Paddle wheel speed sensor, who needs ‘em!

[JC Reefer]

I have always had a love hate relationship as they tend to be more temperamental then I’d like.

Has anyone outright removed the darn thing and regretted it?

I’m considering giving it a permanent plug the next time I pull the boat out of the water. Is there any system that depends on that sensor?

[mike d.]

If wired right they should do as designed! If you have other concerns then that should be taken up with mfg ! No ! Ours has always been mol right on, when compared to charts of area we are in !

[Adelie]

I would want a knotmeter before any electronic wind instruments.
With a knotmeter you want estimate current effects without heaving to.
With a really good one you can see the effects of trimming you sails differently almost in real time.

[JPA Cate]

JC:

It's your boat, you can do with it as you please. We compare our speed through the water with the speed over the ground, all the time. It is how we learn we are experiencing current driven set or drift. Your SOG is fine for letting you know when you will arrive somewhere, and your speed through the water is how fast the wind or engine is making it go through the water. So, if, say you're going 8.5 k through the water, but only making good 6.5 over the ground you've got 2 knots against you. But caring about it is a individual choice. Where and how you sail may make the knowledge irrelevant to you.



Ann

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by JC Reefer

I have always had a love hate relationship as they tend to be more temperamental then I’d like.

Has anyone outright removed the darn thing and regret it?

I’m considering giving it a permanent plug the next time I pull the boat out of the water. Is there any system that depends on that sensor?

Well i haven't removed mine. But i pulled the sensor out around 8 years ago and the plug has been in ever since. I changed the meter to display SOG from the chartplotter

[mlydon]

A lot of chart plotters refuse to tell you apparent wind info unless you have boat speed info from a paddle wheel.

Always seemed crazy to me - I would think the info would be more accurate with gps sog.....

Matt

[Galumay]

Originally Posted by mlydon

A lot of chart plotters refuse to tell you apparent wind info unless you have boat speed info from a paddle wheel.

Always seemed crazy to me - I would think the info would be more accurate with gps sog.....

Matt

i believe Speed thru Water is required for set & drift calculations in order to correctly compute TWA & TWS.

https://www.bwsailing.com/cc/2017/05...hy-it-matters/

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by JC Reefer

I have always had a love hate relationship as they tend to be more temperamental then I’d like.

Has anyone outright removed the darn thing and regretted it?

I’m considering giving it a permanent plug the next time I pull the boat out of the water. Is there any system that depends on that sensor?

My cruise on my HR35 to Mexico had the knot meter in the bilge and the plug in the hole. I went GPS all the way and did just fine. Plotting my course the beginning of each watch showed me the effects of current.

Originally Posted by mike d.

If wired right they should do as designed! If you have other concerns then that should be taken up with mfg ! No ! Ours has always been mol right on, when compared to charts of area we are in !

Anyone I have had did as it was designed. That was to read too fast at low speed and read too slow nearer to hull speed, no matter how it was adjusted. Perhaps more expensive ones had adjustments for the upper and lower end, separately.

[HankOnthewater]

What Ann said in post #4, I would not like to do away with my 'speed through water' . It is the only way (that I know) if a current is helping you or hindering. A comparison between SOG (speed over ground) and speed through water (with paddle wheel) will tell you.
And along the same lines, as the compass can be used (comparing that with course over ground) to see if there is a set (from current) or leeway (from wind).

[thinwater]

Pulled the paddlewheel 12 years ago and never looked back. I really don't care about the true wind or current; they are easy enough to estimate by other means (for example, tack and do the math in your head). Simply not worth the cleaning IMO. The autopilot runs off the AW just fine, and I can estimate the TW in my head without thinking about it.



Obviously, people sailed far an wide without the distraction of a paddle wheel, and if they had had GPS, I'm pretty sure they would have burned chip logs.

[JC Reefer]

Originally Posted by Galumay

i believe Speed thru Water is required for set & drift calculations in order to correctly compute TWA & TWS.



https://www.bwsailing.com/cc/2017/05...hy-it-matters/

I was looking for items like this. But surely making those calcs off of SOG compared to wind speed would be more accurate. Definitely more reliable

[goboatingnow]

True wind is best calculated using STW rather then SOG but only to dial out currents , tidal streams etc and essentially provide you with comparable numbers on both tacks

On the open sea the difference is negligible and SOG will essentially be identical to STW.

[Jim Cate]

On the open sea the difference is negligible and SOG will essentially be identical to STW.

Clearly not so... there are quite significant oceanic currents in many oceans, and being able to find and use (or avoid) them is quite useful.

Jim

[Adelie]

Apparently they’ve never heard of the Gulf Stream.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Clearly not so... there are quite significant oceanic currents in many oceans, and being able to find and use (or avoid) them is quite useful.

Jim

Well I’ll give you that.