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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Cleaning the paddle wheel knotmeter

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5234 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/22/2009 : 21:27:01

I use my GPS for VMG (velocity made good), but I like my paddlewheel knot meter to get a sense of the currents. Every year around this time it STOPS reading, as it gets encrusted with barnacles or sea grass, so I always try to figure out the best way to clean it off.

Western Long Island Sound's underwater visibility is about 3 inches, so it is difficult to put on goggles, snorkel and fins and find the paddle wheel and clean it. You really can't tell what you're doing.

I tried to hit it with a brush today by paddling my kayak up next to the boat and swishing my brush on a pole around that part of the bottom. I didn't accomplish much except make the water blue (my ablative bottom paint)

The last thing I thought of trying is to get inside the hull and pull the transducer out while the boat is in the water.

Apparently, there is a pin that holds the paddlewheel body in place in the through hull. You have to pull the pin, then the paddlewheel body "pops out" and you have to reinsert a plug to stop the water gushing in like "Old Faithful"

I have the "plug" handy to put back into the through hull to stop the inrush of water, but I'm a little concerned about:
1. what if I loosen something that causes a leak?
2. what if I lose an O-ring?
3. what if so much water gushes in that I can't stop it and I sink the boat?
4. what if the plug is the wrong one, and it doesn't fit?

This gives you plenty of time to clean off the paddlewheel, but then of course you have to go through the gushing part again to reinstall the transducer.

Has anybody done this in the past, and how did it turn out? Do you have to have your bilge pump ready?

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - on

skipperof ballanato
Deckhand

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13 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2009 : 05:46:36

I've never tried it, but have others say that a plumber's helper (plunger)applied by a helpful assistant to the hull around the through hull will allow you a little less risk of flooding the boat.

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Renzo
Admiral

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USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2009 : 07:40:35

I use a dri-diver (A kind of closed cel foam pad and teflon scrub pad on a bent pole) to sweep away debris from the paddle wheel. works great on alge grass seaweed and grass and the occasional zebra mussel. Don't know about barnacles though, we don't have them in the Great Lakes.

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2009 : 08:26:04

I pull mine out with the boat in the water, plug the hole, clean it, and reinsert. I have to do it about once per week in the summer. Afterwards, I suck the water out with a shop vac. You probably get about 2 gallons in the boat with practice. No big deal.

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David Scott
1st Mate

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USA
74 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2009 : 12:16:12

Try a very thin coating of bottom paint on paddle wheel and see if it helps...VC-17 may be a good one to use. I use to do this on my cruising boat but have not tried it on my C25.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2009 : 13:06:27

Some, like mine, have a flap that covers the hole when the transducer is pulled which stems the tide a bit. When I pull mine, I just get a cup or two of water that I clean up with a sponge. The first time I pulled mine, I thought the water would come shooting in like garden hose, but the reality is, water dribbles in like if you just cracked the spigot a wee bit.

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5234 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2009 : 20:28:50

I ran the boat up and down the river today, and in spite of my rubbing, it looks like the wheel is still jammed. I will give the thru hull removal technique a try (after I secure the boat to the slip!)

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2009 : 06:02:05

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Voyager
 
I have the "plug" handy to put back into the through hull to stop the inrush of water, but I'm a little concerned about:
1. what if I loosen something that causes a leak? Probably won't happen
2. what if I lose an O-ring? Got a spare?
3. what if so much water gushes in that I can't stop it and I sink the boat? Call insurance company

Seriously, see answer #1. 
4. what if the plug is the wrong one, and it doesn't fit? Unlikely, I'm guessing but, it probably came with the knotmeter for just this purpose. But, in the unlikely event it doesn't fit, just put the knotmeter back in.

This gives you plenty of time to clean off the paddlewheel, but then of course you have to go through the gushing part again to reinstall the transducer.

Has anybody done this in the past, and how did it turn out? Do you have to have your bilge pump ready? I did last year and need to again. A large towel was sufficient to mop up the water that came in. Just have everything ready to go before pulling that plug.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">This probably wouldn't happen if I sailed more. I've been out less than 10 times this year.

Edited by - John Russell on 08/24/2009 06:05:23

hillerji
1st Mate

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USA
37 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2009 : 14:23:17

Bruce,

I dove under several times with mask and suction cups and was able to carefully pick away at it. It does seem a whole lot bigger when you're under water vs. on the hard.

JH

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2009 : 18:30:03

I used to paint the paddle wheel with transducer paint each spring... Most years it ran all year, although now and then it took a few minutes at 5 knots to get it going.

I had a set of various-sized wooden, cone-shaped safety plugs aboard Passage for potential thru-hull failures--are they still there? If the plastic cap is the wrong size, one of the wooden plugs should slow things to a trickle. I haven't done this, but people I know who have say it turns out to be a lot less dramatic than you might think.

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5234 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2009 : 20:55:50

John Jon and Dave
I'll give it a try, what could go wrong!?

Dave, yes the cone shaped plugs are still there.

I imagine I could replace the original piece if things get out of hand, or get a big wad of paper towels and jam the hole.

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Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2009 : 22:58:48

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Voyager
 ....get a big wad of paper towels and jam the hole.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'm not quite sure what part of all the great input you got would leave you this as last resort. Use the plug you have or use a wooden tapered plug and unless you're cleaning out the paddlewheel with a toothpick or planning on painting it, it shouldn't take very long. I bought a few extra paddlewheels, prepainted them and have them ready to go. Right after I did this, a "guest skipper" drove our boat over a log, so I got to do it twice within a short enough time to not forget everything I learned when I did it the first time.

I admire your concern and pre-planning, but don't sweat it, unless you take the plug out and coincidentally break your arm and a leg and have a seizure when you're doing it, the boat will not sink.

I had the same concerns my first time, and these answers are correct.

Edited by - Stu Jackson C34 on 08/24/2009 22:59:49

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2009 : 05:42:00

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> unless you take the plug out and coincidentally break your arm and a leg and have a seizure when you're doing it, the boat will not sink. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Funny stuff Stu

But hey, don't laugh, it could happen! [url="http://www.catalina-capri-25s.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20308"]Look at what Chris on Iris went through recently[/url]! Oh, and the boat still didn't sink!

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5234 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2009 : 16:12:22

I was sorry to hear about Prospector's (Chris') travails. I probably won't have a problem cleaning the gizmo and replacing it.

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2009 : 17:55:39

I went to the boat today and was going to pull my paddlewheel and clean it since it dedn't work last time out. But, I got lazy and just went sailing. I didn't really need to know how fast I was going. Lucky for me the thing started working again after beating to windward a little.

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frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2009 : 20:08:53

Speaking of paddle wheels: does anyone know were I could get one for a Navman 3100 Speed Log?

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5234 Posts

Response Posted - 09/11/2009 : 17:52:20

Yesterday, I was sailing against a 4kt current in the Housatonic River (according to my GPS as I was drifting along with the current).

As I motored along, I noticed that the knotmeter started working.

It measured only a little at first, but then as I continued along, the reading increased and it got up to measuring the actual boat speed through the water.

Now the meter is working fine. I guess I should do that once a week.

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 09/11/2009 : 18:30:44

That sounds like cheating to me...

I need to figure out whats wrong with my depth sounder, but there is no way I'm pulling that sucker. some jobs can just wait for fall haulout!

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2009 : 07:48:52

I pullled mine a couple of weeks ago. The hardest part was clearing all the crap off the v-berth (sleeping bags, kid's toys, etc., etc.,)

Took out the paddlwheel assembly, stuck in the plug, mopped up the water with a facecloth sized rag and did the same putting it back in. No problem.

The water gushes pretty fast but, pull with one hand and have the plug in the other, 2 seconds or less.

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5234 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2009 : 08:09:07

Chris, sometimes you get lucky.

On your depth sounder, did it work when you launched the boat last May? When I used to have my thru-hull transducer, it would foul consistently sometime around mid-August and stop working, even though I painted it with the transducer paint. Without a working depth meter, I cannot sail.

I finally purchased a Hawkeye digital depth sounder from Defender (similar to item # 257713) with a transducer that I mounted inside the hull.

The transducer can shoot through the fiberglass hull, provided you mount it directly inside the hull with no air gaps. Some folks use epoxy or silicone, but I used a chunk of wax. This is the type of wax that plumbers use to connect a new toilet bowl to the plumbing. It's been written up in some detail on the forum.

I took the guts out of the old display and mounted the new unit under the glass, and it seems to work fine. Here's a photo.

You can see some reflections on the glass in the picture, but in the boat it is quite visible from anywhere in the cockpit. My son suggested that I cut out some black construction paper and put it under the glass, only to allow you to see the faceplate of the display.

The whole installation project took me about 2-3 hours, including removing the old electronics, fitting the new gauge inside the housing, supplying 12VDC, routing the wiring up from the transducer to the housing and seating the transducer in the wax underneath the quarterberth hull access. I did not remove the old transducer, I simply coiled up the cable and tied it off with cable ties.

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 09/14/2009 : 06:39:19

Great idea Bruce! I put in a fishfinder, but I like the idea of fitting a new gizmo in th eexisting hole. I'll keep that in mind for future mods!

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