Navis Windy B anemometer

[Irish Rover]

I'm currently stuck in a small marina on the south coast of Samos where it's blowing cats and dogs - or at least that's the only way I can describe it since I don't have an anemometer - my kind neighbour in a sailing catamaran informs me it's gusting up to 38kts. Anyway in future I want to be able to tell reasonably accurately what the actual wind speed is so I can compare with the forecasted speeds on the weather apps I use. This unit seems to be well recommended and I'm wondering if any of you have any experience of it or thoughts on alternatives
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[Billy Blue]

I'm currently stuck in a small marina on the south coast of Samos where it's blowing cats and dogs - or at least that's the only way I can describe it since I don't have an anemometer - my kind neighbour in a sailing catamaran informs me it's gusting up to 38kts. Anyway in future I want to be able to tell reasonably accurately what the actual wind speed is so I can compare with the forecasted speeds on the weather apps I use. This unit seems to be well recommended and I'm wondering if any of you have any experience of it or thoughts on alternatives
Shop | NAVIS anemometers

I have had one for a few years now. It is great. No wires of course as it uses bluetooth so easy to install. I've found the battery in the unit lasts well over a year. I use an old smartphone continually on charge for the display so I can have it on permanently when I'm out. You can set an alarm, a loud siren which will definitel wake you up, for a wind speed which is useful when you are at anchor.

 

[Hurricane]

I use our Windy (Navis) anemometer all the time we are at anchor - overnight.
It fits on a stud that I have made - fitted to the radar arch.
I simply fix it whilst we are cruising and remove it when back in our home berth.
During the winter months, it is in its little box so it stays in a working condition for when we actually need it.
The great thing about it is that it consumes very little power.
I place my Android phone beside our cabin windows with the wind alarm set.
That with a GPS anchor watch (Android Anchor Alert) gives me a good night's sleep.

This is a pic of the app when we were hiding from the weather in Mallorca a few years ago.
The latest Navis app has a different screen layout but does the same thing.



Well worth the investment.

 

[Hooligan]

Great idea. I just looked and it looks like just what I need. I called the company to ask a few questions - primarily re mounting it and delivery time - and no answer. Figuring maybe lunch so I waited. Two hours later a message in Slovenian that was beyond me. So I emailed. No response. Before I shell out €380 can anyone advise whether the company is solvent and if anyone has ordered one and it has been delivered and if so how long it took - European delivery? Thanks

 

[Hurricane]

Great idea. I just looked and it looks like just what I need. I called the company to ask a few questions - primarily re mounting it and delivery time - and no answer. Figuring maybe lunch so I waited. Two hours later a message in Slovenian that was beyond me. So I emailed. No response. Before I shell out €380 can anyone advise whether the company is solvent and if anyone has ordered one and it has been delivered and if so how long it took - European delivery? Thanks

Wind direction
When I bought mine, I asked how the wind direction worked.
At that time, I was told that the direction is relative to the mount so on a boat that would be useless.
As the boat swings, so will the wind direction reference!!!

So, I bought the Wind Speed only version and it works well.
Looking at the above links, I don't think that the direction version has changed.
At that time, I had some good correspondence with Navis - they even said that one of them had a boat so understood my question about the direction.
Have you tried emailing?
Might be worth it - and ask a similar question that I asked - you may end up just buying the Wind only model.

 

[Hooligan]

Wind direction
When I bought mine, I asked how the wind direction worked.
At that time, I was told that the direction is relative to the mount so on a boat that would be useless.
As the boat swings, so will the wind direction reference!!!

So, I bought the Wind Speed only version and it works well.
Looking at the above links, I don't think that the direction version has changed.
At that time, I had some good correspondence with Navis - they even said that one of them had a boat so understood my question about the direction.
Have you tried emailing?
Might be worth it - and ask a similar question that I asked - you may end up just buying the Wind only model.

Thanks. I emailed them yesterday and nothing back which made me slightly concerned that they still existed! Will def ask because that would render wind direction useless. If you are on JW could you send me a picture of how you mounted it? Thanks Mike.

 

[Sandy]

Why not buy one from whoever the rest of your instrumentation comes from? While a wind instrument is usually found on a sailing vessel nothing stopping you adding one on a motor vessel. Underway, if connected to a GPS you will get true and apparent wind. At anchor or alongside you will know your heading from the compass.

 

[Hooligan]

Why not buy one from whoever the rest of your instrumentation comes from? While a wind instrument is usually found on a sailing vessel nothing stopping you adding one on a motor vessel. Underway, if connected to a GPS you will get true and apparent wind. At anchor or alongside you will know your heading from the compass.

About 3 to 4 x the cost to start with. My primary concern is wind speed that links to a device - mobile app perfect - that I can set alarms to. Wind direction much less of an issue as it is usually fairly obvious the direction when used the way I will use ie when at anchor when I know what heading the boat is on.

 

[Irish Rover]

About 3 to 4 x the cost to start with. My primary concern is wind speed that links to a device - mobile app perfect - that I can set alarms to. Wind direction much less of an issue as it is usually fairly obvious the direction when used the way I will use ie when at anchor when I know what heading the boat is on.

Sent you pm

 

[Hurricane]

If you are on JW could you send me a picture of how you mounted it? Thanks Mike.

Good timing
We are going home in a few days so the dinghy is on the FB.
I stand on the dinghy to reach the Windy fixing.

Here is a pic of my Windy - note the little allen screw at the bottom.
You unscrew the bottom bit to change the battery.



I bought this stud from a local chandlers - It was a bit of a challenge finding the correct size but it works well.



So, I simply fit the Windy using an allen key.
Like this



I hope that helps.

Monitoring the wind isn't so much a matter of wanting to know the wind speed.
It is more an alarm if the weather is getting strong.
If you are expecting the wind to increase overnight, you can set the alarm accordingly.
I used to set the alarm too tight and it used to frighten SWMBO during the night.
With our current anchor setup, I can set the tolerances higher and it hardly wakes us up now.

An old friend once told me that these GPS anchor watches are fine but it will always be the wind that will alarm first.
I really do recommend this little device.

 

[Hooligan]

Thanks Mike. Very helpful. @Irish Rover gave me a contact so I will follow up. Your usage is exactly what I also want it for and your old friend is spot on. It’s always the wind that worries me first and as you know we are at anchor all the time. In the old boat with forward master it was always obvious when the wind picked up but with the centre master one loses the feel somewhat!!

 

[Hurricane]

Why not buy one from whoever the rest of your instrumentation comes from? While a wind instrument is usually found on a sailing vessel nothing stopping you adding one on a motor vessel. Underway, if connected to a GPS you will get true and apparent wind. At anchor or alongside you will know your heading from the compass.

The point of the Navis is that it is completely independent from the rest of the system.
My nav system, in particular, consumes so much power, it would seriously discharge the batteries if left powered on whilst at anchor.
OK, you could set the system up so that only some instruments are enabled but the modern motor yacht usually powers all the nav kit with a single switch - mainly because all the sensors are dependant on each other.
The only improvement on the Navis would be to have an absolute wind direction.
When I bought mine, they only offered a wind direction sensor that is relative to the mount - great on land but useless on a swinging boat.
That said, monitoring the wind strength is the big issue.
The boat will swing round into the wind so you can "kind of" get the wind direction from the GPS app anyway.

As I say, I set both GPS and Windy apps and then place my phone under the windows in our cabin.
The phone gets good GPS signals and receives the Bluetooth from Windy.

 

[Hurricane]

Thanks Mike. Very helpful. @Irish Rover gave me a contact so I will follow up. Your usage is exactly what I also want it for and your old friend is spot on. It’s always the wind that worries me first and as you know we are at anchor all the time. In the old boat with forward master it was always obvious when the wind picked up but with the centre master one loses the feel somewhat!!

Just a little extra point.
My phone seems to happily receive the Bluetooth signal from the Windy - even (effectively) 3 decks below.

 

[Irish Rover]

I ordered the Windy B basic unit today. As I couldn't determine what taxes, duty and charges would be levied on importation to Türkiye I opted to have it delivered to Ireland and pay the 23% VAT. I guess anyone getting it delivered to the UK will not need to pay the Slovenian VAT but will be liable for tax and duty on importation. The website only has a PayPal option but they provided me with bank details to do a direct transfer.

 

[Hooligan]

I ordered the Windy today as well. Thanks for all the help. @Irish Rover Alenka was very helpful. @Hurricane thanks for the mounting pics

 

[Hurricane]

BTW the battery that goes in the Windy isn't your standard AA or AAA battery so get a spare.
That said, I am still using the one that came with it - 6/7 years on.

 

[Hooligan]

So the Windy arrived and duly installed! Tomorrow we link it up hopefully!!

 

[Hurricane]

View attachment 161283So the Windy arrived and duly installed! Tomorrow we link it up hopefully!!View attachment 161283

If you are in Lefkas now, I think a friend from SCM is there in his sailboat - Spirit.
If so, please introduce yourself - mention my name and Jennywren.
He knows us well - we had lunch with his brother (also a yachtie from SCM) a couple of days ago.

 

[Hooligan]

If you are in Lefkas now, I think a friend from SCM is there in his sailboat - Spirit.
If so, please introduce yourself - mention my name and Jennywren.
He knows us well - we had lunch with his brother (also a yachtie from SCM) a couple of days ago.

Hi Mike. Funnily enough we arrived late last night. Then endured a rainstorm of biblical proportion that forced me to fold the bikini back. Saw your message first thing this am but we were heading out of the marina at 9 am - I don’t like hanging around!! Have to say I have never seen the place so busy. Time to write about some horror stories to keep people away!! If you contact your friends tell them to go to Varkas Restairant on Kalamos. They will love it and it’s a good sail from Lefkas ie a morning sail. I will though keep an eye out. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Dino]

I’m tempted to get one of these NMEA2K Autonnic Wind sensors
MARINE WIND SENSORS | Yacht Anemometer - Autonnic
Has anyone got any experience of these units?