Advise on a wind instrument

[callistov42]

My ST 50 Wind mast head transducer died the morning the boat left Seabrook, Texas headed for Ft Lauderdale to get loaded onto a Dockwise ship and a FAST return trip to the Caribbean. I have now retrieved my boat, sailed to Anguilla and St Barts and have her safely tucked back in at Anse Marcel in St Martin.



However, the wind instrument is still dead. You cannot purchase a ST 50 mast head unit and according to Raymarine the ST 60 masthead unit will give correct wind direction but will increase the wind velocity by 20%. Should I just install the ST 60 mast head unit or should I change out the wind instrument completely (then it will not match the companion ST 50 Tri Data). Does anyone have any other ideas? Do you think the ST 50 mast head unit could be repairable (giving erroneous wind direction information). If I was to upgrade to all new ST 60 instruments, does that require all new cabling and connectors?

[Charlie]

When I went to try and repair my B&G instruments it was more expensive to buy a masthead wind unit then to buy an entire new system from Garmin that included 1 readout, windspeed and angle, boat speed, barometer, and depth sounder.

[Sailmonkey]

I've always found that Davis makes the most reliable masthead wind Indicator

[SV Demeter]

Have to agree with Charlie on this one. The new garmin wind unit with display is about $750 and runs on NMEA 2k. The Garmin displays can be configured to show what ever you want, eind, depth, engine info,etc.. Eventually your other raymarine ST50's will crap out and you will get the same story from Ray, sorry no longer supported but here buy our new ST70s with tranducers, oh and these pods, oh and our network that in 5 years we wont support any longer either. Sorry for the salt but Raymarine has a habit of making sure their new products are incompatible with their older stuff. Great business model I suppose...

[Play Actor]

Ours died 10 years ago. We planned to replace them, but haven't gotten around to it. By now, we wonder why we ever wanted them. Of course, we've had to give up bragging about how hard the wind was blowing when...

[foamcore]

Going to something other than Raymarine is my suggestion.

[Surrymark]

I've been thinking of a wind speed indicator, but I'm also thinking that it is mostly for entertainment. Aside from racing, has anyone been in a situation where you've been really glad to have one? Has there been a safety factor? Have you used it to predict coming wind? (for example, is it real useful to have numbers for increasing winds?) The alternative, of course, is experience and the Beaufort scale.

[bstreep]

Our B & G recently gave up the ghost. Almost everything else we have is Raymarine. I'm hoping to never spend another cent on/with Raymarine. As noted above, they love planned obsolescence.

Our depth is also a bit flaky - and THAT one, I do need. Looked at the Tacktic wireless, but I think we are going to go with Nexus. For a bit over $1K I can get depth/speed (until it quits)/temp/windspeed/wind angle etc, and 2 displays. The masthead unit is wireless.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Surrymark

I've been thinking of a wind speed indicator, but I'm also thinking that it is mostly for entertainment. Aside from racing, has anyone been in a situation where you've been really glad to have one? Has there been a safety factor? Have you used it to predict coming wind? (for example, is it real useful to have numbers for increasing winds?) The alternative, of course, is experience and the Beaufort scale.

I think asking a sailor whether he's really happy to have accurate wind data is a bit like asking a pastry chef whether he's really happy to know what temperature his oven is, or asking a machinist whether his micrometer might really just be for entertainment. Accurate wind data is fundamental to sailing, assuming of course you're sailing, and not just bobbing around with rags flapping in the breeze.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I think asking a sailor whether he's really happy to have accurate wind data is a bit like asking a pastry chef whether he's really happy to know what temperature his oven is, or asking a machinist whether his micrometer might really just be for entertainment. Accurate wind data is fundamental to sailing, assuming of course you're sailing, and not just bobbing around with rags flapping in the breeze.

All of that is true, but when racing dinghys or my catamaran the only wind instrument I need to really be sailing is a telltale. I was taught to keep my head out of the boat and have found that sailing is faster and smoother without a dashboard. We don't have a wind instrument on the boat other than some yarn on the shrouds and our sails aern't rags flapping in the breeze.

[moggie]

As my Raymarine stuff dies, it goes in the bin! NEVER buy Raymine again!

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

All of that is true, but when racing dinghys or my catamaran the only wind instrument I need to really be sailing is a telltale. I was taught to keep my head out of the boat and have found that sailing is faster and smoother without a dashboard. We don't have a wind instrument on the boat other than some yarn on the shrouds and our sails aern't rags flapping in the breeze.

I find it useful to set up milestones. eg "If the wind hits 17 knots True wake me up and we'll reef." The wind angle is also helpful for setting the jib. I sailed my boat without them for about 3 years so I wouldn't say they are mission critical but they are a nice piece of kit.

When I was racing they were pretty important b/c we had a little book that told us how much back stay, halyard or which jib to put up depending on wind strength.

[foamcore]

And it WILL die. I went to Navman and never had any more issues with wind instruments again. On the new boat however, I'm going with a windex and telltails.

[Pelagic]

I am happy with the Furuno Instruments purchased last year

FURUNO INSTRUMENTS FI-30 Series | Instruments | Others | Recreational Boats | Marine Equipment | Products | -Furuno Electric Co., Ltd.

[poplariv]

has anybody had any good or bad things about the new furano pb150 wind instruments, looking at buying one for our boat.