Airborne instrument covers

As I said at the start We had the same problem. The surgical tape that we use lasts a long time as we ghently ease it off each time and re-use. It is easy and solves our problem. Each to there own though.

Good luck little round top
 
If it is laminar flow the problem probably only arises when the wind comes from a certain direction. If you could identify that direction you might think of something to do "upwind" to disrupt the flow, like fit a cup holder or something else like a bit of teak. Hard to suggest without seeing the installation but worth a thought. I guess in some directions the wind pushes the things back on!
 
Ex-SolentBoy said:
If it is laminar flow the problem probably only arises when the wind comes from a certain direction. If you could identify that direction you might think of something to do "upwind" to disrupt the flow, like fit a cup holder or something else like a bit of teak. Hard to suggest without seeing the installation but worth a thought. I guess in some directions the wind pushes the things back on!
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Yes it is when the wind is in a certain direction and when it's very gusty. I'm experimenting with shapes that don't look too ugly that I can fix to the top of the cover to disturb the air flow and stop them being suck.....er.....encouraged to become airborne. Of course the bloody wind has died away now though.....:(

Thanks for the sticky down suggestions, I want something more aesthetically pleasing, otherwise SWMBO will just make me take the covers off in the wind :o, and something a bit more technical. I find it easy enough to destroy the laminar airflow over my sails :o so I want to see if I can do it with these covers....
 
Success?

Although it's not pretty (yet) this arrangement has withstood several strong gusts this morning. Yes, that's rolled-up bits of white-tack, but I can probably fashion something a little prettier. The covers do have a slight dome on them which does encourage them to become airborne I think?
 
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little_roundtop said:
Although it's not pretty (yet) this arrangement has withstood several strong gusts this morning. Yes, that's rolled-up bits of white-tack, but I can probably fashion something a little prettier. The covers do have a slight dome on them which does encourage them to become airborne I think?
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If you are going to use white tack you might as well put it on the inside of the cover.:rolleyes:
 
Ex-SolentBoy said:
If you are going to use white tack you might as well put it on the inside of the cover.:rolleyes:
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:D

I've got a single blob of white-tack on another cover and that seems to be staying in place too. That looks like a solution, so for a neater job I'm going to look for some plastic spheres abot 10mm to 15mm in diameter, grind a flat base on them and glue them to the centre of the covers. As well as making a nice handle to pull them off with, my crude experiments tend to suggest they'll disrupt the airflow enough to stop them lifting. I might even send the idea to PBO...
 
How about foam 'hatch seal' tape, supplied in small rolls at chandleries, sticky on one side ?

I had the same problem, but with a NASA windspeed unit, which has since gone to a better place...:)
 
I would be more concerned when the instrument top is blown off the mast head. Natures early warning system.

On my last boat, we tacked in a blow and to my surprise the compass cover leapt off a cabin shelf, decided to become airborne and was effortlessly sucked through the companionway and disappeared into the sea. Well 'ard racers we was..
 
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