prv
Well-Known Member
My new boat's instruments currently consist of a log, depth, and elderly GPS. In the paperwork I found instructions for a wind instrument, but the previous owner tells me he disposed of it because the "damn whirly thing" was ugly and interfered with his ability to dress the boat overall 
I'm somewhat undecided as to whether to replace it and if so what with. Nearly every boat I've sailed on (apart from dinghies many year ago ) has had a wind instrument, so I was kind of assuming I'd fit something, but then I wondered what I actually use it for. Certainly I reef according to the boat's behaviour rather than by the numbers, but I have been known to steer by the needle in some charter boats where it's hard to find a decent position in sight of the jib luff (though hopefully no such problem in KS). It's also nice to have a definite number to talk about in the pub rather than just "bloody windy" . As a new boat of a style unfamiliar to me (gaff yawl after years of AWBs) having some concrete information on wind might help me learn to get the best out of her to begin with.
I'm hoping some comments from you guys might help me make up my mind.
Second point, if I do decide to get a wind instrument once more, is which one?. Although I'm unlikely to be dressing overall all that often, I do have some sympathy with the previous owner re "damn whirly things" on a traditional-looking boat. They also seem to have a tendency to break down and are a pain to fix for obvious reasons. Because of these factors, I'm quite taken with the idea of a solid state wind sensor I remember reading about a few years ago. Looks a little like a GPS mushroom with small slots in the sides, and emits NMEA. Does anyone know anything about this? Is its accuracy comparable with a mechanical device? How rapid are the NMEA updates?
Would anyone recommend a particular display to output that NMEA? I don't really like the look of the LCD-only ones I've seen; my idea of a wind display is Raymarine's ST60 with the physical needle. Special bonus marks for anything that can display true speed and apparent angle at the same time - my number one gripe with every other wind instrument I've ever used.
Another potential issue on this kind of boat - the masthead isn't the highest point. The peak of the gaff will be, but clearly I can't go mounting instruments there. Is turbulence from the head of the main likely to affect a sensor on the top of the mast? I don't think the gaff will ever be between the wind and the masthead.
Finally, VDO NavPac. The speed and depth are of this type, as was the former wind. They have a computer rack with a main module and then an additional module for each instrument clipped onto it. There's a bus on which all the displays are daisychained, using beautiful little chromed plugs between them. I've never heard of VDO NavPac before, and can't seem to find out much about them. Anyone know anything?
Are the transducers between instrument brands generally compatible at any level? I expect to need or want to scrap the NavPac one day, but it would be good not to have to fit new transducers into the hull.
Cheers for your thoughts on any aspect of the wind question,
Pete
I'm somewhat undecided as to whether to replace it and if so what with. Nearly every boat I've sailed on (apart from dinghies many year ago
) has had a wind instrument, so I was kind of assuming I'd fit something, but then I wondered what I actually use it for. Certainly I reef according to the boat's behaviour rather than by the numbers, but I have been known to steer by the needle in some charter boats where it's hard to find a decent position in sight of the jib luff (though hopefully no such problem in KS). It's also nice to have a definite number to talk about in the pub rather than just "bloody windy" . As a new boat of a style unfamiliar to me (gaff yawl after years of AWBs) having some concrete information on wind might help me learn to get the best out of her to begin with.I'm hoping some comments from you guys might help me make up my mind.
Second point, if I do decide to get a wind instrument once more, is which one?. Although I'm unlikely to be dressing overall all that often, I do have some sympathy with the previous owner re "damn whirly things" on a traditional-looking boat. They also seem to have a tendency to break down and are a pain to fix for obvious reasons. Because of these factors, I'm quite taken with the idea of a solid state wind sensor I remember reading about a few years ago. Looks a little like a GPS mushroom with small slots in the sides, and emits NMEA. Does anyone know anything about this? Is its accuracy comparable with a mechanical device? How rapid are the NMEA updates?
Would anyone recommend a particular display to output that NMEA? I don't really like the look of the LCD-only ones I've seen; my idea of a wind display is Raymarine's ST60 with the physical needle. Special bonus marks for anything that can display true speed and apparent angle at the same time - my number one gripe with every other wind instrument I've ever used.
Another potential issue on this kind of boat - the masthead isn't the highest point. The peak of the gaff will be, but clearly I can't go mounting instruments there. Is turbulence from the head of the main likely to affect a sensor on the top of the mast? I don't think the gaff will ever be between the wind and the masthead.
Finally, VDO NavPac. The speed and depth are of this type, as was the former wind. They have a computer rack with a main module and then an additional module for each instrument clipped onto it. There's a bus on which all the displays are daisychained, using beautiful little chromed plugs between them. I've never heard of VDO NavPac before, and can't seem to find out much about them. Anyone know anything?
Are the transducers between instrument brands generally compatible at any level? I expect to need or want to scrap the NavPac one day, but it would be good not to have to fit new transducers into the hull.
Cheers for your thoughts on any aspect of the wind question,
Pete
