Aries · Wind-vane self-steering

Aries wind vane gear

The Aries is the classic servo-pendulum wind-vane gear: Nick Franklin designed it and built it in Cowes on the Isle of Wight from 1968 to 1991, mainly as the Standard, then the Lift-Up and the rare Circumnavigator. Peter Matthiesen built it in Denmark (Aries Denmark) from 1994 to 2015, and since 2015 Lean Nelis has built it in Amsterdam (ariesvanegear.com) as a single metric model based on the Standard. The vane is plywood rather than cloth, the course is set with a ratchet and two lines rather than a worm gear, and the bearings are oiled, not run dry. Franklin’s old spares business has probably closed: his item numbers further down identify parts of UK-built gears but may no longer be orderable, while the current maker sells rebuild kits for the UK-built Standard and for Danish and Dutch gears.

Manuals & documents

The first six links go to Aries Vane Gear in Amsterdam. The archived pages are archive.org copies from the earlier makers, Nick and Helen Franklin’s Aries Spares (ariesvane.com) and Aries Denmark (selfsteer.dk), whose sites are gone. We host no manuals or drawings.

Wear parts & part numbers

PartOEM numberAlso fitsNote
Water paddle (servo blade)AVG-SERVO-RUDDER1,2,3—Servo rudder with the stock moulded in to about 10 cm from the tip: current Dutch blades are glass fibre and vacuum-infused epoxy over a foam core, the Danish ones glass fibre and polyester. For Danish and Dutch gears; the maker does not say whether it fits UK-built Franklin gears, so send photos of your coupling first. Maker’s shop code, ordered by e-mail.
Safety hinge (breakaway)AVG-HINGE4,5,6—Quick release and overload breakaway for the servo rudder, now with a safety line; aluminium castings with a stainless lock. The maker says it fits all UK-built (Franklin), Danish and Dutch gears; it is the usual upgrade for an old Standard with a fixed rudder coupling. Maker’s shop code.
AirvaneAVG-PLYWOOD-VANE7,8,6—Marine plywood vane, 7 mm, varnished and balanced against the lead counterweight; two come with a new gear. For Danish and Dutch gears; the maker does not say whether it fits UK-built gears, which used 6 mm ply. Any vane must rise slowly to vertical when let go. Maker’s shop code.
Rebuild kitAVG-REBUILD-UK9,10,11—For the UK-built Aries Standard (Franklin’s No 3, imperial): all the plastic wear parts, i.e. bushes, bearings, washers and rollers. Not for Danish or Dutch gears. The maker warns that it only helps if the gear has not been heavily modified. Maker’s shop code.
Rebuild kitAVG-REBUILD-DK12,10,11—For gears built in Denmark (metric, until 2015) and in the Netherlands (from 2015): all the plastic wear parts, i.e. bushes, bearings, washers and rollers; kept in stock. Not for UK-built imperial gears. Maker’s shop code.
Mounting bracketAVG-MOUNT-NEW13,2,14—Mounting bracket, new model: three investment-cast stainless parts, insulated from the aluminium tube with Delrin; two sit on the gear and four on the hull, and a new gear comes with six. Danish and Dutch gears only: the maker says it does not fit UK-built gears. Maker’s shop code, priced per bracket.
Mounting bracketAVG-MOUNT-TRAD15,2—Mounting bracket, traditional model, for a deck or positive-stern installation with straight tubes; four are needed. Fits every Aries, UK-built, Danish and Dutch. Maker’s shop code, priced per bracket.
Tiller bracketAVG-TILLER-KIT16,17,18—Tiller kit: cast bronze tiller clamp, two U-bolts for any size of tiller and a length of chain; fit the clamp 60 to 100 cm from the rudder stock. Sold as an accessory for current (Danish and Dutch type) gears; Franklin gears use the same clamp-and-chain principle, but the maker does not state fit on UK-built ones. Maker’s shop code.
Wheel adapterAVG-WHEEL-KIT19,18,20—Wheel kit: drum of LM5 aluminium castings with clutch and freewheel, worked by a handle on the drum face, about half a turn each side of centre, clamped to the spokes with U-bolts (three on the current page). Sold as an accessory for current gears; the maker does not state fit on UK-built ones, although Franklin’s spares business also sold new drums for old gears in 2001. Maker’s shop code.
Turning blockAVG-UNIVERSAL-BLOCK21,17—Universal block: two sheaves in a sphere that can be angled and locked, made of four aluminium castings and held down by four bolts; useful for centre-cockpit wheel steering. Optional, ordinary blocks work too. Sold as an accessory for current gears; the maker says nothing about UK-built ones. Maker’s shop code.
Servo rudder spindle—22,23,20,24,25,26—The vertical shaft from the lower bevel gear to the rudder coupling: Standard No 63, Lift-Up No 313. The Standard had three versions: 1970–73 an alloy tube with stainless rings (scrap it), 1973–80 a stainless tube (the coupling No 68 tends to corrode onto it), 1980–90 hard-anodised alloy, which needs the stainless lower bevel No 49. The Standard’s lower shell casting No 64 changed about 1980 from two fixing screws to four: say which you have. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Plain bearing (bushing)—22,23,27,24,28,29,30,25—Servo spindle bushes, upper and lower, PTFE (Teflon; Delrin in the rebuild kit): Standard No 53 (two; 25 mm long, 38 mm bore, 50 mm OD), Lift-Up No 312. The commonest seizure point: glue them in with epoxy, a loose fit is intended. The Circumnavigator’s spindle runs in a Torlon needle roller housing No 84 with a recirculating Delrin ball housing No 85; these cannot be fitted to other Aries. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Axle (pivot pin)—22,23,24,25,31—Servo rudder swivel shaft, the pendulum pivot through the mainframe, with its pair of headed bushes: Standard No 59 and No 58, Lift-Up No 300 and No 307. On the Standard, No 59 is usually corroded into the mainframe casting No 50 and getting it out is the hardest part of a rebuild; fit new headed bushes (they were in Franklin’s rebuild kit). Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Gear set—22,23,24,20,28,29,31—Bevel gears and shims: Standard upper pinion No 43, lower bevel gear No 49 and the set of adjusting washers No 52; Lift-Up pinion No 303 and lower bevel No 308, both 316 stainless castings. Standard gears were bronze, with a stainless No 49 on 1980–90 gears and as the replacement. Mesh the lower bevel about one tooth to starboard and shim for free play between the teeth. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Push rod extension—22,23,24,31,6—Vane linkage: Standard connecting rod No 38 with swivel joint block No 32 and its pins No 36 (spigot end) and No 37 (plain end); Lift-Up connecting rod No 295 with ball pin No 293. The rod comes out when the pins are pulled top and bottom. The joint block needs clearance on its pins, so file it out with a round file if tight (two blocks were in Franklin’s rebuild kit). The 2018 Lift-Up rebuild kit did not include the connecting rod. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Plain bearing (bushing)—22,24,31—Connecting rod swivel bolt No 45 and the fork end bushes it turns in, No 41 and headed No 47 (Standard). Check that the bolt is not seized in the bushes. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Roller bearing—22,23,24,31—Vane pivot: Standard nylon rollers No 28 (set) in outer housings No 29 (pair) on the stainless pivot shaft No 30; Lift-Up rollers No 284 (pair) and pivot shaft No 283. Epoxy the housings into the vane holder No 25 with about 4 mm standing proud, and hold the rollers in with grease while assembling. No 30 can corrode into casting No 1: use heat, not force. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Course-setting ratchet—22,23,24,26—Standard port No 10, starboard No 11, large spring No 5, small spring No 6 (two of each spring were in Franklin’s rebuild kit); Lift-Up port No 259, starboard No 257, large spring No 265, small spring No 264. Only for the later one-piece cast ratchets: the early hand-built ones with separate fingers (No 8/9) have no spares. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Control line—22,23,32,24,29—Lines, sold in pairs: snaffle (course-setting) lines Standard No 12, Lift-Up No 258; steering lines Standard No 23, Lift-Up No 321, 8 mm pre-stretched polyester (Terylene) as Franklin insists. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Turning block—22—Nylon rope sheave No 17 for the top pulley castings, on stainless shaft No 21 (Standard); four of each were in Franklin’s rebuild kit. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Servo rudder coupling—22,23,24,20,29,26—Standard fixed coupling No 68 with T handle No 67; Lift-Up breakaway coupling No 316 (50 mm aluminium tube, 6.5 mm wall) with spring-loaded securing pin No 317. On the Standard, No 68 often corrodes solid onto a stainless spindle No 63. The early hinged couplings (hinging aft, or sideways in 1977–79) have no spares: bolt the blade straight to No 68 or fit the current safety hinge AVG-HINGE. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Frame tube (A-frame)—22,33,11—A-tubes, starboard No 55 and port No 56 (Standard): they limit the pendulum swing so the blade cannot be thrown out of the water. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Water paddle (servo blade)—22,23,20,28,29,30—Franklin servo rudders and safety lanyards: Standard rudder No 80, foam-filled glass fibre on a 1.5 in (38 mm) aluminium stock with 10 in (short), 16 in (standard) or 20 in (long) projection, lanyard No 78; Lift-Up rudder No 320, lanyard No 323. Franklin’s product page says the Standard rudder and coupling fit the Lift-Up too. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Airvane—22,23,24,34—Franklin plywood vanes, 6 mm marine ply, varnished: Standard No 81, Lift-Up No 290 (its top stands about 1600 mm above the mounting tubes); vane lead counterweight No 33. Easy to make yourself. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.
Mounting bracket—23,35,36,30—Lift-Up mounting parts: cross tube casting No 222 (the sub-frame the mainframe hinges on), knurled locking collar No 238 for the hinge pin, stern mounting block No 239, universal ball pin No 234 at the tube end and spring-loaded securing pin No 252. Early mounts used anodised ball-and-socket brackets, later ones a stainless toggle. Old Franklin gears, UK-built only, not Danish or Dutch; source: Franklin’s 2001 parts list (archived), and the numbers may no longer be orderable.

Numbers checked against the sources below on 13 October 2026. Always confirm against your serial number and exact type before ordering.

Service intervals

TaskInterval
LubricationRegularly: oil all moving parts with ordinary lubricating oil, not spray, above all the servo rudder casting where it is marked “oil”. Now and then oil or grease the steering lines where they run over the blocks, and shorten them at the stopper knots to move the wear point37
LubricationOn passage (Franklin Standard): about every 24 hours of continuous use, light engine oil, mainly into the servo spindle bushes through the oil holes below the lower bevel gear28
GreaseRegularly grease both faces of the safety hinge; now and then take the hinge off and grease it against corrosion4
Full serviceNo fixed interval: strip and rebuild when the linkage gets stiff or after a long lay-up. Franklin expected about 40 years of life from a Standard, with a few rebuilds24

From the current Aries user manual, the maker’s safety-hinge page and Nick Franklin’s archived installation and rebuilding notes. The maker gives no hours or miles: it says to oil “regularly” and to rebuild when the gear gets stiff.

Specifications

TypeServo-pendulum wind-vane gear: the plywood vane turns the servo rudder through bevel gears, and the blade swings sideways and pulls two lines that steer the boat’s own wheel or tiller. The A-frame stops the blade being thrown up out of the water in heavy seas32,11
VersionsFranklin (Cowes, imperial): No 1 1968 (about 40), No 2 with horizontal vane (about 75), No 3 Standard 1970–1990 (about 8000), No 4 stainless and bronze 1975–76 (400), No 5 Lift-Up 1981–1992 (2500), No 6 Circumnavigator 1988–1992 (400). Then metric gears from Denmark and, since 2015, the Netherlands, all based on the No 3. “Cowes”, “Denmark” or “Holland” is cast into the top of the A-frame30,11
Years built1968 to today: Nick Franklin in Cowes (Isle of Wight) until 1991, Peter Matthiesen in Denmark 1994–2015, Lean Nelis in the Netherlands since 2015, now in Amsterdam38,24
SizesYachts of about 28 to 55 ft; smaller boats only with a broad stern, because of the weight (maker’s site, 2018). The maker now says Aries have been fitted on boats from 24 to 60 ft, provided the boat is well balanced6,11
WeightThe current site gives no figure. Danish brochure: 32 kg; maker’s website in 2018: 35 kg; Franklin Standard: 34.5 kg (75.5 lb) complete with deck tubes, Iroko packing blocks and tiller clamp, of which the mainframe overhanging the stern is 22.85 kg (50 lb); Franklin Lift-Up: 29 kg33,6,28,29
MaterialHard-anodised aluminium castings (LM5 on the Standard, LM25 on the Lift-Up) and hard-drawn HT30 aluminium tube, 38 mm with 6 to 6.5 mm wall; 316 stainless shafts. Bevel gears: bronze on early Standards, stainless lower bevel from 1980, 316 stainless castings on the Lift-Up. On Danish and Dutch gears the stainless parts are insulated from the aluminium with Delrin bushes28,29,30,11
DimensionsRead from the brochure drawing: servo blade about 18 cm chord and 76 cm immersed, vane swing about 40° each side. Vane: marine plywood with a lead counterweight, 6 mm on Franklin gears, 7 mm varnished on Danish and Dutch gears; two come with a new gear. Servo rudder: foam-cored glass fibre with the stock moulded in to about 10 cm from the tip, now vacuum-infused epoxy; Franklin stocks are 1.5 in tube with 10, 16 or 20 in projection33,8,1,28,20
MountingCurrent gear: two upper tubes into brackets 390 mm apart (centres) and two lower tubes splayed to 400–500 mm apart at the hull, on 10 mm bolts; the traditional deck mount (four brackets, straight tubes) is still offered for positive sterns. Set the height so that about 100 mm of the servo blade shows above water, and stay within about 10 cm of the centreline17,15,11
MountingFranklin Standard: two 38 × 6 mm tubes on 390 mm centres, bolted to deck or transom with 3/8 in Whitworth bolts on Iroko pads; tubes 810–1100 mm above the waterline (most yachts over 40 ft at the maximum); gear centreline at most 530 mm aft of the transom39
MountingFranklin Lift-Up: sub-frame of a cross-tube casting on two horizontal tubes and two struts with quick-release transom castings; tubes 700–1050 mm above the waterline, supplied 640 mm long to be cut, 220 mm clear between them. The mainframe lifts off its hinge and leaves the sub-frame on the boat36
ControlCourse set with a spring-return ratchet worked by two snaffle lines, about 6° per click; fine trim at the tiller-clamp chain or the wheel-drum clutch; no worm gear. Tiller: bronze clamp and chain, 60–100 cm from the rudder stock. Wheel: aluminium drum with clutch and freewheel, about half a turn each side of centre, U-bolted to the spokes. Hydraulic steering only works if the wheel does not creep at hard over11,17,18
Line sizeSteering lines 8 mm pre-stretched polyester (Terylene), led over blocks to the tiller clamp or wheel drum24,29
LubricationOiled, not run dry: ordinary lubricating oil (not spray) on all moving parts. The servo spindle turns in PTFE (Teflon) bushes, on the Standard 25 mm long, 38 mm bore and 50 mm OD; the vane pivots on nylon rollers. The Circumnavigator had needle roller bearings37,28,30

Good to know

  • Before ordering anything, find out which Aries you have: “Cowes” (Franklin, imperial), “Denmark” or “Holland” (both metric) is cast into the top of the A-frame, and parts of the three generations do not simply swap. A Lift-Up hangs on a hinge with two knurled collars on a separate cross-tube sub-frame; a Standard has two fixed tubes. Send photos to Aries Vane Gear in Amsterdam: Franklin’s own spares stock, later sold on by his daughter Helen, is hard to reach and has probably closed.11,35
  • The classic seized Standard: the servo spindle (No 63) grows into its plastic bushes (No 53) and the swivel shaft (No 59) corrodes into the mainframe (No 50). Take the gear off the boat. Franklin drove No 59 out with one heavy, well-supported blow or a press; Aries Denmark heated it with a gas flame and tapped it gently. Light hammering only mushrooms the shaft end.24,25
  • When reassembling, shim the bevel gears with the washers (No 52) so the teeth keep some free play, and check that the servo blade points dead ahead when the vane is upright: one tooth out is noticeable. Keep every fit loose, because tight fits seize with salt and dirt.31
  • There are no spares for the early hand-built ratchets with separate fingers or for the early hinged rudder couplings (hinging aft, or sideways in 1977–79). Bolt the blade straight to the fixed coupling, or fit the current safety hinge, which the maker says fits UK-built, Danish and Dutch gears.4,24,22
  • Carry spare plywood vanes: they are meant to snap in a breaking sea before anything else breaks. You can cut your own from 6–7 mm marine ply, but trim it so it rises slowly to vertical when let go from full deflection; a heavy vane makes the gear oversteer.37
  • Buying used: many old Aries were modified by earlier owners, so the maker cannot promise a rebuild kit will make them work, and a used gear plus shipping and a workshop refit can cost close to a new one. A new gear comes with two plywood vanes, four blocks, six mounting brackets, the safety hinge, mounting tubes, all lines, tiller clamp and chain or wheel drum, manuals and a spare-part list: check what is missing.10,11,6

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Sources

  1. ariesvanegear.com/products/servo-rudder/
  2. ariesvanegear.com/category/spare-parts/
  3. web.archive.org/web/19990819025233/http://www.selfsteer.dk:80/html/servo.html
  4. ariesvanegear.com/products/hinge/
  5. web.archive.org/web/19990820010551/http://www.selfsteer.dk:80/html/hinge.html
  6. web.archive.org/web/20180712064859/http://www.ariesvanegear.com:80/our-products-mountingb…
  7. ariesvanegear.com/products/plywood-vane/
  8. web.archive.org/web/19990819040358/http://www.selfsteer.dk:80/html/wind_vane.html
  9. ariesvanegear.com/products/rebuild-kit-for-uk-model-aries-standard/
  10. ariesvanegear.com/older-models/
  11. ariesvanegear.com/faq/
  12. ariesvanegear.com/products/rebuild-kit-for-dutch-danish-aries-model/
  13. ariesvanegear.com/products/mounting-bracket-new-model/
  14. web.archive.org/web/19990819033527/http://www.selfsteer.dk:80/html/vane_gear.html
  15. ariesvanegear.com/products/mounting-bracket-traditional-model/
  16. ariesvanegear.com/products/tiller-kit/
  17. ariesvanegear.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Mounting-Instructions-for-Aries-Vane-Gear.pdf
  18. web.archive.org/web/19991001233756/http://www.selfsteer.dk:80/html/how_it_works.html
  19. ariesvanegear.com/products/wheel-kit/
  20. web.archive.org/web/20010212071530/http://www.ariesvane.com:80/buyersguide.html
  21. ariesvanegear.com/products/universal-block/
  22. web.archive.org/web/20010217060316/http://www.ariesvane.com:80/standardparts.html
  23. web.archive.org/web/20010217060444/http://www.ariesvane.com:80/liftupparts.html
  24. web.archive.org/web/20010214230305/http://www.ariesvane.com:80/rebuild.html
  25. web.archive.org/web/19991002015850/http://www.selfsteer.dk:80/html/rebuild_1.html
  26. web.archive.org/web/20000308175211/http://www.selfsteer.dk:80/html/rebuild_3.html
  27. web.archive.org/web/20010216110350/http://www.ariesvane.com:80/circumparts.html
  28. web.archive.org/web/20010306085716/http://www.ariesvane.com:80/standardinstallation3.html
  29. web.archive.org/web/20010218194759/http://www.ariesvane.com:80/liftupinstallation5.html
  30. web.archive.org/web/20010128141100/http://www.ariesvane.com:80/products.html
  31. web.archive.org/web/19990819024502/http://www.selfsteer.dk:80/html/rebuild_2.html
  32. web.archive.org/web/20010212072544/http://www.ariesvane.com:80/howtheywork.html
  33. ariesvanegear.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Aries-Vane-Gear-Folder.pdf
  34. web.archive.org/web/20010217012707/http://www.ariesvane.com:80/liftupinstallation2.html
  35. web.archive.org/web/20010216080051/http://www.ariesvane.com:80/liftupinstallation.html
  36. web.archive.org/web/20010217183629/http://www.ariesvane.com:80/liftupinstallation3.html
  37. ariesvanegear.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Usermanual-Aries-Vane-Gear.pdf
  38. ariesvanegear.com/about-aries/
  39. web.archive.org/web/20010305124358/http://www.ariesvane.com:80/standardinstallation2.html

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