Speed and distance log impellors...

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VO5

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I always carry a clean spare, so that on a long passage, I can lift the log, cap the through hull fitting, replace dirty one with a clean one, reverse the process and carry on.

Has anybody antifouled their impellor ?

If so what antifoul ?

And, furthermore, any alteration in the speed and distance readings ?
 
I used to antifoul mine but gave up as the critters still grew. Now I smarm underwater grease and that has worked a treat.
 
VO5 said:
I always carry a clean spare, so that on a long passage, I can lift the log, cap the through hull fitting, replace dirty one with a clean one, reverse the process and carry on.

Has anybody antifouled their impellor ?

If so what antifoul ?

And, furthermore, any alteration in the speed and distance readings ?
Click to expand...

Yes I always paint the paddle wheel with the same antifouling as used on the bottom. Just make sure the paint is only on the paddles, not the sides of the wheel, where it might jam the wheel. I use a childs paint brush costing 25p.

Don't worry about the solvents affecting the log as the amount of paint used is so small.

I don't see why it should affect the readings.
 
I lift mine when not on passage. Never had a problem with it fouling while on passage I guess the sea fleas don't get a chance to settle. But the readings are affected while on passage but this is by fouling around the hull fitting.
 
AlanRD said:
Yes I always paint the paddle wheel with the same antifouling as used on the bottom. Just make sure the paint is only on the paddles, not the sides of the wheel, where it might jam the wheel. I use a childs paint brush costing 25p.

Don't worry about the solvents affecting the log as the amount of paint used is so small.

I don't see why it should affect the readings.
Click to expand...

I guess if you get paint on the little magnets it might affect the readings
 
Restless has been coppercoated. She sits on a mud mooring at the top of Chi Hbr, and each year collects a colony of barnacles between the keels where she sits in the mud.

Last winter I installed an Airmar transdudcer (log, depth and temperature) and this is fitted at the edge of the barnacle zone. (Same transducer as used by Raymarine and a number of other makers)

Airmar recommend non-solvent antifoul, - the only small quantity antifoul I could find was this http://www.go2marine.com/product.do?no=92481F, but could not find any source of it in the UK.

However, I needed to do a small amount of remedial copper-coating, so I carefully painted the transucer before installation (body and impellor) with coppercoat at the same time. The result was impressive - I have not needed to remove the tranducer at all during the season - it takes 1-2 cables to get it going when the boat has been idle for a while, but thereafter does exactly what it says on the tin.

John
 
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I sailed pretty much full time on a sail training yacht and we never had much in the problem of fouling. A few times it blocked up. Just pulled the log, cleaned it and then put it back again. A tip of a spike can be used to poke out the pin on the paddle.

My own boat has one of those self sealing through hull fittings but the sail training yacht didn't. Unscrew cap, pull log, other hand seals, pick up blank, poke into skin fitting, cap back on, job done with not a lot of water. The O Rings held the log and blank in place temporarily without the cap.

I remove mine when leaving the boat at the home port. My own isn't painted and I have no problems with it.
 
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VO5 said:
I always carry a clean spare, so that on a long passage, I can lift the log, cap the through hull fitting, replace dirty one with a clean one, reverse the process and carry on.

Has anybody antifouled their impellor ?

If so what antifoul ?

And, furthermore, any alteration in the speed and distance readings ?
Click to expand...

Just to clarify.......You therefore have TWO sets of wire and have to disconnect the cable at the display to hook up the other one?

Peter
 
rivonia said:
Just to clarify.......You therefore have TWO sets of wire and have to disconnect the cable at the display to hook up the other one?

Peter
Click to expand...
I have Brookes and Gatehouse.
B and G allows the option of running two paddle wheel Speed and Distance Logs if you choose, one to Port and one to Starboard.
But I am running only one.
I have perfected a drill for extracting the unit from the skinfitting whilst afloat, whether under way or making way without sinking the vessel as a result.:eek:
Then what I do is remove the encrusted paddle and replace it with a clean one and reinsert the unit back through the skinfitting.
The grubby paddle can then be cleaned up at leisure to replace the other one in the same way as needed.
I am just wondering, because it has occured to me, whether antifouling the paddle will make any difference, either to the frequency of interchange or the accuracy of the readings.
 
Airmar and Raymarine speed log cables can be cut near the log and have wire connectors fitted. Wind speed/direction sensors cannot.
 
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