Two wind indicators? Why?

Some of my fellow sailors use two wind indicators strapped round the mast. This is because - as I found out when I tried it - using the Laser style mast-mounted ones only work on reaches and beats. On a run (when you really need it) the mast-mounted indicators get blanketed by the mainsail and just go round in circles randomly.

So one solution is to buy two indicators and strap them pointing out either side of the mast so at least one of them is working downwind. For some reason that solution annoys me. To try another way that might work, I got a burgee and looked at where I could put it on my Solo. I wanted it to be in line-of-sight, so not at the top of the mast - that works (of course) but staring at the top of the mast for too long on a run on a windy day is likely to result in a swim.

I came to the conclusion it needed to float somewhere above the foredeck, a little bit back from the bow. That way I can see it easily and it is not affected by the mainsail.

My latest favourite material is 3:1 heat shrink tubing which makes a very neat way to attach things - and can be removed again if you make a mistake. And knitting needles - you can't do much without them - am-I-right?

So this is my first go at solving the problem - an arm that attaches to the forestay base pin and has a standard burgee mount on it (found one at the bottom of my spare fittings box) which not only works for most burgees but also for the fancier Allen top-of-mast indicator.

See how useful heat shrink is! I used a stainless rope thimble (for 4mm rope - knitting needles are usually 4mm) as a way to connect to the forestay base pin. And here it is in action with a normal burgee - I'll probably use an Allen wind indicator for most racing.

I have tried it out in a couple of races already - it definitely works. Seems accurate on runs and easy to see in any wind conditions. You do need a washer on the forestay pin to make sure the arm does not wobble too much - I used a 5mm nylon spacer (very cheap on eBay). Because the mount lets you take the burgee/indicator off, you can leave the arm in place when you put the cover on.

I have a few more projects to talk about including my switch to Bethwaite v2 sheeting. You can tell my sailing season has started again. ⛵