How to minimise the water inrush when you pull the log for cleaning?

[[70521]]

That's a joke surely. The boat must be in slings, bottom barely in the water for that much ' seapage'. Take my paddlewheel out and the jet is over a foot high (strangely enough, the precise immersion depth) :rolleyes-new:

No joke, I was surprised at how much water came in, but he was doing it very slowly.

 

[geem]

My recent experience with this is that you don't need your speed through the water that much.

You lose a lot of useful information if you have no speed through the water including true wind speed if your instruments rely on this for boat speed.

 

[ex-Gladys]

The latest Airmar through hulls with flap are awesome. I rarely get more than two tablespoons of water in.... Worth changing transducer for the convenience IMHO

 

[johnalison]

Cleaning the log is just another of those jobs which come with owning a boat, along with changing engine filters and servicing the loo. Why worry about it? Remember the fuss people made about wearing seat belts in cars? All pleasures come with some price or other, and it's something that most of us accept.

 

[surekandoo]

It can be a bit stressful trying to get the blank precisely into its hole while water is rushing in, even though we know that the boat isn't going to sink. Sliding it across and displacing a sponge or hand is much easier. Our Sadler had the transducers in a box which would contain all the water entering. This could be scooped and sponged out without it getting into the bilge.

+1

 

[[163233]]

So you sail in waters where current is none existent or predictable.

Mostly Morecambe Bay, which is fairly currenty compared to some places I've sailed. I generally use SOG and COG from the GPS.
Perhaps I'm missing some cunning technique?

You lose a lot of useful information if you have no speed through the water including true wind speed if your instruments rely on this for boat speed.

I don't have wind instruments, I have the pointy thing but really that's unnecessary too.

You lot are very scientific with all this measuring.

 

[fisherman]

Short piece of bicycle inner tube, including valve, with dowel inside, closed both ends, maybe doubled back and jubilee clipped round the dowel at the top, depends on hole size. Poke down hole, inflate with 12v pump. Just an idea, I have no notion of the average log configuration.

 

[maby]

No joke, no slings, It's me in the video on my boat, it's a Benetua First 38
It's placed in front of the keel at the center line, There is a working flap in the tube,

Same here - a clean, properly maintained flap valve should reduce the ingress to little more than a trickle once it has closed. There is an initial gush as you pull the plug, but water pressure should close it pretty tightly. While I would not actually do it, I am reasonably comfortable that I could pull the log, clean it and replace it without bothering with the plug and still have little more than a bucket full of water to bail out.

 

[colind3782]

My Furia also has a box around the log that goes above the waterline so it wouldn't sink the boat anyway and there would only be a couple of gallons to get rid of. However, I can swap it out for the plug and only let in a few sponges full.

 

[rudolph_hart]

That is exactly the same Airmar unit I fitted many years ago, because I was also pi$$ed off by 'the fountain' of the previous Stowe fitting. Works a treat - perhaps a 1/2 pint total for taking out the transducer & replacing it with the blanking plug & vice versa

 

[Billjratt]

Same idea as ColinD. I just boxed in the bilge area round the paddlewheel so the small amount (a pint or so) of water that comes in is contained and easily dealt with.
It doesn't need to be as high as the waterline (although it's a good idea if practical). Our floor level is below WL and there's batteries and a fridge compressor down there to be kept dry.

 

[colind3782]

Same idea as ColinD. I just boxed in the bilge area round the paddlewheel so the small amount (a pint or so) of water that comes in is contained and easily dealt with.
It doesn't need to be as high as the waterline (although it's a good idea if practical).

The box is part of the boat design and forms part of the saloon seating.

 

[RichardS]

The box is part of the boat design and forms part of the saloon seating.

The Photobucket box? :ambivalence:

Richard

 

[wotayottie]

Just had to do this job for the 3rd time this year and seriously grumpy about how much water comes in but more upset by how far it sprays around! I have to put up the shower screen over the nearby seating and woodwork to try and contain the jet of water, in as small an area as possible.

How do others manage this?

Done 3 years with just the blanking plug in. What do you need speed through the water for unless racing?

 

[johnalison]

Done 3 years with just the blanking plug in. What do you need speed through the water for unless racing?

I quite like to know that my boat is moving through the water and not just drifting with the tide.

Seriously, it is a help in several ways even when cruising. Firstly, it allows me to judge accurately how well the engine/prop is working and gives me notice when they are fouled, especially the prop. Secondly, I can sail more consistently to windward rather than having to just judge on wind angle, but maybe this is something you don't do. Thirdly, it gives me a basis for dead reckoning if the plotter or GPS fail.

 

[fisherman]

Thirdly, it gives me a basis for dead reckoning if the plotter or GPS fail.

...which is good sound seamanship.

 

[[70521]]

Done 3 years with just the blanking plug in. What do you need speed through the water for unless racing?

To inform over excited crew that they are only doing six knots and not the eight (or higher) that they whoop about when they see SOG. No, I never ever race.

 

[pvb]

Done 3 years with just the blanking plug in. What do you need speed through the water for unless racing?

Useful to get true wind data.

 

[Concerto]

It seems to me the OP does not have a flap in the through hull fitting for the log. Talking about and showing the videos of this is not what he wants to know. He is like me with a large hole through the hull until it can be blocked by a blanking plug or cap. I find I get about half a bucket of water removing the transducer and another half bucket replacing it. To be honest there is little that can be done to reduce the quantity without changing the through hull fitting.

 

[tudorsailor]

When I fitted a new Raymarine log a couple of years ago the fitting instructions advised painting the transducer with water based antifoul. After a search I found Eco antifoul. It comes in a very small pot for about £15. It seemed expensive, but I have now used the same pot for the last 3 years and have virtually no fouling of the log. There was 1 small barnacle when the boat came out last November. I launched at Easter and the log was working fine last weekend without any cleaning.

Do you mean Echo antifoul as I found here: http://www.marinescene.co.uk/produc...UEXgY8c4DmuS42yewaETI2ezrsAeu83xoCn3QQAvD_BwE

Thanks

TudorSailor