My speed don't show, how did you fix your's?

AlJones

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Heybridge Basin
atsailing.com
My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

Hi Eveyone

I have a problem with my 'log wheel'.

Every year our Sigma 38 comes out for about two or three month's. We rub her bottom down and she has two coats of Micron put her. You know the one that goes on lilac and then goes white when in the water.

I remove the log wheel and service it, paint it with the same anti foul with a little paint brush, and check wiring etc.

Then, when I put the lady back in the water within two weeks I have to remove it and clean the bl00dy log again, as some crustation has set up home with his family in tow!!!!

Haslar marina, if you wondering!

Is this something I must put up with, and the instructors must put up with, or is there a product that will keep the little blitter's out and still leave the log to show our breath taking speed???????????????? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

AJ /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Re: My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

Don't put A/F on and just give it a scrub every time you go out with the boat. It might help... but once in a while you'll also need to clean well the hull around the skin fitting, this requires a dive (which is what I do) or one of those scrubbing devices you can use when under way
 
Re: My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

Every time you come to a blistering stop and the boat is not going to be used - remove the paddle wheel and replace with the blank.

You do have a blank don't you?

Donald
 
Re: My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

I do I do.

It's not a big problem in having to clean it, it's just a pain in the bum!

It was worse when it used to be in the bilge just outside the head. I have moved it to the one next to that now so we get better access, no more knuckle scrapping!!!!


Thanks for your advice though, feel a bit of a numnut when others point out the obvious to me in such a public way, but hey, sometimes I don't see the wood 'cause all the bl00dy trees are in the way!!!!!!!!

Thanks again

AJ /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
Re: My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

If you dont mind spending the dosh you can get an ultrasonic log transducer from Raymarine. This works in the same way as the echosounder. Fit and forget---bliss.
 
Re: My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

Now I like the sound of that!!!!!!!!!!!

Shiney new kit!!!!!

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me...........

How easy is it to fit etc?

AJ
 
Re: My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

I have the same problem. I can remove the log wheel and clean it ... but the fouling on the skin fitting can reduce the displayed speed by up to half, and even a few weeks after scrubbing the bottom, the log is wildly inaccurate (eg showing 2.5knots when I know we're doing at least 5).

To be honest, I've more or less given up on paddle wheel log, basically my conclusion is that its a waste of time trying to get an accurate result from it.

I do have an old Stowe trailing log which indicates speed accurately - but is faulty so the total miles run counter doesn't work.

If I had some serious navigation to do, I would invest in a decent trailing log (and judging by the prices trailing logs go for on Ebay I'm not the only one).

However, for what I do, I just guess the boat's average speed from experience/size of bow wave etc which I can probably do to about 1kt accuracy for speed though the water, and use GPS for speed over ground.

If there is a better solution (that doesn't involve diving and a scrapper, or a scrubbing pile every few weeks) I'd also love to hear it.

Chris
 
Re: My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

Even though it is posible to remove, clean, and replace while underway, I have done it on more than one occasion, I do use the SOG on my PHILIPS SAIL PLANNER MK8 .


An old bit of kit but easy to use, and to read.

AJ
 
Re: Ultrasonic Speed Transducer

I have this with my ST60 instruments. I believe the part number is E26031 but not sure, got this from brochure but no pic so not certain. Anyway ring them up. I bought mine 3 years ago, it was over £500 just for the transducer!
I believe they had problems and have now redesigned it. My boat is long keeled and the txdr works perfectly but with modern boats it didnt. But now fixed.
 
Re: Ultrasonic Speed Transducer

I'm also a Haslarite and have had a similar problem. I tried removing the paddle wheel after each voyage but the hull was so badly slimed that I had to resort to a scub off to get it working again. To be fair, I have been in the water for 15 months now . I can recommend using the guy who has taken over Peculiar's Chandlery. He's a diver and offers a scub off ( and check of anodes ) for a very reasonable price. He said I had quite a lot of slime and "bushes" on the bottom of the keel where it didn't get antifouled.
 
Re: Ultrasonic Speed Transducer

Thanks for that, I know Tim, ex RN is well. He's a really helpful guy, and Donna his lady.

We have several divers as part of our team, they are all away doing films etc at the mo. On their return they're going to blow bubbles for Moi!!!!! I've been down on the hull twice this year, she's pretty clean, no grass skirts etc.

Thanks for sharing your ideas and experience though.

AJ
 
Re: Ultrasonic Speed Transducer

Re the hull sliming etc. you might find life a lot easier and cheaper by switching to Optima antifouling. It's a bit expensive, but works superbly and save all the costs of diver/lift out for scrub etc. And yes I was based at Haslar, and kept my boat there in the water for two seasons without a lift out or scrub. When I did lift out the hull was still a nice blue (paint) colour.

About the impeller - I just 'whip mine out and give it a rub' from time to time, don't bother with painting it.

And every year whoever's doing the lift out usually expresses surprise at how clean my bottom is...
 
Re: My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

[ QUOTE ]

Even though it is posible to remove, clean, and replace while underway, I have done it on more than one occasion, I do use the SOG on my PHILIPS SAIL PLANNER MK8 .
AJ

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never had the courage to open up a hole in my boat whilst underway. Maybe I'm just a coward /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

"this requires a dive (which is what I do)"
___________________________________________________

In Haslar?? Not even if there was money in the water! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

"or one of those scrubbing devices you can use when under way"

Presumably you must mean something called a skipper, or is there another device? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Re: My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

based off hardway (in the flow) but always take st60 impellor out at end of weekend and then in again next- like others over the season slime etc in vicinity of impellor affects flow so when swimming !!! tend to go under and wipe that area and all good again for a while at least- have thought of using length of carpet with ropes each side to pull back and forth under hull but never got round to it - told it works well- anyone tried it?
 
Re: My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

[ QUOTE ]

If there is a better solution (that doesn't involve diving and a scrapper, or a scrubbing pile every few weeks) I'd also love to hear it.

Chris

[/ QUOTE ]

Second vote for the "length of rope" trick - drop a loop (bight /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif) over the bow, pull it tight, and and 'walk' it back, sawing from side-side as you go.

Best preventative is to use the boat more /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif, or swap the paddle wheel for a blank plug when you leave the boat. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Andy
 
Re: My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Even though it is posible to remove, clean, and replace while underway, I have done it on more than one occasion, I do use the SOG on my PHILIPS SAIL PLANNER MK8 .
AJ

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never had the courage to open up a hole in my boat whilst underway. Maybe I'm just a coward /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]The 'hole' is normally a tube with a one-way valve which prevents much flow coming in. Quite normal with my memory to have to swap blanking plug for the real thing underway. Trouble is, remembering to swap back when moored up. Tip: when you get it out, have a cup of vinegar standing by, it will kill all the crawly stuff in a few seconds, making cleaning much easier. I use an old electric toothbrush head on an old battery powered toothbrush - it does other tiny cleaning jobs quite well. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Re: My speed don\'t show, how did you fix your\'s?

[ QUOTE ]
The 'hole' is normally a tube with a one-way valve which prevents much flow coming in.

[/ QUOTE ]
Depends on brand... my NASA one is literally just a plastic tube through the hull with a thread on the outside, and its 42mm diameter.... so a lot of water would come in when removing, no matter how quick you may be. It is not something I am going to do with mine, but being a small enough yacht I can reach under the hull from the tender and give it a clean /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: Ultrasonic Speed Transducer

Same -ditto- in the Med but we have oysters and mussles building up withina few weeks even with a British anti-foul ( which must be better than the local stuff!). Have just bought a SDT60 Bidata with transom mount....hoping for better things from now on. Bi.
 
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