Paddle wheels

wiggy

wiggy

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Joined
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Apart from removing paddle wheel what is the best way to stop fouling? Has anyone tried antifouling if so with what or any other cunning ideas out there that could help. Boat lives on swinging mooring at Itchenor.

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Some types have little magnets embedded in the plastic blades which is how it works. Coating with antifoul could stop it working .I have not tried it so I dont know for sure.

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Only way I know is removal/diving under boat and cleaning. Antifoul just clogs them.

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advice from raytheon at boat show: soak the transducer in milton solution from time to time, kills current growth and discourages more from forming.

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I've always antifouled mine, both the conventional type and the B&G propeller type. Use an artist's type paintbrush and keep the coating thin. No problems at all. Often used to go a full season without having to clean it.

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Totally agree...

Antifouling it is quick and easy, and lasts for ages. If you have the paddle-wheel type, it's easier to paint it if you remove the paddle-wheel by unscrewing the little axle pins. Reassemble when the antifouling is dry. I use antifouling designed for outdrive legs, etc. Antifouling has no effect on the magnets which generate the transducer signal.

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I have found painting the paddle wheel with anti fouling paint is best, but make sure you leave the magnets clear as any paint on them stops them working effectively.

It also pays to check the wheel revolves freely when the paint has dried.

One coat usually lasts the whole season.

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Thanks for all the advice but come on what's the score with antifouling the magnets does it matter or not? Any one really know if this is OK?

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I don't see how it can possibly affect the instrument. The magnet is encapsulated in plastic anyway, so how can a bit of paint make a difference? I can only say that I have never made any attempt to paint around the magnet and never noticed any deterioration in accuracy or performance.

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One year I thought covering the magnets could not possibly make any difference so I painted over them, checked the wheel was spinning properly when the paint had dried, and had the boat lifted in. The log showed no reading whatever.

I took the paddle wheel unit out, cleaned the paint from the magnets only, refitted it and bingo, it worked perfectly.

Perhaps there was copper or some other metal in the paint (Jotun Seaguardian) that affected the magnets. All I know is that antifouling the paddle keeps the unit working all season without it having to be removed, but painting the magnets stops it working.






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did the ratheon guy say for how long?

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue> Julian </font color=blue>

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I dont know about you guys but in my part of the world these through hull paddle wheel thinghies can be removed from inside the boat, albeit with a bit of a gush of water, and most often replaced with a blanking off plug. I always remove mine when not sailing so that the little shrimps, crabs and other clininging wild life do not decide to make my paddle wheel their home. Thus no bother from there on.

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Do exactly the same myself, If I forget to remove it, The shrimpy things jam it solid!
do not get much water come in, got one off these flappy thingymabobs that more or less seal it
when the paddle wheel is pulled out and the stopper put in, pint at most.
And thats doing it slowly.

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My old paddle log had a very tight tolerance, where the paddles, with magnets, passed the actual flux gate or switch thingy, inside the body, I couldn't paint anything on, but solved that now, with a FLS silver forward echo sounder and ultrasonic log, no paddle wheels!

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