Does a power boat need a wind sensor?

[zboss]

A home battery powered weather station that can take the salt air and water is a great idea for helping keep track of weather developments. Forget all about its usefulness as a method of driving the boat and use it as a piece of data that can be correlated against official weather reports and in general weather analysis. Knowing what speed and form what direction wind is coming from, what the barometric pressure is, etc... helps with your safety at sea and at anchor.

[Woodland Hills]

How would being able to put a number to the wind speed or direction make any difference in boat handling on a powerboat? Either the wind or the waves are strong enough to switch on the stabilizers or not. Beyond that who cares what the number is, you will respond to the way the vessel feels, not some number on a screen. If you are running a 60,000lb or more boat from inside a nice warm pilot house what does it matter if it's 12kts or 17kts? Or if it's from 245* or from 252*?

[Chuck Hawley]

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

How would being able to put a number to the wind speed or direction make any difference in boat handling on a powerboat? Either the wind or the waves are strong enough to switch on the stabilizers or not. Beyond that who cares what the number is, you will respond to the way the vessel feels, not some number on a screen. If you are running a 60,000lb or more boat from inside a nice warm pilot house what does it matter if it's 12kts or 17kts? Or if it's from 245* or from 252*?

I think there is value in knowing how weather is changing for logbook entries, knowing when a front has passed, possibly setting a high wind speed alarm when anchoring, etc. In your example, I agree that a 7 degree change is not very valuable, but a change from 20 to 30 knots would get my attention.

Chuck

[Woodland Hills]

Originally Posted by Chuck Hawley

I think there is value in knowing how weather is changing for logbook entries, knowing when a front has passed, possibly setting a high wind speed alarm when anchoring, etc. In your example, I agree that a 7 degree change is not very valuable, but a change from 20 to 30 knots would get my attention.

Chuck

I'll suggest that if the wind speed increased by 50% you would know about it and take appropriate action regardless of what some gage told you. A great American philosopher once said "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." and for powerboaters that's true. The OP asked if it was NEEDED and I just don't think it is.
It would be fun to have, but a necessity: no way.
As for setting a high wind alarm, if you are anchored securely and you have an anchor alarm on your gps, do you really want to woken everytime the wind blows and your boat does not move? If rising winds bring rising seas, they will wake you PDQ, if not, why lose sleep?
As far as knowing about weather changes for logbook entries or front passage isn't a barometer more useful for that than precise wind speed and direction to the degree or exact mph?

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

As far as knowing about weather changes for logbook entries or front passage isn't a barometer more useful for that than precise wind speed and direction to the degree or exact mph?

Sometimes yes and sometimes no. When the wind pipes up and we are standing anchor watch its useful to compare the wind speed and direction we are actually seeing vs. several weather models. This lets you know if the weather is changing quicker or slower than expected or perhaps not lining up at all with a model. Knowing then what model is more accurate helps prepare you for any actions that may be necessary such as changing anchoring location, adding scope, keeping an eye out for dragging vessels from directions that are of concern, or doing nothing.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by CascadeThumper

More boat toys are good. It's a win win. [emoji4]

More boat toys is more money wasted (hours of life you are never getting back ) and more **** to fail.

[CascadeThumper]

We are all going to 'fail' given the passage of a little time. None of our yesterdays are recoverable or repeatable. If you enjoy accessorizing you boat, if you enjoy spending some of your hard earned $$, I say, "Good on ya." The retailer wins as does the salesperson and the installer and the yard. You are an economy stimulator and a hero. Uncle might get a bit in sales tax, .....but if ya wait Too
Long.....Uncle will have it all. And I guarantee......Uncle don't give a ---- about boats.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by CascadeThumper

We are all going to 'fail' given the passage of a little time. None of our yesterdays are recoverable or repeatable. If you enjoy accessorizing you boat, if you enjoy spending some of your hard earned $$, I say, "Good on ya." The retailer wins as does the salesperson and the installer and the yard. You are an economy stimulator and a hero. Uncle might get a bit in sales tax, .....but if ya wait Too
Long.....Uncle will have it all. And I guarantee......Uncle don't give a ---- about boats.

I'm guessing you are still working. ]

[Group9]

I guess it's a powerboater's natural inclination to defeat the wind with horsepower, whereas for salors, we're programmed to work with it.