Besides a weekly or sometimes, if I'm lucky, bi-weekly removal and cleaning of the paddle wheel on the end of the Speed Indicator, are there any tips to help keep this piece of equipment free from barnacles and other small sea creatures. It always seems to stop just when I am really moving along and would like some sort of speed numbers. The GPS always seems to read faster than the indicator is reading, which one do you go by?
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I take mine out
Mitch: I leave my boat for long periods (2 or 3 months sometimes) and I always take my speed indicator out and plug the hole when I leave the boat for more than just a few days. It is always more convenient to do the change on your own schedule, it leaves the paddlewheel free of growth when I leave the dock, and seems in general to work for me. Remember the speed indicator is speed through the water and the GPS is speed over the bottom. If you are reading correctly, there is water current that should account for the difference in readings. One tells you how fast you are moving on the chart, the other gives you boat speed through the water. They can both be correct and have different readings. Enjoy, Rodney S/V Avanti H336
Mitch: I leave my boat for long periods (2 or 3 months sometimes) and I always take my speed indicator out and plug the hole when I leave the boat for more than just a few days. It is always more convenient to do the change on your own schedule, it leaves the paddlewheel free of growth when I leave the dock, and seems in general to work for me. Remember the speed indicator is speed through the water and the GPS is speed over the bottom. If you are reading correctly, there is water current that should account for the difference in readings. One tells you how fast you are moving on the chart, the other gives you boat speed through the water. They can both be correct and have different readings. Enjoy, Rodney S/V Avanti H336
Try Desitin
I had (have) the same problem. If you take a look in the archives, you will see a number of responses I got from owners. The best ones recommended either taking it out or trying Desitin Ointment. I bought a tube and tried it. It seems to work - not to prevent the buildup but to extend the time. I still have the problem from time to time but have adjusted to it. I carry my Desitin and a toothbrush in my "tool drawer" and can clean the sensor on the fly in less than 5 minutes while the XO is at the wheel. Ron Parkes s/v Contemplation H320
I had (have) the same problem. If you take a look in the archives, you will see a number of responses I got from owners. The best ones recommended either taking it out or trying Desitin Ointment. I bought a tube and tried it. It seems to work - not to prevent the buildup but to extend the time. I still have the problem from time to time but have adjusted to it. I carry my Desitin and a toothbrush in my "tool drawer" and can clean the sensor on the fly in less than 5 minutes while the XO is at the wheel. Ron Parkes s/v Contemplation H320
Speed Indicator
Hi Mitch: Is your boat a fresh water boat or salt water? My Legend 37' is now sitting in salt water and I had the same problem you did last year. What I did to solve the problem was to apply bottom paint to the paddle wheel and the areaof the through-hull which is exposed to the salt water. I made sure once there was bottom paint on the wheel it would turn easily. After that, no problem.
Hi Mitch: Is your boat a fresh water boat or salt water? My Legend 37' is now sitting in salt water and I had the same problem you did last year. What I did to solve the problem was to apply bottom paint to the paddle wheel and the areaof the through-hull which is exposed to the salt water. I made sure once there was bottom paint on the wheel it would turn easily. After that, no problem.
Removing it seems the best
I remove mine also, I've tried appling a film of vaseline etc., but removing the indicator takes only a few minutes. Watch the depth gauge also, it too can get a build up of growths. When that happens you'll get real fast variations in depth readings which can be dangerous in shallow water. It's not as clean to remove as the speed indicator (lots of water comes in, there is no baffle in the thru hull like the speed) but it is just as important, if not more .
I remove mine also, I've tried appling a film of vaseline etc., but removing the indicator takes only a few minutes. Watch the depth gauge also, it too can get a build up of growths. When that happens you'll get real fast variations in depth readings which can be dangerous in shallow water. It's not as clean to remove as the speed indicator (lots of water comes in, there is no baffle in the thru hull like the speed) but it is just as important, if not more .
Removing the Speed Log is the Answer
I have tried lots of things on our 340 but the only thing that works well all the time is to remove it. On a 340 it is a 30 second job and really no fuss - we now keep a plastic ice cream container with a sponge in it under the panel where the log is located. This makes it easy to mop up the raw sea water that comes in when you do the change. It's a good idea to mop this up as the fridge unit is in the same compartment and could easily corrode faster in the presence of raw sea water. Mal Trotter s/v Synergy h340
I have tried lots of things on our 340 but the only thing that works well all the time is to remove it. On a 340 it is a 30 second job and really no fuss - we now keep a plastic ice cream container with a sponge in it under the panel where the log is located. This makes it easy to mop up the raw sea water that comes in when you do the change. It's a good idea to mop this up as the fridge unit is in the same compartment and could easily corrode faster in the presence of raw sea water. Mal Trotter s/v Synergy h340
Fouling Speedo
I had the same problem with my 1995 29.5. I bought a small bottle of Transducer anti-fouling paint. It costs about 8 bucks and comes with a little brush on the cap for an applicator. It works great. I just paint the paddle wheel and surrounding area with it and it keeps the growth in-check for the season. All boat stores sell it. Good luck. ken Osborne Second Wind
I had the same problem with my 1995 29.5. I bought a small bottle of Transducer anti-fouling paint. It costs about 8 bucks and comes with a little brush on the cap for an applicator. It works great. I just paint the paddle wheel and surrounding area with it and it keeps the growth in-check for the season. All boat stores sell it. Good luck. ken Osborne Second Wind
Paint it!
I had the same problem. In Galveston Bay in the summer any unpainted piece of the boat underwater fouls in about a week. I got real tired of taking the paddle wheel out of the water. I bought a can of anti-fouling spray paint made for outboard engines. It dries to a flat black, smooth finish that does not impede the wheel. The boat has been in the water for 12 months since then. No paddle wheel fouling and the speed is right on with the GPS. Make your life really simple and spray paint the paddle wheel.
I had the same problem. In Galveston Bay in the summer any unpainted piece of the boat underwater fouls in about a week. I got real tired of taking the paddle wheel out of the water. I bought a can of anti-fouling spray paint made for outboard engines. It dries to a flat black, smooth finish that does not impede the wheel. The boat has been in the water for 12 months since then. No paddle wheel fouling and the speed is right on with the GPS. Make your life really simple and spray paint the paddle wheel.
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