[jacquessheet]

Does anyone out there in the US have a Fleming wind vane self steering system?

I'm in the UK ( I sail from Portsmouth on the South Coast) and over here no one has even heard of 'em.

I bought one off a guy who took it off the back of a Whitby 42 that he bought and sailed back from the Eastern Seaboard..it's a pendulum servo setup, following the usual concept, a bit like the Monitor or Aries but different.

Where this system really differs is that (on mine...mine is the auxiliary rudder variant) ......it has its own Auxiliary rudder....so instead of driving the the boats own steering system it drives and additional balanced rudder that is an integral part of the SS gear.

All well and good and should be ideal for my 36 ft 10 ton center cockpit ketch with looks almost exactly like a 36ft Whitby 42 .. Actually a Halberdier built by Moody Yachts.

Trouble is that this wonderful system wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding, and certainly would'nt steer my old girl.

As I say nobody over here knows JS about these ...certainly not the version with the auxiliary rudder...I know that although these were originally marketed in Australia they were also for sale in the US so am hoping that some kind person is going to say " Ah well but if only you do ............... you old boat will sail in a straight line".


BTW contacting the Manufacturers in Oz is a waste of time.

Thanks and regards ... Jacques.