Technical

Over winter I installed Monitor self-steering gear on Santana and have now been able to test it, so far in Force 3-6 but only with very slight seas.  The instruction manual implied I would need to learn how to get it to manage the boat and balance the rig etc.  In practice it just worked, straight off, holding the course as close as I can, perhaps even better.  Close hauled, the tell-tales on the foresail stayed parallel without the occasional lapse that I cause.  It also worked well down wind goose winged.  I can also tack easily without disengaging it.  This is a compliment to the gear and also to the Morgan Giles 30, whose easy handling must make the gear’s task easier than with many boats.

I have added this gear to the list of resources on the MG30 website, where you can see a photo.

best wishes for the new season, Tony

hi hows tricks hope you are all well, I wonder if anyone has a copy of the sail plan of the MG 30 as I would like to check on the size of my main. I am thinking of moving the mainsheet traveler to just behind the cockpit step and would then be shortening the boom and i don’t want to this without knowing that the main is the right size.

Thanks. Kieron

I have completed my evaluation of vane self-steering gear, including discussions with providers at the Southampton Boat Show. Read more

On board Santana I have an electronic Tiller-Pilot.  It works well under the right conditions, but cannot hold a course off the wind or in strong winds.  Mine cannot hold a course relative to the wind as I no longer have a working wind readout and new wind systems are not compatible.  It is noisy and heavy on the battery, which I managed to flatten on my last passage. Read more