With my B23, I'd head into the wind to a clean shoreline. When I touched bottom, I'd calibrate the depth meter to the draft of the boat.
knotmeter paddlewheel
- Thread starter Banooma
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Paddle Wheel
On your 99 Catalina 28 MK II, it is likely the same unit as is on my 2000 Catalina 320. The Raymarine depth finder and speed paddlewheel are located more or less adjacent to each other if it like mine. The transducer which you can not remove is the depth finder unit. The paddle wheel (not very much like the reference someone else posted) is a separte unit and has nothing to do with the depth finder transducer. You simply un screw it (it has a front and back with an arrow mark on it), remove it, quickly insert the dummy plug. It looks like you are getting lots of water, but if you are relatively quick, not much will get in the boat. Like some of the other posters, I never use mine. Here in the south, marine growth (barnacles) will get on it in a short time...this is what happened to me. I have heard, but not tested, that if you will coat the paddle wheel with vaseline, it will last about half a season to prevent growth and not hurt the paddle wheel performance.
On your 99 Catalina 28 MK II, it is likely the same unit as is on my 2000 Catalina 320. The Raymarine depth finder and speed paddlewheel are located more or less adjacent to each other if it like mine. The transducer which you can not remove is the depth finder unit. The paddle wheel (not very much like the reference someone else posted) is a separte unit and has nothing to do with the depth finder transducer. You simply un screw it (it has a front and back with an arrow mark on it), remove it, quickly insert the dummy plug. It looks like you are getting lots of water, but if you are relatively quick, not much will get in the boat. Like some of the other posters, I never use mine. Here in the south, marine growth (barnacles) will get on it in a short time...this is what happened to me. I have heard, but not tested, that if you will coat the paddle wheel with vaseline, it will last about half a season to prevent growth and not hurt the paddle wheel performance.
Re: guest advice and paddle wheels
It's not Vaseline that many recommend smearing on your paddle wheel....... Desitin is what they mean. It's a baby care product used to prevent or treat diaper rash. It has anti-bacterial stuff in it.
BTW..... I've been noticing a lot of non-regisgered "guest" responses. Boys.... it takes just a minute to register and gives you much more credibility if you want to offer up advice. There isn't too much need for anonymity on this forum, so sign up and be a real person.
It's not Vaseline that many recommend smearing on your paddle wheel....... Desitin is what they mean. It's a baby care product used to prevent or treat diaper rash. It has anti-bacterial stuff in it.
BTW..... I've been noticing a lot of non-regisgered "guest" responses. Boys.... it takes just a minute to register and gives you much more credibility if you want to offer up advice. There isn't too much need for anonymity on this forum, so sign up and be a real person.
My Ray depth finder transducer on my 2006 Beneteau comes out and has a dummy plug. The hole is a little larger than the speed one, but it's surprising how much more water comes in. I should have taken out the depth transducer when I hauled out since a helper just bottom-painted over it.
I have a Signet meter and found one of the paddles slightly damaged, which I though accounted for the low speed compared to the GPS. I removed the transducer and replaced the paddle wheel and got the same reading. After futzing with it for half the day I did like most males and finally read the manual. There is an adjustment screw in the back behind a rubber plug. You can fine tune with a jewelers screw driver. It is a lot closer but seldom dead on (before flaming I understand the difference between STW and SOG, this was done in the Harbor both directions). I sure wouldn't want to depend on it for a long term cruise. I like the GPS accuracy for relative speed increases and decreases when trimming. The analog one is there just to cover the hole that would be left if removed.
Thanks for your replies! I'll admit it - I sail for the sake of sailing, and having the knotmeter function is only to satisfy a techie curiosity for the boat speed relative to hull speed, the current, and SOG. It's also a little cooler to be able to show guests all the instruments at the helm working, than to leave them covered and explain.
I found that the paddle-wheel is, in fact, part of the transducer unit. I found no manufacturer's name on it. I found that after some fussing with it, the wheel is spinning freely now, though I did notice a slight bend in one of the side tabs that "guard" the wheel. I think I'll try my luck with that effort, keep my eye on it, and move on to the next project now. I'll report back after the batteries are back on board.
I found that the paddle-wheel is, in fact, part of the transducer unit. I found no manufacturer's name on it. I found that after some fussing with it, the wheel is spinning freely now, though I did notice a slight bend in one of the side tabs that "guard" the wheel. I think I'll try my luck with that effort, keep my eye on it, and move on to the next project now. I'll report back after the batteries are back on board.
Just had the same problem. Nothing special about the rings to warrant ordering a kit. They are 1.5 in diameter rings. Remember there are two rings, one of which is half way along the puck.
The various o-rings should not be hard to find...
...at a marine store or at a hardware store. Take the old ones with you to match both diameter and thickness. I also suggest lubricating them with teflon lube once in a while.
Not all of them are 1.5" in diameter. I recently upgraded the knotmeter transducer on my boat, and it is far smaller in diameter...probably closer to 1.125" or so.
BTW, don't use vaseline or any other petroleum based product on the O-Rings... they will be damaged. The proper lubricant to use to help preserve and seal the o-ring connection is a silicone based o-ring grease.
BTW, don't use vaseline or any other petroleum based product on the O-Rings... they will be damaged. The proper lubricant to use to help preserve and seal the o-ring connection is a silicone based o-ring grease.
Only if you are using their stock transducer. Airmar makes about a dozen different ones that will fit and work with the ST60 display heads. Last I checked, Raymarine wasn't the only instrument provided around... 
I would think anyone asking what parts are required would have prefaced it with a note indicating it to be other than the stock ST60 transducer... This shouldn't be that contentious.Only if you are using their stock transducer. Airmar makes about a dozen different ones that will fit and work with the ST60 display heads. Last I checked, Raymarine wasn't the only instrument provided around...
On a previously owned boat, the transducer may well have been swapped out for a different one for any number of reasons. Assuming it is the stock transducer is a good way to get into trouble. They also may have used a different manufacturer's transducer, since many are actually compatible with the Raymarine ST60 display—since many use the same Airmar-manufactured transducer.
For instance, I used the stock ST60 transducer with my new TackTick instruments. Electrically, they're the exact same. I later swapped out the stock ST60 transducer on my boat for a newer model transducer that was provided with my TackTick instruments, that uses a quick release mechanism, that allows swapping the transducer for the plug to be accomplished without having to unscrew the transducer collar. This means I can change the transducer for the plug in a fraction of the time and the smaller transducer diameter means that less water will get into the boat when I do so. I could have easily used my ST60 instruments with the newer transducer as well. AFAIK, Airmar makes about half-a-dozen transducers that would work...and some have some very different specifications.
Another example, my friend has a tri-ducer transducer on her boat. It has the knotmeter, fathometer and temperature transducers all in a single unit. It is a much larger diameter unit, but works with the standard ST60 display heads. I know of several boats that were equipped like this, in order to reduce the number of through-hulls required.
For instance, I used the stock ST60 transducer with my new TackTick instruments. Electrically, they're the exact same. I later swapped out the stock ST60 transducer on my boat for a newer model transducer that was provided with my TackTick instruments, that uses a quick release mechanism, that allows swapping the transducer for the plug to be accomplished without having to unscrew the transducer collar. This means I can change the transducer for the plug in a fraction of the time and the smaller transducer diameter means that less water will get into the boat when I do so. I could have easily used my ST60 instruments with the newer transducer as well. AFAIK, Airmar makes about half-a-dozen transducers that would work...and some have some very different specifications.
Another example, my friend has a tri-ducer transducer on her boat. It has the knotmeter, fathometer and temperature transducers all in a single unit. It is a much larger diameter unit, but works with the standard ST60 display heads. I know of several boats that were equipped like this, in order to reduce the number of through-hulls required.
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