Navik USD conversion Kit

If you have bought the Mister Vee USD for Navik conversion kit, you will usually only need the windvane and push rod manual, which you should see in the list.

Please note the following:

1- To connect the Mister Vee mast to your Navik's mast, remove the plastic part from the top of the Navik mast, using an allen key.
2- File away the burr on the inside of the Navik mast so the the sleeve on the Vee mast does not get damaged when rotating the mast.

Also read about setting the length of the pushrod from the Navik Parts menu at the top of the website.

The USD for Navik conversion kit uses the standard Mister Vee USD windvane. Please refer to that manual if you need very detailed information.

This page is for the basic setup when you take the system straight out of the packaging.

The tasks at hand are the following:

• Glue the connecting rod
• Connect the windvane blade to the vane box
• Connect the windvane to the mast
• Connect the string
• Insert the mast to the Navik mast
• Connect the connecting rod
• Set the length of the mast

Connecting rod
The connecting rod (pushrod in Mister Vee terminology) comes in two halves that need to be glued together.
The best glue to use is polyurethane wood glue, yes WOOD glue.
You may be able to get good results with other types of glue but PU wood glue gives the most predictable result, it is used during manufacturing too.

Please refer to the manual 099 pushrod on how to go about it.

Windvane blade to vane box

The windvane blade needs to be connected to the vane box with the included m5 threaded rods and book screws.
Please refer to the 095 windvane manual.
This manual also explains how to connect the string.

Connect the windvane to the plastic mast
The windvane connects to the mast on the opposite side of the grey sleeve that is held on by the green clamp.
The top of the mast needs to be flush with the top of the green clamp that you tighten with the wing nuts. (See picture)

***Important***
This position needs to be the same every time you go sailing.
This is explained further down this page.

Inserting the Mast to your Navik
Before you insert the plastic mast in to the Navik mast you will need to make some preparations.

First take off all the plastic parts that may be left. If you can keep them in tact, you may be able to sell them on to another Navik user.
The last part that needs to come off is the piece that has the little wheel that you turn to control the course setting.

You will need an allen key to remove a screw to be able to slide off this part.

***Important***
After removing this plastic parts, smooth the inside of the mast at the position of the hole with a round file and/or sandpaper, otherwise the hole will scratch the sleeve on the plastic mast and make rotating it difficult.

Attach the connecting rod
Once the connecting rod has been glued and left to cure for 48 hours (it can be handled after 24 hours but it is best not to stress the joint before 48 hours of curing) and the mast has been added to your Navik you can connect the pushrod.

The bottom connects the same way as you are used to.
To connect the pushrod to the windvane, unlock the clip on the connecting fork on the windvane, then pull it out of the fork.
Insert the bearing at the the top of the pushrod between the forks sides and fix with the clip. Then lock the clip to the fork.

Setting the length of the mast
With Navik only the length of the connecting rod could be adjusted to get the pendulum rudder to track correctly with a locked windvane.
With the new pushrod you can also do this but it is easier and maybe even better to do this by setting the length of the plastic mast.

To be able to change the length of the mast, loosen the screws that holds the sleeve at the bottom of the plastic mast.

The procedure of the actual setting is described Navik Parts menu.

Play with the windvane axis
Your Mister Vee windvane has the option to play with the windvane axis.
It can be set from 20 degrees to 50.

Especially on off wind courses a small change in axis angle can make a big difference in steering stability.
This is REQUIRED if the angle can become negative:
Especially on side wind courses the effects of waves coming from the side may cause the wind to hit the windvane in a way so that it is UNSTABLE, at which point the windvane may immediately swing out to the maximum position causing a huge and wrong correction.

By increasing the windvane axis the windvane becomes stable again and so will the course.
Or at least, as stable as it can be as side wind is often difficult for a servo pendulum self steering system.