Who Still Makes a Taffrail Log?

[S&S]

Looking to help a friend, and am having trouble finding anything on the Web.

[s/v 'Faith']

Just noticed an add in Good old boat. Let me go look for it.


... here it is;



http://www.knotstick.com/

As seen in Good Old Boat.

Knot a true 'log' but might get your friend closer to what he wants.

[S&S]

cool, Thanks Faith, ( I may get one for grins)

He's looking for the spinner: speed/distance run

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by S&S

cool, Thanks Faith, ( I may get one for grins)

He's looking for the spinner: speed/distance run

Yea, my edit was to put the disclaimer about it not being a true log. Might try Flea-bay. The Kenyon knotomerters had a log built in. Mine does not, but IIRC the cable driven ones did.

Good luck.

[roverhi]

SHIP-LOG - Knotmaster MK III A + Case - THOMAS WALKER - eBay (item 350129649835 end time Oct-18-09 10:37:09 PDT)

Here's one for sail on Ebay. Not cheap. Remember them coming up a couple of times during the past year. Faulty memory but they may have sold for less money.

I have one of these. Towed it for our entire cruise and did not lose a spinner though came close because of line chafe at the torpedo weight. In any case, if you buy one should get an extra spinner and weight just in case.

[S&S]

thanks roverhi- Anyone still making these now?

[S/V Alchemy]

I don't think so, more's the pity. It's like the optical rangefinder I salvaged from my club's "delete bin"...it's actually a handy device.

[Jim Cate]

Not to be contentious, but why would one want to use a Walker Log type device when the common paddlewheel knotmwter/log that is fitted to most yachts these days works quite well at recording distance run as well as speed? While the taffrail logs are nice bits of kit, and perhaps have value as nostalgia items, they are also a PITA to stream and to maintain. If your friend just wants one for esthetic or historic reasons, then go for it, but if he is interested in a reliable means of data collection I think there are less expensive, less agravating methods available.

Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II
lying Pt Vila, Efate, Vanuatu

[roverhi]

To be contentious, would you trust your survival to Raymarine?? With the inherent urnreliability of electronics, I wouldn't. A log, quartz wristwatch, and a sextant will get you anywhere in the world. Without the ability to accurately keep track of distance run, your DR's go off track quickly. Not unusual to get 3 or more days of overcast on the run into the west coast after a TransPac. Garmin is wonderful, but the electrical system on the boat can fail leaving you with no power for that 15" chart plotter or the GPS can die on it's own. Yes, we should have backups but **** happens.

Besides, it's comforting to watch the log line snaking along behind the boat and the counters moving adding up all those miles covered. As far as maintenance, all they need is very occasional oiling and a check of the log line every couple of thousand miles.

[David M]

In my experience, paddlewheels are very inaccurate. The faster the boat goes, the worse their accuracy. I think having a taffrail log is pretty cool.

[Vasco]

In my experience taffrail logs are a pita. Having streamed and handed these many times in the "good old days" I much prefer a paddle wheel or gps for speed and distance. Taffrail logs are an anachronism. They might look salty on an old wooden boat but a chunk of brass that big will soon disappear if not watched closely.