WindSock — Agalmic

What it does

WindSock is a wind-awareness HUD — a teaching tool for sailors who want to feel the points of sail. Click any cardinal on the compass ring to set the wind direction. The blue wedge marks the no-go zone; the white arrow shows the wind source. As you turn, the compass rotates to keep its labels aligned with the real-world cardinals — and the wedge stays at the world wind position.

You see the relative wind angle change as you sail. That's the whole point. Tack into the no-go zone and the sails luff. Bear away to a beam reach and they fill. The HUD doesn't trim your sails for you; it tells you where the wind is, and you do the rest.

WindSock is the companion to WindLock. Same fleet, same protocols, opposite philosophy: WindLock locks the wind to your bow so sails stay full at every heading; WindSock leaves the wind in world coordinates so you learn to read it.

See it in action

WindSock HUD showing wind from SE, boat heading N — pointy end clear of the blue no-go wedge, sails full, sailing at 8 knots. — Pointy end out of the blue. Sails full, 8 knots.

WindSock HUD showing wind from SE, boat heading SE — pointy end pointing into the blue no-go wedge, sails luffing, in irons. — Pointy end in the blue. In irons.

Same wind. Different heading. The HUD shows you which is which.

Quick start

WindSock comes with a small telemetry script that drops into your boat. The HUD listens to the boat's heading and speed; the boat listens to the HUD's wind commands. One-time setup per boat, then it's instant on every sail.

One-time setup

Rez your boat in-world.
Drag WindSockTelemetry from your inventory onto the boat (any prim is fine).
Take the boat back to inventory — the script is now saved with it for next time.

To start sailing

Wear the WindSock HUD.
Rez the boat and sit on it. WindSock activates and starts sending wind — default SE, 15 knots.
Click any cardinal on the compass ring to change the wind direction.
Raise the sails using the boat's normal controls and steer.

To stop

Holding the down arrow or S won't slow a sailing boat — it's the wind, not the engine, that drives you.

Click the pause button — WindSock stops sending wind and the breeze drops.
Drop the sails using the boat's normal controls.

Once you're sailing

Comfortable with the basics? Here's how to get more out of the HUD:

Sail every angle to one wind. Set the wind from south. Now sail close-hauled, beam reach, broad reach, and running. Each point feels different in every boat. Some boats sing on a beam reach; others want a broad reach to come alive.
Have someone set the wind for you. A friend, an instructor, or the cruel hand of fate. You don't know the cardinal in advance — read the sails, find the trim, work out the heading. That's sailing.
Mind the no-go zone. The blue wedge marks roughly 45° either side of the wind source — the angle into which a typical yacht can't sail. If your bow protrudes into the blue, you're in irons. Bear away.
Pause for races. Organised races use enforced event wind set by race buoys. Click the pause button when you join a race so WindSock stops competing with the event wind, then unpause when you leave.

Compatibility

WindSock works on TMS and BOSS sailing yachts that accept dropped scripts — most of the modifiable yachts in Second Life, including the full Bandit fleet and the broader Mesh Shop catalogue. The boat needs to be modifiable so the WindSockTelemetry script can be added; once it's in, it stays.

Boats sold no-modify (such as the Laser One) aren't supported, because the telemetry script can't be dropped in. Most BWind 2.5 boats are also no-modify. If your boat will accept a dropped script, WindSock will work; if not, it won't.

For sailors who want to learn the wind

Second Life sailing has always been a craft you learn by doing — feeling the wind on your sails, reading the heel, finding the point of sail that makes the boat run. WindSock is a teaching tool. Set the wind to come from any cardinal, then sail every angle to it.

Sailing instructors can use it to set scenarios: "Today the wind is from the south-west. Sail us a beam reach." Learners can use it to drill points of sail until they're second nature. Experienced sailors can use it to learn a new boat — every yacht has its own sweet spots, and the only way to find them is to try every angle in every wind.

The wind WindSock sends is real to the boat. Sails fill, flap, or luff exactly as they would in any other wind. Only the source of that wind is in your control — which is the difference between sailing and being sailed.

The companion HUD

WindSock and WindLock are siblings. Both set the wind on your boat; they differ in what stays fixed when you turn.

WindLock keeps the wind locked relative to your bow — set the angle once, sail any heading, sails stay full. Good for cruising big yachts, exploring, and single-handing two-handed boats.

WindSock keeps the wind fixed in world coordinates — you set the cardinal, the wind stays at that cardinal, and the relative angle to your bow changes as you turn. Good for learning, teaching, and sailing the way the purists prefer.

Read about WindLock →