Cleaning the paddle wheel while under way...

[FourPoints]

The most sobering thought I got from removing the paddle wheel for cleaning a few times is the fact that a plan must be in some order if the
hull is ever compromised ie: being holed, or having a thru hull fail

When cleaning the wheel at the dock not moving I don't get too much water, maybe a quart, underway at ~2-3kts I get even less, maybe a pint of water.

I replaced the thru hull's for both transducers this spring after I found them starting to leak last year (very slow trickle, turns out it was only bedded with silicone originally!), figured since they were plastic and over 20 years old, and I had no idea how brittle they may or may not be after that long. If I had to remove the old ones to rebed them I might as well put new material in so there wouldn't be anything to worry about.

Seeing how much came in that same hole when doing 6.5-7.2 kts Saturday, if I ever hit a log underway and holed the hull, there wouldn't be very much time to react or do something before she would be on the way down... I think that getting the dinghy up on deck and having someone start inflating it would be rather high on my priority list in that situation...

 

[Concerto]

My approach to clearing the knot meter paddlewheel does not involve removing it from the thru hull.
I look for a very large cabin cruiser like a Mainship or big old Egg Harbor that is heading towards me and motoring at speed. They make massive wakes. Carefully maneuvering to cross close behind her transom, the wake will lift my bow and splash it down once or twice. This is usually effective in clearing the paddlewheel, but doesn't do much for Admiral/Skipper relations.
Feels like a 5 ton PWC jumping wakes like the young terrorists on their Sea-Doos.
In any event, I've started relying on my GPS for SOG.

 

[Brian D]

So is there anything one can put on the wheel or in the pocket that will keep things from attaching or growing? I heard that one can put Desitin will work, but I tried that and it really didn't. Maybe vaseline?

 

[FourPoints]

So is there anything one can put on the wheel or in the pocket that will keep things from attaching or growing? I heard that one can put Desitin will work, but I tried that and it really didn't. Maybe vaseline?

I sprayed petit alumaspray (zinc antifouling) in there last year, which didn't seem to do much, so I didn't do it this year. I wish I had done it, eve if it only helped marginally... I haven't had any issues with growth on the bottom, but the paddle wheel has been fouling pretty bad all season.

 

[Rich Stidger]

Since I only keep the paddle in place while sailing or at a destination anchor, my paddle doesn't foul very badly. I do have to jiggle it after being at anchor, and when ever I pull it out I brush it and remove any accumulated soft growth.

I suspect that this year is worse for growth than other years because of all the early spring rains and run-off, but my paddle doesn't seem to be any worse this year than other years.

I don't coat it with anything because I don't want to chance un-balancing it and causing a permanent problem.

 

[weinie]

Sail more, sail faster... problem solved!

 

[Benny17441]

I think even my diver gave up on cleaning the dang thing. This is the 21'st Century and we are still using paddlewheels to measure speed over water.

 

[iSailor]

Is there anyway to replace just the paddle wheel and not the transducer (Raytheon)? I noticed that one of the paddles on the wheel is broken and, combined with minimal marine growth, does not spin / register speed anymore. However, if I take it out and spin by hand, speed does register on the display.

 

[Ron20324]

This is the 21'st Century and we are still using paddlewheels to measure speed over water.

Maybe the Pony Express to the southern states is slow, but up here we have this new-fangled thing alled GPS.:dance:

 

[Ron20324]

In the mid-Chesapeake Bay, in about two weeks the paddlewheel clogs with growth and... whatever. Sometimes it clears while underway, sometime not. I found a long-bristled brush that is probably made to clean tile grout works great to clean the paddle and the cavity it's recessed into. The bristles are kind of stiff, about 1.25 inches long. I think you'll find them in a grocery store?

 

[FourPoints]

Maybe the Pony Express to the southern states is slow, but up here we have this new-fangled thing alled GPS.:dance:

GPS speed is NOT the same as paddle wheel speed. GPS does not (and cannot) factor in currents (or more precisely, it only shows post current adjusted speeds where the paddle wheel will only give you pre current adjusted speed).

you may be sailing along and read 4.7kts GPS, yet still be sailing at your hull speed of 6.2kts, into 1.5kts of current, and only the paddle wheel can tell you that. If you don't have the paddle wheel you may never know why you "just cannot get the boat to move very fast today", is because you were sailing into the current...

 

[jibes138]

Perhaps going back to basics is the right answer. Electronics are prone to failure in this harsh environment, and go obsolete very quickly.
How Was the Knot Invented to Measure the Speed of a Ship and When Did the Unit of Speed Originate?



In the 1600s, sailors measured the speed of their sailing ships by tying knots in a rope at sixty-foot intervals.

They then further divided and marked the space between the knots into ten equal parts that would each be one fathom in length.
Then a heavy floating log was tied to the rope’s end and thrown into the ocean.
The rope was let out through a reel, and speed was measured by the number of knots that passed through the reel in thirty seconds of an hourglass.
And that’s how the knot was invented, which is still used today by both sailors and aviators.
The knot is a unit of speed that is equal to one nautical mile per hour, which is equal to about 1.151 mph.

 

[Captn TJ]

Yip. Did the same thing 2 weeks ago with the same logic and had similar results. To add insult to injury, a few days later my knot meter displayed only 0.00 while underway. This time, while alongside, I, pulled the Airmar triducer and found it as clean as a whistle. After a number of posts to Raymarine forum I finally took the suggestion to check the connections at the back of the display and sure enough found the shield had broken off at the crimp. A new terminal fixed the problem.

Where is the ray marine forum?

 

[All U Get]

How Was the Knot Invented to Measure the Speed of a Ship and When Did the Unit of Speed Originate?



In the 1600s, sailors measured the speed of their sailing ships by tying knots in a rope at sixty-foot intervals.

They then further divided and marked the space between the knots into ten equal parts that would each be one fathom in length.
Then a heavy floating log was tied to the rope’s end and thrown into the ocean.
The rope was let out through a reel, and speed was measured by the number of knots that passed through the reel in thirty seconds of an hourglass.
And that’s how the knot was invented, which is still used today by both sailors and aviators.
The knot is a unit of speed that is equal to one nautical mile per hour, which is equal to about 1.151 mph.

Plus it divides Latitude without a remainder, most of the time.

All U Get

 

[Captn TJ]

FYI. I keep my plug adjacent to the sensor in the unlikely event that something happens. That way don't have to go searching for it or a plug. Also you should use the grease supplied for the o rings.

 

[melliott0352]

Don't like leaks so not touching anything like that, especially underway. Can barely get the crew to hold the wheel while I go forward to play with the sails! Don't want to think what would happen if I needed a hand below with water pushing in. As far as speed goes, I'll go with the GPS. I'm only concerned with is the lighthouse, riprap or reef getting closer. If I'm losing ground to landmarks it doesn't matter the hull speed.

 

[anchorclanker]

No way. There was a bag of parts that came with the boat. One was a black plastic piece a bit larger than an inch in diameter with o-rings and a key ring on one end. I looked all over the boat for its purpose and gave up. Now I have to go look through my parts and see if I still have it.

 

[timsha]

Perhaps going back to basics is the right answer. Electronics are prone to failure in this harsh environment, and go obsolete very quickly.
How Was the Knot Invented to Measure the Speed of a Ship and When Did the Unit of Speed Originate?



In the 1600s, sailors measured the speed of their sailing ships by tying knots in a rope at sixty-foot intervals.

They then further divided and marked the space between the knots into ten equal parts that would each be one fathom in length.
Then a heavy floating log was tied to the rope’s end and thrown into the ocean.
The rope was let out through a reel, and speed was measured by the number of knots that passed through the reel in thirty seconds of an hourglass.
And that’s how the knot was invented, which is still used today by both sailors and aviators.
The knot is a unit of speed that is equal to one nautical mile per hour, which is equal to about 1.151 mph.

throw that log out of the plane to measure air speed!
a ships log is the long wire with a prop on the end.