speed paddle wheel

[BART FORD]

Everybody drills a big hole in the bottom of the boat to put the transducer. I am not real keen on drilling a hole in the bottom of a new boat. This seems like an accident waiting to happen.I had thought about glueing the paddle wheel to the bottom with either 3M 4200 or 5200 adhesive, running the wire out the fuel locker, inside the rug rail molding to the end and then under the boat. The water line is about 2 feet from the end.ANY IDEAS OF A BETTER WAY?

 

[Per Albinsson]

No problem

There are millions of boats sailing around with that kind of holes in the bottom. I am going to drill one myself in the front locker any day. With the paddle in the front part of the boat you will have a more accurate speed measure as the water flow is not so disturbed as more aft. The only thing you have to keep in mind is to fit the blind when the paddler isn´t in use. If you still feel unsure I think that there is some kind of log available for dinghys and windsurfers that works without cables. The holes in the bottom that normally causes problems are the fittings for hoses which can corrode and break apart - in the Hunter 240 there are no such fittings.Per Albinsson/AMFI

 

[Terry Arnold]

How about gps

If speed over the bottom is all that's needed, you might just consider a gps for speed. No holes, fine velocity measurement

 

[Chris]

This is EXACTLY what I did!

I had the same feelings about drilling holes in the bottom of a perfectly good boat as you do. (yes, I know its done all the time, but the way I see it, I didn't have any below waterline through hulls, and I didn't want to start)I have made a "nose cone" for my transom mount paddle wheel transducer out of a styrofoam core covered with fiberlass and bondo. I epoxied it onto the bottom, aft of the keel and ran the cable on the outside of the transom. Works great. Even if the boat was in the water I can get fairly easily to the transducer and undo 2 screws holding it onto the nose cone to remove it for cleaning. No water hole worries!Go for it, I believe the 240 doesn't have any below the waterline through hulls (just like my H23), so my advice is not to make any if you don't have to. (also, a transom mount transducer is usually a lot cheaper than a though hull)Take Care!ChrisS/V Doghouseckluczkowski@ato.com

 

[Joe R]

No Holes

I use my hand held GPS. It responds instantly to changes in speed due to wind shift or rigging change. There are no holes to drill or paddle wheels to clog. The cost was less also.Regards to allHappy Start Of SeasonJoe