Manufacturing and Guarantee

Manufacturing the CapeHorn
CapeHorn Marine Products was formed in July 1989, from the synergy between Yves Gélinas, who determines with sailors how their boat can be made to steer itself, and his nephew, Eric Sicotte, who crafts the work of art in his shop in Oka, Québec.

In 2022, Eric retired and ws replaced by one of the first CapeHorn customers, Guy Lavoie.  Guy had sailed around the world with his wife and two  daughters aboard Balthazar, a 35' steel sloop between 1999 and 2004 .  In 2012 - 2013,  he sailed through the North-West passage.  In all, it's more than 55,000 miles covered with its Cap Horn regulator! The CapeHorn shop has been moved to Lacolle, close to Guy,s home. 

Custom Built
To ensure impeccable performance and the best integration possible between windvane and boat, each gear is fabricated to measures determined by the client. Wetted area of the servo-pendulum paddle is always proportional to the boat’s rudder and aspect ratio. Wall thickness of tubes takes into account the size and displacement of each boat.

Materials
CapeHorn gears are made of 316L mirror-polished TIG-welded stainless steel tube and rod. Steering paddle is teak. Bushings are Teflon; other plastic parts are Delrin, Nylatron and UHMW (Ultra-High Molecular Weight polymer). Light air vane is spinnaker cloth over stainless wire and heavy weather vane is an anodized aluminum blade. Weight (of standard model) is abt 35 pounds (15,9 kg) for Jean-du-Sud and Varuna and abt 55 (25 kg)for Spray and Joshua.

Marketing
Small is beautiful. In an effort to keep our prices as low as possible, we limit our marketing effort to the minimum.  We have exhibited at boat shows for our first 20 years, but have stopped doing it; sales were in no way affected and there is more money left.  The excellent reputation of the CapeHorn Self-Steering gear among fellow blue water sailors remains our most precious asset.  Near instant communication and exchange of pictures through internet makes it possible to agree on the most elegant way a boat can be made to steer itself, wherever it may be.

Guarantee
Before we ship each CapeHorn gear, we are positively satisfied that we would personally use it to sail around the world.

Therefore, each CapeHorn gear is guaranteed for one circumnavigation, 28 000 miles or four years against any damage done by the sea or the wind.

CapeHorn Marine Products 
123, 15 e avenue
Deux Montagnes, (Québec) Canada
J0N 1E0

Tel. +1 514 442-0213
mail@capehorn.com