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As mentioned, I spoke
to several Windpilot owners. All of them extremely satisfied. It is just an
annoying investment(/expenditure), but I quite simply won't bother continuing
with the Ullermatic. It is just not fully developed and I am afraid that the
construction is all wrong. It draws(/sinks) about one metre down the water and
has a big plate that should be able to find or align itself. It just doesn't,
which means it wanders from one extreme point to the other, and you sail like
you are drunk as hell. At least that is what people think you are.
Try to imagine the force it would take to hold an oar vertically in the water
while sailing. That corresponds to the force I have with the Ullermatic, since
it is in the same position. I'm losing a knot an hour because of it. Simple
arithmetic tells me that on an Atlantic Ocean crossing, it could take me four to
five days longer. When I removed it, I could suddenly see that it costs me AT
LEAST one knot an hour. It might not sound like much, but when you are sailing
around the clock, it is equivalent to an extra 4-5 hours EVERY DAY.
Windpilot:
I was able to cure some of the noise. Nevertheless, it will always make some
noise when lying still and (when) rolling a little due to waves. Especially when
at anchor, it gets on your and your neighbours' nerves. So if you want quiet, it
needs to be removed in port or at anchor. It is also possible to get a line
around the plate, but c'mon....... |
