Experience with budget wind instruments?

[Franziska]

Hi,

as I got only very limited results on this thread:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ts-140808.html

I am hoping to get a few more comments by raising the subject here.

Mods: Could you perhaps join the threads here? Many thanks!
I know double threads are unpopular.

Franziska

Welcome to the Woods Mira 35 - Catamaran Lady Rovers Website!

[Saqqara]

I have the Nasamarine NMEA Masthead unit.

Mine has been broken for a long time because I've put off getting my fat self to the masthead.

There are many reports of failures of these on YBW forums. Some can be remedied with modifications but the masthead is a bad place for something requiring intervention.

I've heard their other instruments are reliable but the masthead units are not. Perhaps their new wireless masthead unit is different.


I suppose if I were to do it over again, being a glutton for punishment, I'd try to do what this guy is doing, with the $99 Peet Bros wind instrument and a $10 arduino chip. https://mechinations.wordpress.com/2...nd-instrument/

[ryon]

All of my experience is by using pieces of yarn on the shrouds, watching the luffs, and feeling the wind on the side of my face. That's budget! I'll admit that electronic sensors are pretty good for controlling an autohelm, but that would be way out of place on the boats that I sail.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Hi,

as I got only very limited results on this thread:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ts-140808.html

I am hoping to get a few more comments by raising the subject here.

Mods: Could you perhaps join the threads here? Many thanks!
I know double threads are unpopular.

Franziska

Welcome to the Woods Mira 35 - Catamaran Lady Rovers Website!

I think because many cruisers view wind instruments as a luxury item.

For a cat they would be more important to me because there is less feedback from the boat on wind strength.

As far as wireless wind instruments I have read comments from both sides. As far as budget instruments, I don't have any experience.

Here is a search of the CF forums for Wind speed indicators. Might be useful...

windspeed instruments - Google Search

[Franziska]

Well, by now there are a number of interesting replies when reading both threads.

Thank you for that.

Regarding the reason why a wind instrument might be nice on a cat you are right.It adds safety, the cat does hardly heel over and when it's not a high performance boat accelerates moderately.
Once had a ugly situation when on a beam reach with a kite up.
The wind increased steadily without us (tired crew!) noticing early on.
Then we had to luff up to avoid a shallow area and suddenly we felt we had far to much sailarea up.
We just managed to get the kite down again in the last moment.

Apart from that Ap steering with wind is nice.

I like this idea with the Arduino and the Bluetooth instrument proposed in the other thread.

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