JOINT VENTURE
A man who openly admits to a fascination with rear ends runs a very real risk of being misunderstood. So understand me when I confess to my obsession with the hind quarters: I’m talking about work not pleasure – and here, as in most other respects, it is wisest to keep the two separate. Continue
THE FIVE PILLARS
Two and a half years have whizzed by and it is high time I parked myself in front of the keyboard again to squeeze out another chapter of my life story. This has to be psychoanalysis at its best: it costs nothing and I have to find my own answers on the spot to explain how things came to be the way they were. Two birds with one stone – what could be better? Or am I missing something? Are all these words just setting up a new generation of questions that, like their forebears, will eventually catch up with me and demand a response? CONTINUE
BBB Gleda Episode 1 from Barefoot Boat Bums on Vimeo.
LIBERTÉ, EGALITÉ, FRATERNITÉ – or none of the above?
Freedom, equality and fraternity: values that inspired the rebirth of a nation but whose lustre seems to have faded under the onslaught of individualism, values that may or may not, depending on one’s viewpoint, have contributed to the emergence of a very particular – that is to say very particularly French – way of dealing with life, other people and the world in general.
Savoir-vivre is a concept that invites conflicting interpretations: the knowledge required to fit in effectively, for example, or an outline of where the ultimate boundaries lie in a sphere in which the individual, unswayed by the (will of) the larger whole, stands above all things. CONTINUE
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Questions to Jayme Santos Souza, 61, retired professor of surgery, son of famous Brazilian circumnavigator Alfredo Souza, experienced bluewater sailor and owner of several German-built yachts, highly knowledgeable about Brazilian waters, which he sailed for decades, and now nearly as familiar with our European waters, which he began to explore, with growing enthusiasm, a few years ago. CONTINUE
BLUEWATER ADVICE NOT FOR SELF CONFESSED IDEALISTS
The 40 years I have spent in the windvane business have shaped the way I think and left me with a clear and obvious set of priorities. A self-confessed idealist, I allow myself the luxury of believing that there are some things that come before sales and profit – and I do so fully cognisant of the fact that this makes me something of an outlier (to say the least). My obvious independence is the wind in the sails of the word of mouth recommendations that circulate through the cruising community, enabling me to sell my products around the word with no fanfare and no need whatsoever to trouble – much less pay – the usual suspects in the media. Not surprisingly, certain ladies and gentlemen of the global fourth estate have taken umbrage at my approach because it runs counter to their system of creating dependence and subverts their business plan (salary plus perks), under which paid advertisements tend to correlate with editorial attention.CONTINUE
FIRST SEA TRIAL
Hello Peter, Some images and a video of the Pacific on my Contessa 32.
I’m very happy.
kind regards
Paul
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Hi Peter,
Thank you for your nice offer! I can see that you have not changed and still offer the same incredible service ( Though I am a bit ashamed to ask you for a piece of rope! )
I purchased your wind pilot in december 2004 after having had a lot of trouble steering Waskaran ( 11 m, 9.5 tons with a centerboard type ” Fruit de Mer” ) with an Autohelm 4000 while crossing Biscay and reaching Las Palmas pretty tired. The delivery was planned 3 days later and, having ordered from Madeira and been assured that it would work for the transom I had, the equipment was at the back of my boat, on the dock in Las Palmas at 9 am exactly 3 days later. I still tell the story to other sailors when we talk about wind vanes ! Continue reading
KONSTRUKTION UND BAU
AUF DEM WEG NACH AMERIKA
REFERENZ FÜR 23 JAHRE 150.000 SM SEGELN MIT WINDPILOT
I have used a WindPilot Pacific for about 23 years. Have covered about 150,000 miles in that time. The gear has been fitted to our 26′ Warsash One Design for its voyage from UK to NZ, our 32 Hartley for South Pacific and our current Saga Saltram 40 for North and South Pacific and sub Antarctics. A wide variety of vessel types and sailing conditions. Continue reading
Rolling out of bed at 5 a.m. this morning, my first port of call was the sofa and a quick glance at the night’s incoming e-mail. One particular message caught my eye:
Good evening Peter,
Are you no longer among us?
Your blog has been dead for over two months, which seems most unusual for someone who has as much to say as you generally do!
Best wishes,
Dr Jörg Steffen
Dr Steffen struck a nerve (rather appropriately) and his question made me realise firstly that a blog can end up creating something of a relationship between author and readers and secondly that, that being the case, the author should really consider his readers before suddenly stopping the flow of prose. So, a good start to the day and also an effective prod to interrupt – albeit briefly – a long hiatus.
Why no blogs? In short: life. The river of life has been hurtling along swifter than ever, keeping us in the fastest stream, dragging us through the rapids and leaving few opportunities to catch breath and take stock. Forty years of Windpilot have blown by faster than a seagull in a storm (and on the seagull theme, I do feel we’ve met our fair share of incoming avian waste products in that time).
More of the same only more so, in other words: we have been compelled to acknowledge – and I say this as a simple statement of fact, not in any way as an excuse but hopefully as a polite and plausible explanation – that we cannot actually squeeze 48 hours into one day. Continue reading
IN THE LAND OF SHARP ELBOWS
Time passes in the New World just as it does in the old and people are people wherever they are. That, however, has never stopped some from playing up the differences and making believe crossing the Pond to earn a crust while the banner yet waves makes them somehow hipper than thou – even if in truth they may be feathering their nest with the pluckings of others. Blown your chances in the Old World? Find the thought of the chickens finally coming home to roost too much to bear? Fear not: just a relatively short flight away lies a land as yet unsullied by your presence in which to give your sharp elbows free rein once more. CONTINUE TO READ
SV SPICA – berthed RAIATEA/POLYNESIEN – for sale due to sickness of owner
Van de Stadt 36 Zeehond Rundspant Mittelcockpit
Built 1984, boat yard professional reconditioned 2012
11,00 x 3,55 x 2,10 m
Verdrängung ca. 12 t
Wheel steering mech.
Volvo Penta 45 PS
Wechselrichter
Starter-Batterie 120 Ah
Bordnetz-Batterie 220 Ah
Solar 2 x 100 W
Windgenerator Continue reading
LIVING BIG ON A SMALL BUDGET
Iits just a few weeks ago when I have got the following mail:
Good Morning Peter,
I have had a ‘Pacific’ for many years and it continues to work to perfection. It has, however, a small problem – the sun has broken down the surface of the worm wheel and the worm no longer engages properly with the wheel. I would like a replacement for both worm and wheel if it is a direct replacement. I do have an alternative ‘plan’ but would rather keep to the original. Continue reading
AROUND AND AROUND AND AROUND
This time instead of returning to Cape Town ( from the Canaries via Brazil ), I intend to moor in European waters (maybe La Gomera ). I am returning to Cape Town in two weeks time to get Sea Canary ready to sail to Brazil and onwards before the end of the year. Continue reading
16 YEARS and 70.000 Miles
Dear Peter,
In 1992 I bought from you a Pacific Plus for our Koopmans 43ft.centreboard. My wife and I are back now from a 16 years sailing around the world trip. We have done around 70.000 miles and the Pacific Plus has done at least a 60.000 miles without any problem under all circumstances. You hardly can believe it, but its the truth. We are 77 years old and without the help of the windsteering the trip should have been impossible. So, we are very thankfull that you have designed such a reliable piece of equipment.
Greetings Frans
PREPARATION FOR THE VIC-MAUI-INTERNATIONAL-RACE
THE CURIOUS (Tall) TALE OF THE “BAD WEATHER PROBLEM”
An unmistakeable and respected symbol of the bluewater tradition, the Aries vane gear has come to occupy a special place in the history of windvane steering systems. The 1960s were drawing to a close when the three pioneers of windvane steering technology – Nick Franklin of Aries, Derek Daniels of Hydrovane and John Adam of Windpilot – first felt the finger of destiny upon them and tumbled into designing and building windvane steering systems as a job. continue
