Stuck Knotmeter

[Boat Babe]

New to cruising, I just got a Cal 28 (1987)last fall and the knotmeter worked fine. I made sure the knotmeter was turning freely this spring before launching. However, after the yard painted the bottom this spring, after launching, it's not working. The yard if very reputable and doubt they painted the knotwheel. Anyone know of a way (without getting in the water) of trying to free it up? Is it possible by 2 people dragging a long line under the boat perpendicular along the keel and trying to snag it and getting it to turn? Any other ideas? Thanks. Steph

 

[Landsend]

try reverse for a while...retract it to clean it

The yard most likely painted it. You'll need to dive on it or retract it to free it up, so that it spins freely. Hire a diver.

 

[David]

No diver needed?

You may have been painted over, or you may have picked up a small shell, stick or piece of weed, any of which can stop the wheel from turning. I don't know about your boat in particular, but on most it is possible to remove the fitting and the wheel from the inside of the hull, remove the obstruction and stick the fitting back in. Obviously you need to have a plug to hand to stick in the through hull while you fiddle with it. If you do it quickly, you won't get much more than a cup or two of water in the bilge. Make sure that the fitting is properly aligned when you put it back in - probably it is keyed so that you can't put it in easily in any direction but the right one. Good luck, and enjoy your boat.

 

[Bill Roosa]

This is normal in salt water

I have to pull mine about once a month when I'm in the water as the little beasties think my paddel wheel is the bestest place on earth to set up housekeeping. Just pull the paddle wheel from inside the boat and clean it.I'm considering pulling the thing after returning to the slip just to keep from having to clean it so often. It is just a pain to remember to put it back in the next time I use the boat.

 

[tom]

Should be able to clean

On my pearson it's easy to pull out the through-hull from inside the boat and clean the paddlewheel. As David said have a plug ready!!! I was shocked by the amount of water that gushes in when you pull the wheel. I have a deep bilge so the water just ran harmlessly into the bilge but a flatter bottomed boat might get some stuff wet. It's pretty common to get stuff stuck in the wheel and a barnacle can grow in a month or so. That said the boatyard painted my wheel during my last bottom job but I saw it at the yard and cleaned it before it went back in the water.

 

[Warren Milberg]

A line will also work

Pulling the impellter and cleaning it from inside is clearly the best solution, but dropping a light line over either side of tthe bow, working it back to where the impeller protrudes and moving the line back and forth has also worked for me on my H28.5. This presumes your impeller is forward of the keel. If you try this, just be careful not to put too much pressure on the line and use a piece of line you don't care about getting stained by bottom paint.

 

[Brian D]

Is there anything

That can be put on the wheel to keep it lubricated and free from growth?

 

[Terry Cox]

Yes, a couple of coats of Desitin...

will help lubricate and protect the metal from marine growth for at least a season. You can get it in the baby section of your local grocery store. It contains zinc oxide.Terry

 

[Brian D]

So, this could really

solve my rash of wheel not turning problem. LOL

 

[Boat Babe]

thanks everyone

thanks everyone for your suggestions. New to me, i forgot that you can remove it from the inside. I'll give that a try first with the plug in hand. thanks, Steph

 

[novelman17128]

knotmeter

Until my last boat I always used knotmeters BUT when I bought a GPS to use for navagation I find that I don't use the knotmeter. My GPS gives me accurate (to 1/10 knots) speed and registers immediately so I can keep my boat at max speed. Consider getting an inexpensive GPS it will be used constantly after you learn how to use it.Novelman

 

[JC on Bainbridge]

I assume you already know about currrent + wind

This issue has been discussed many many times before, that with a GPS, the speed you see has been adjusted by current and wind. So, you could be going 7 knots against a 7 knot current, and the GPS will show 0 knots. Going the other way, the GPS will show 14 knots. In either case, your engine is still producing 7 knots. If you try to keep your engine at max speed in the 1st case, you will probably burn out your engine.As long as you already know about this, no biggie.

 

[Ross]

Steph, Dragging two people

under the boat on a long line will work, if you tell them before hand that they don't come up until it turns freely.