Telltails

[BobE]

Just read an article suggesting the use of UV light to see flourescent wool telltails at night..
Any thoughts?... Coldn't find any suitable hand held torches/lamps on the web..
Just wondered if one could obtain a lense or glass which would do the job..
(The wool seems to be readily available)

My night vision is bad enough without losing it every time I trim..

Or maybe I should go for a nightscope ?
Cheers Bob E..

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[StellaGirl]

Flourescent telltailles - what a good idea - never thought of that. If you change to them let me know how you get on....

<hr width=100% size=1>Its 11.59am - lets open the beers...

 

[Talbot]

lens or glass change will not give you a UV light, you need the correct bulb. UV light torches are available in a lot of places , being sold with an appropriate flourescent pen as a security marker, although whether this will have sufficient range for you is only something that trial and error can tell (even if it doesnt work, at least you can security mark all your valuables /forums/images/icons/smile.gif)
Might be asier to install a wind instrument with a descent close hauled setting

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[ColinW]

I don't know if this will be any help at all but when I'm night fishing I use a headlamp which has an LED instead of a filament bulb. This gives off a very blue-white light which shows up the white painted rod tips much better than the normal yellowish light you get off a bulb, even though it is nowhere near as bright (and hence doesn't wreck your night vision).


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[BobE]

Thanks 4 that Talbot,
My old B&G seems ok in daytime but to sail on the wind I find nowt better than woolen telltails on the genoa..
Frankly I don't see how a wind direction instrument can help I've never come across one that will tell me when the weather telltail is lifting too much.

RSVP

Cheers Bob E..

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[BobE]

Yes Colin, I saw a bit about them on the web but thought that they would not be powerfull enough.
Without being rude how long is it to the tip of your rod?

I reckon I'm sitting about 20 feet from the highest telltale on the genoa.
(When helming)
Cheers Bob E..

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[ColinW]

I'd say I'm normally about 12 to 15 feet from the end of the rod. I bought a very early model which only has a single LED. The more modern ones can have up to eight LEDs that can be switched on in varying numbers. I think the ones a few friends of mine use, which are much brighter than mine, are made by a firm called Petzl. These have the batteries on the headband which is a bit more convenient than having a cable down to a waist mounted battery like mine has.


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[dom]

Sometimes white tell tails are good at night and are fine by day on darker sails. The other possibility is to swittch on the bow deck lights although this is blinding and fierce on batteries. A smaller mast light in the same position pointing onto the sails can also work. The problem is that it is the lee tell tail that is hardest to see and this can often be the hardest to see.


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[dralex]

I have a Black Diamond LED headtorch which has 3 different brightness settlings, The dimmest setting is very dim and allows me to do things on deck without destroying my night vision. The brightest setting is good to read by. It also leaves both hands free. Best boaty present I've had.

Alex

<hr width=100% size=1>Life's too short- do it now./forums/images/icons/wink.gif

 

[bob_tyler]

I learnt to sail by feeling the wind on the hairs on the back of my neck.

This has always given me the excuse to avoid haircuts!

Saves expense of telltails, wind indicators, lights and haircuts.

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[Twister_Ken]

Bob,

Problem I can see is that even if you could get it to work, you'd never see the leeweard telltales. IMHO, if things are that critical (RORC or JOG racing?) I'd go for a good close-hauled meter. It's what 100% of your competitors will be using.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[Peppermint]

Learn your boat, take your hood down and off you go.

At best light up your windex.

All these meters and gadgets get you thinking in the boat. To sail well at night, or any other time, you need to be thinking outside it.

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[ROCKETSHIP_11]

I have heard of people taping chemical light sticks in the telltale window,
also saw a small Led light designed to be sewn onto the telltale window in Yachting World new stuff about a year ago. I sailed at night with a guy a while ago who could feel when he was pinching he explained that there was a slight reduction in heel and a sensation of slowing down, this was on a 28 foot pure racer and it was very sensitive to helm so I guess it wont work for everyone or every boat.


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