Fed up with paddle wheel logs

[Nicholson58]

Raymarine ST60+

The wheel is free. I have replaced the sensor. I have sent the display in for repairs. It hasnt worked in 8 years. the display is 0.0

I hate the thing. I use GPS SOG and the slewing angle calculated from the SIMRAD and fluxgate compass. If you look at the electronic compass heading and resultant true compass on the plotter or compare your direction on the GPS with the magnetic compass you can see your slewing angle. Most plotters can display the boat heading made good as well. Navionics on the Ipad shows tidal currents and tide depth and timing. Very useful planning your next move and arrival timing.

[samfreeland]

Take the wheel out and sit it on some concrete put your safety glasses on and get a big sledge hammer and smash the **** out of it. You won't fix it this way but after ten yrs of putting up with the frigging thing you will feel a lot better.

[rognvald]

I haven't used a speed impeller log since 2005. Even when painted with the "special" antifoulant transducer paint, it will still catch weeds, debris and occasional mollusks with an appetite for a hallucinogenic experience. SMG is the only thing you need to know. After all, it's how fast you get from A to B that really counts. Good luck and safe sailing . . . Rognvald

[botanybay]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

Anyone using the Airmar UDST 800?

I have been using an airmar cs4500 for about 6 years now and love it!!! If it died today it is about $100/year to not have to mess with it.

Also it reads down to about 0.2 knots which is great for mooring pickups...

[Gerrycooper56]

Trip from Florida to East coast Australia just with GPS - no problem with regard to knowing boat speed.

[ghrt]

I also have the same sensor, same problems for two years. I even replace it, the new one didn't worked either.
I greased its axle and it started working. I didn't calibrated as it looks unreliable, no linear relation between its measurement and GPS (I was on a calm water, many times). I gave up, looks like a waste of money and time, it will only give me a hint not an exact measurement.
The max current where I'm sailing is 0,7 kts, so it needs a better precision than this to be useful.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Training Wheels

Leeway? Isn’t that determined by your heading and COG?

Calculated, theoretical leeway, not actual measured leeway like you may get with an ultrasonic sensor.

[wingssail]

Just to add to my previous comment, we have a B&G system with a paddle wheel speed sensor (actually, more of a propeller speed sensor, but the same idea). It was on the boat and working when we bought the boat in 1986, 34 years ago. We've got a couple of spare paddle wheels but the original one is still working. We take it out when we are not sailing every week, and we pull it to clean it frequently. In water with heavy fouling problems it can get fouled in as little as a week. it takes two minutes to pull and clean. It is an old fashioned unit and needs calibration, which we do after each bottom painting and once or twice between bottom paintings.

If you value your sailing instruments and like the information they give you, you need a speed sensor.

We would not be without one.