Some explanation of Cap Horn Photos aboard Kamaloha

1) Steering tube location. This is somewhat closer to the waterline than other
installations I have seen, but I wanted it on the centerline and placement is
as high as it can get without interfering with chainplate mount. It turns out
to be ideal because the vane quadrant can spin 360 degrees here.

2) The blocks to mount the support struts also mount the first pair of turning
blocks. Sorry for the messy epoxy job but the access is horrendous. I'll paint
it all eventually. The control line does not touch the exhaust riser.

3) The turning blocks are mounted on top of the rudder quadrant with an
eyebolt. I added a spacer to give myself a little more clearance, but I think
I will still try to find some springs like track sliders have to hold the
block upright when not under tension, to make sure it stays out of the rudder
stop if not in use. During the install I dropped my good carbo block and it
disappeared out of reach, so there is an old cheap block in there temporarily.
In Yves instructions this is supposed to be a fairlead anyway, but I
discovered I had failed to take into account the thickness of the epoxy when
placing the mounting bolts through the wood mounting block and I couldn't get
the nuts on the fairlead. I did a better job on the port side. A block is
better anyway because there is a fair bit of friction in the system when
engaging the vane. Note the ink marks to show me where to epoxy the block.

5) I got the fairlead in place correctly here but I may replace with a block
anyway to make it easier to engage the vane.

6) Engagement cleat mounting. Vane is engaged; note marks on line. Control
line is a continuous loop, i.e. no ends visible and retreats away nicely when
not engaged. Old CPT autopilot is visible; it got jealous and died right after
vane was installed.

7 - 10) External stern detail. Note that I fed the mast up through the bracket
for the old nav light. It is lashed there temporarily until I can make a
wood block to hold it more gracefully, but this eliminated the need for the
external support struts and works nicely. Notice that my stern is very busy
with dinghy and outboard davits, Outbacker SSB antenna, and Fourwinds windgen
which supplies almost all of my electrical needs. That is the main reason I
chose the Cape Horn, so it would get along with all this mess. It does this
quite well. I removed the telltale from the vane's sail so it wouldn't get
tangled in the windgen. You can also see the external daughter plate for
the chainplate which I added. Photos are taken in Gustavia, St. Barths; note
frigate bird fishing in one photo.

11) Detail showing steering cord and compatibility with dinghy on davits while
underway. Note turning fairlead for steering cord which is not supplied.

12) The elastic which governs the range of play in the sail and thus the
"gain" of the system in an engineering sense kept coming untied from the loop;
elastic does not hold knots well. I added the stuff sack toggle which works
well and makes it easy to adjust and to remove the sail for storage.

13) The vane hard at work beating upwind in the Caribbean Sea.