Monitor Manual

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4 Sailing with the Monitor

4.5.5 Friction in the Pendulum Lines

If there is no friction in the MONITOR itself and the main rudder seems to be easy to move, there could be friction in the pendulum lines that connect the two. 

Use only good quality bearing blocks. Use the minimum number of blocks. The straightest line with the minimum number of blocks will give the least friction. Use 1/4 " Spectra or a line with minimum stretch. Thicker lines will not run freely. 

The tension of the lines could also be a problem. If the lines are too tight, you introduce a lot of friction, which can be overcome in strong winds but not in light air. A very common mistake is to OVER TIGHTEN the lines. However, if the pendulum lines are too loose, you will waste the correction from the MONITOR. The MONITOR will do the job but because of too much slack in the lines, nothing – or too little – will happen with the main rudder. A good installation always has an easy way to experiment with the line tension under sail. (See end of paragraph 3.5.3.)

Next >> 4.5.6 The Autopilot Friction