts even in extremely weak winds.
Vane length 380mm (15”) Height 370 mm (14,5”) Weight 100 gr (3,6 ounces) It has a 5/16” thread or drill a 8 mm hole and mount with washer and nut
Here is a video of how to assemble a Windex 15
Sign up to our newsletter.
Make sure you get the latest news, updates and promotions from Windex, by signing up to our newsletter here below!
Email Address:
Unit 15, 20 Narabang Way Belrose NSW 2085 AUSTRALIA ABN: 72 626 908 585
NOTE - Some delays for Baintech, CTEK, GME & Vetus products.
Registering provides you with personalized services, including: wish list, order status and promotions.
Windex Wind Indicators
Spare supporting rod for the WINDEX® 15 Part Number Weight RON-WX15-R 40g
Spare mast socket for the WINDEX® 15 Part Number Weight RON-WX15-S 10g
WINDEX® 15 is the perfect choice for all family and racing boats from about 29 to 40 feet. The WINDEX® Wind Indicator offers exceptionally good performance. The secret is the needle that rests in a safari layer, which means that WINDEX® 15...
Spare wind vane for the WINDEX® 15 380mm (15)in. vane length Part Number Weight RON-WX15-V 40g
Spare index arms for the WINDEX® 15 Part NumberWeight RON-WX15-A 40g
Garmin Mast Bracket (gWind Race) Secure your gWind Race mast securely with this bracket. Part Number GMN-010-12117-07
Garmin Connector Adapter Cable (gWind) Use our connector adapter cable to retrofit your gWind transducer for the Nexus network using your existing Nexus mast cable. Part Number GMN-010-12117-02
Garmin wired gWind Transducer The gWind transducer features twin-fin technology with 3-bladed propeller for more accurate TWS in lighter air while the twin-fin design gives a more stable TWA. The 3-bladed propeller, unlike a cups design, is always...
Eliminate Wires Through Your Mast An easy-to-install solution that eliminates running wires through masts up to 50 feet 3-bladed propeller for more accurate wind speed in lighter wind conditions Twin-fin design gives a more stable wind angle Solar...
Garmin's Affordable, Dedicated Wind Instrument Glass-bonded backlit monochrome LCD display lens avoids fogging Large, easy-to-read black digits on white or customizable background colors for high contrast and high visibility in all lighting...
Garmin NiMH Battery (gWind Wireless) The internal batteries of the gWind Wireless are continuously charged by a small solar panel integrated on the transducer arm, and have a life of around 3 to 4 years. But when the time comes to replace them, they can...
Garmin Propeller - Don't let a missing propeller keep you from receiving accurate wind data. Garmin's replacement propeller ensures you can maintain the twin-fin technology with 3-bladed propeller our gWind™ family of transducers are known...
Garmin GNX Wireless Wind Pack The Information You Need to Set Sail Includes GNX™ Wind instrument and gWind™ Wireless 2 transducer GNX Wind provides 2 data fields and a digital wind rose to simultaneously display true and apparent wind...
Garmin Mast Bracket (gWind / gWind Wireless) Secure your gWind and gWind Wireless mast securely with this bracket. Part Number GMN-010-12117-06
Three-bladed propeller for more accurate True Wind Speed (TWS) in lighter air Twin-fin design gives a more stable True Wind Angle (TWA) Optic reading technique for superior performance at low wind speeds with excellent linearity GND 10 black...
Designed for racing sailboats 3.3 feet (1 meter) straight pole raises the wind transducer above the mast to remove turbulence errors from the sail wash Three-bladed propeller for more accurate True Wind Speed (TWS) in lighter air twin-fin design...
Windward Wind Indicators
Windward Wind Indicator - Dinghy Racing Model Their lightweight, high quality construction gives long life and accurate performance. Supplied complete with reference arms, mast top mount and foredeck mount bracket. Part NumberVane...
Perfectly suited to laser and other small sail craft. Simply and securely clips onto the mast with the integral clip-on bracket provided, for fast and accurate wind direction readings 100% accurate in wind over 2 knots 200mm vane length Made in...
The Windward 200E is supplied without reference arms. It is ideal for small racing dinghies and is 100% accurate in winds over 2 knots. Part NumberPack SizeVane Length RWB-182 One 200mm
Their lightweight, high quality construction gives long life and accurate performance. Supplied complete with reference arms, mast top mount and foredeck mount bracket. Part Number Vane Length RWB-180 285mm
Welcome to Nautos-usa !
Wind Indicator
Wind Indicator with VHF antenna
Wind Indicator LED light
Wind Indicator for Small Boats
Wind Vane Plastic Repair Kit
Wind Indicator for Laser
Wind Indicator for Small boats
Optimist Wind Indicator
Wintec - Wind Indicator in Aluminum and Polycarbonate for Sailboats - 12" 15" and 18" Arrows
Flag Clip for Racing Pro Flag
Racing Pro Flag - HT167 - Wind Indicator - HOLT
Wind Indicator vane
IMAGES
COMMENTS
THE WIND DIRECTION INDICATOR. The WINDEX Wind Direction Indicator is an indispensible tool for sailors of all levels since it allows instant and accurate wind information at all points of sail. The WINDEX is a Swedish invention from 1964 that is currently sold in more than 40 countries across five continents. In total more than 1,500,000 WINDEX ...
Five Oceans 14-1/2-Inch Sailboat Wind Direction Indicator, Wind Vane with Sensitive Ball Bearing - FO2080. 4.1 out of 5 stars 186. $38.00 $ 38. 00. FREE delivery Tue, Oct 24 . Small Business. Small Business. Shop products from small business brands sold in Amazon's store. Discover more about the small businesses partnering with Amazon and ...
This weather vane for sailboats mounts on your masthead through bolts or a tap and it provides an easy-to-read wind direction indicator. It's one of the most popular sailing wind vanes on the market and this particular Davis WindTrak model is intended for medium to larger boats (the vane itself is 15 inches long; a smaller model exists for smaller boats).
Windex® wind vanes remain the top performing wind indicators in the world and offers exceptional performance with great value. Provides accurate apparent wind direction information for all type of small fast sailing boats. Sapphire jewel suspension bearing makes the device sensitive in light air and responsive in heavy air. Vane length 150 mm ...
Full protection from accidental removal and designed with less friction than any other small boat wind indicator, the C-VANE is the new paradigm for single handed sailors of all designs. Write a review Please login or register to review C-Vane, Sunfish Wind Indicator. Brand: C-Vane; Product Code: CVN-005; $39.00 ...
Bottom line: Recommended for single-sail dinghies, gull strikers, and rail mounts. Spar Fly. Compared to other indicators in the group, the Spar Fly seemed to wander more in bouncy conditions and variable winds, taking longer to respond accurately to the true wind. Some will find the traditional design appealing.
Catamaran and Small Sailboat Wind Indicators for Sale - Sailsport Marine. 231-929-2330. Login. 0. Home / Wind Indicators. We stock a range of catamaran and small sailboat wind indicators for sale. If you need to know the wind direction on your Hobie Cat, Laser, Sunfish, or other dinghy, we can help. Air-flow Tell Tails $11.99.
When sailing with telltales, you can always get the maximum performance out of your boat. MAURIPRO Sailing, your direct access to Sailboat Wind Indicators and all your other sailing and boating needs. Shop sailboat Wind Indic ators at MAURIPRO Sailing Store. Complete selection and technical information on all. Free shipping on orders over $99.
Windex® 6 dinghy is our newest addition to the Windex® family. It is the perfect wind indicator for smaller dinghies/multihulls or other fast sailing crafts. Windex® 6 will be the perfect choice for all dinghy's and smaller multihulls. The flexible mounting do it very flexible. Fits mast and bow spirit from 45-70 mm diameter.
In total more than 1,500,000 WINDEX Wind Direction Indicators have been sold over the last 45 years. The different WINDEX models are found at the top of masts on every type of sailboat from Americas Cup boats to racing dinghies, and everything in between. It is one of the most well known and recognised yachting products. The inventive and ...
Windex Dinghy Wind Indicator. $32.95. The WINDEX Dinghy Wind Indicator s designed for dinghies and smaller sailboats with quick attachment for the mast. Ideal for boats 10 to 20 feet in length. The quick fix allows easy removal of WINDEX Dinghy without using any tools.
Improve sailing performance with a wind indicator for your sailboat. A sailboat's wind vane, also called a spar or masthead fly, shows in real-time the direction of the apparent wind, which you can use to trim your sails and sail most efficiently. Available in a variety of sizes, wind direction tools are a must for sailboats and sailing dinghies.
To determine the wind direction on a handheld anemometer, follow these steps: Turn on the anemometer and wait for it to calibrate. Hold the anemometer up in the air, away from your body, at arm's length. Point the anemometer directly into the wind. Look at the display and note the wind direction.
The Breezy wind indicator performs well even in low-wind conditions. Spare parts included. Proudly e.. $25.00 Add to Cart. AeroSouth, Sunfish Dinghy Bob, DNG-BOB. Dinghy Bob prevents your small sailboat from turning-turtle and getting its mast or spar stuck in th.. $125.00 Add to Cart. Davis, Air-Flow Tels, 950.
About this item. Glass-bonded backlit monochrome LCD display lens avoids fogging. Large, easy-to-read black digits on white or customizable background colors for high contrast and high visibility in all lighting conditions. 2 data fields and a digital wind rose simultaneously display true and apparent wind data, Steer Pilot, boat speed and more ...
At last! A small wind direction indicator designed specifically for dinghy classes - the new Sailsteady® is a robust spring-loaded wind indicator which will help you to maximise the performance of your boat. Most wind indicators lack durability and are easily damaged by rough handling and impacts. The Sailsteady® has been designed for ...
Most wind speed indicators consist of a digital display that shows wind speed in knots to the nearest 1/10 of a knot. Wind direction can be displayed using digits (from 0-180° port and starboard) or a pointer that turns through 360°. ... Most sailboats rely upon a masthead wind transducer assembly that consists of an electronic wind vane ...
Bird-proof spike: Bird-proof WindTrak 15 features a 10" stainless steel spire to prevent birds from landing on vane. The choice for most sailors, the WindTrak 15 incorporates a 15" vane and reflectors for high visibility day and night. Includes through-bolt or drill and tap mounting socket; 5/16"-18 stainless stud, washers and nut.
Order online Sailboat Wind Indicators. WE SHIP WORLDWIDE: More Info. Toggle menu. FREE SHIPPING* US Continental (min order $98) International (min order $750) ... Type 4.1: Small/Med Bowsprit Boats Dollies; Type 4.2: Heavier Sprit Boats Dollies; Type 5: Heavier Doble-Handed Boats Dollies;
Small Details Set Windvanes Apart. Mounting options is clearly a consideration when choosing a deck-level vane. Several of the models we tested have deck mounts as well as spar mount, and rail mounts. The the blue up-haul line protects the sensors on Drew Frye's boat. The C-Vane easily attaches to 1-inch rail.
WINDEX 15 is the perfect choice for all family and racing boats from about 29 to 40 feet. The WINDEX Wind Indicator offers exceptionally good performance. The secret is the needle that rests in a sapphire layer, which means that Windex 15 finds the shifts even in extremely weak winds. Reflector tape on the vane and tacking tabs make Windex® 15 easy to see day and night. Windex® vanes are ...
Select from a range of quality sailing wind indicators at The Boat Warehouse. Skip to main content. Unit 15, 20 Narabang Way Belrose NSW 2085 AUSTRALIA ABN: 72 626 908 585. NOTE - Some delays for Baintech, CTEK, GME & Vetus products. ... Perfectly suited to laser and other small sail craft. Simply and securely clips onto the mast with the ...
Wind Indicator, Wind indicator sailing, Nautos-USA has the finest range at the best prices.Sailboat parts and hardware marine sailing. V.ELO Ropes - Direct From distributor - All new lines - Dyneema licensed - 15 % Discount . ... 13.2318 - WIND INDICATOR FOR SMALL BOATS - RED FLAG. Wind Indicator for Small Boats. $13.00 . More Info. 91160 WIND ...