Transducer paint

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Aug 21, 2006
78
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I just ordered a Moor knotmeter. What kind of paint do you recommend to keep the transducer from gumming up? Thanks.
 

jimq26

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Jun 5, 2004
860
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Why would you want to paint it??

Have used the Moor knotmetre for many years. We always try to make sure that we never get any paint anywhere on the paddlewheel. If we get the odd drop or so on it by mistake, we remove it pronto. Paint throws them out of balance, and could gum up the "bearings".
 
Jul 19, 2005
113
- - s/v GAIA Great Lakes
Yeah, what jimq26 said!!!

The ONLY time I had any trouble with mine was when I got some paint on mine, it stopped rotating because there wasn't enough clearance for it to spin. Lesson learned, NO PAINT! Tom s/v GAIA
 
Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
I've done both

Early on in my sailing experience I didn't know any better and I just painted the paddle wheel with standard anti-fouling paint. I took care to make sure the paddle wheel was free to turn and I never had any problems season after season. I then went to a bigger boat and the knot meter didn't have any anti-fouling on it I never got around to spending an afternoon pulling the transducer and painting it and I had to pull it up to once a week toward the end of the season due to the build up of marine growth. I'd recommend anti-fouling the entire unit taking care to check that it turns free after the paint has dried.
 
Dec 1, 1999
2,391
Hunter 28.5 Chesapeake Bay
When I had a Moor

analog knotmeter on my old C&C, I seem to recall the literature that came with it stating it was, ahem, "self cleaning." I assumed they meant the type of plastic the paddelwheel was made out of would not be attractive to marine life. Not quite so. But like others have indicated, I believe that painting knotmeter paddlewheels is a formula for eventual trouble. In the end, I used to put a light layer of zinc oxide (i.e., Desitin, but cheaper) on the wheel and that would last a month or more in the hot weather. You'll need to learn how to pull out the wheel from the thru-hull, insert the dummy plug, clean the wheel, and re-insert it. This can be "exciting" the first time you do it with the boat in the water as you may get a considerable amount of water in your boat. Keep a bucket and sponge handy. But with practice, you'll be able to do it quickly and without letting much water in at all.
 
Dec 3, 2003
2,101
Hunter Legend 37 Portsmouth, RI
Small bottle (4oz) and has lasted for 10 years. Stuff works like a charm for both the padlewheel and the depth sounder.
 
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