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Wind Meters

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cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/27/2006 : 08:18:55

I have done a search and it doesn't appear that there are many threads on wind meters. I am considering purchasing a Kestral wind meter in order to measure the wind speed. However, it seems I am doing more to be accurate in our sailing log on the wind speed. I am not so sure hoe valuable it is for other purposes like determining when to reef, etc.

What are your opinions and other than reefing, what do you use yours for?

Mike
Grand Lake, OK
N.O. Catalina 25 #4849
In my opinion 75% of the earth is water for a reason. That's why I sail.

Edited by - on

wmeinert@kconline.com
Past Commodore

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USA
353 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 09:04:29

I'm not sure what you are asking here? Are you talking about a hand held model or a mast mounted version? If you looking for a mast mounted version, please look at a TACTIC WIRELESS,

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 09:09:57

Sorry, should have made it more clear. We have a windex on the masthead for direction, I am referring to the handheld units that measure the windspeed. Since I sail mostly on a lake, I don't need real fancy measuring devices that have all the bells and whistles, and I may not need one at all, if it is just windspeed I am trying to measure.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 10:28:32

[url="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Speedtech-Windmate-300-6779730_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ26444QQihZ006QQitemZ160043942104QQtcZphoto"]wind gauge on ebay[/url]

Edited by - on

Admin
Forum Admin

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460 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 10:32:55

Be sure to click on the ebay link on our menu first, then search or reclick Franks link. that way the assn get credit for the purchase

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wmeinert@kconline.com
Past Commodore

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USA
353 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 10:38:38

Mike, now I understand, please go to http://www.dasdistribution.com/products/anemometers/index.htm they have a huge offering of hand helds. As far as wondering if you need one I would say yes and no. First if you race they come in very handy for a lot of reasons, but if your just cruising and want to know the wind speed for your log book, that can be something too, but overall I have sailed every where coast to coast and have never felt I needed one. As the rule of reefing your main go's " if you feel you need to reef your main, then reef your main" to error on the side of safety is always best. On our boats the head sail is all the power that move our boats and that peace of equipment bares the most attention. If you don't use a roller furler you can have some reefing issues that basically is ruled by your comfort level and skill level as I'm sure you know. Many sailors of our boats fail to reconize that using smaller sails such as a 100% vs a 150 you can go just as fast in 15-25knts of wind and be a lot more stable. For me, its not the wind speed that is important but the wind direction. When the wind is realy heavy most of us have no time for a "Hand Held Speedo Meter" because both hands are on the tiller. To many bells and whistels can cause message overload, use your natural senses, they always work the best.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 10:50:22

That is sort of what I am questioning. I know when to reef, because the Admiral is real good about telling me so.

Like I was saying, we would probably use it more for entering the results in the log book rather than using it to make sail change decisions. We added a harken furler in August and are itching to try it out. Sunday looks like the day here.. 78, Sunny and winds out of the south 10-15.

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djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 10:52:51

Hi Mike, I really like my furler. Now I don't have to try to get my fat ass around the bimini to change sails. Cheers.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 10:59:19

djn - And I don't have to have the Admiral in a panic thinking I am going to fall overboard when I go forward to release the tie down on the hank on. She went through the ASA keelboat course with me, but she is still getting accustomed to not having a motor and a wheel.

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 12:18:58

I use my Kestrel before I leave the mooring for a race as a wind speed heads up. Idon't like to push the envelope when racing so if the wind is at or near my reefing minimum I will reef as the main goes up.

I also use it while cruising when I've been motoring in a no-wind situation and start to feel a few puffs. Although I prefer to sail, if the wind isn't strong enough to get me over a decent speed, I'll continue motoring. I'll use the Kestrel to make this initial wind speed check. Like you, I also use it for my log entries.

As far as what to buy, I have the basic Kestrel, which is all I need for the above purposes. I think I use my wind meter more than my binoculars which cost three times as much. Yet, I wouldn't be without them either.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 12:39:43

Al, good point about deciding ahead of time whether to reef or not. I do know that if we are in the middle of a sail, the admiral will tell me when to reef. I am not so sure if we haven't raised the mainsail yet. I am with you on the binoculars. I didn't spend very much on mine though. I bought a pair from WM on sale. They were around 50 bucks as I remember. They spend as much time in the case in the cabin as around my neck.

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 14:27:40

Yes, when sailing, especially with the wife, it is often very apparent when it is time to reef. Knowing that I'll need to reef while still on the mooring ball saves a lot of time and extra effort while under sail. This is particularly true since I single hand 90+% of the time.

As far as bino's go, I have a $300 pair 1x75 Tasco's with a magnetic compass integrated into them and a night sighting light. Great for coastal cruising if you have to triangulate to find your position. Super lenses too. Still, I think I've only used them twice for that purpose in seventeen years.

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 15:32:05

I have a hand held wind meter that I rec'd as a present. It measures wind velocity in Meters per second, which as noted in a previous thread on this topic, is about as informative as furlongs per fortnight.
So, if you do get one, make sure it measures in increments and measurements that will be useful to you.
To make proper use of mine, I have a hand-held calculator with a little chart on the back to make 'quick' conversions to knots and KPH.
All said, I use the eye-witness weather reports I get by standing on the foredeck of the boat with a sail bag in my hand. Should I put this big ol' Genoa up there, or should I be sensible and put up this little ol'100 Jib.
I'm likely to stay with hank on sails. I really enjoy the simplicity of my boat.

Edited by - on

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 18:19:56

I have the Kestral unit, like it a lot, lot of useful features for the price. I use every time I sail as I have no instruments aloft and it helps me decide which main to use.

Edited by - on

Russ.Johnson
Commodore

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USA
859 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2006 : 23:49:27

I have the Kestrel-2000 [url="http://www.nkhome.com/ww/wwindex.html"]Nielsen-Kellerman[/url]
It measures Wind Speed, Max Speed, Avg Speed, Temp, and Wind Chill.
I bought on closeout for $50
It's the old model that doesn't look like the new one, but has the same features.

I'm happy with it because the weather forecast never matches the actual.
Before, I could tell when to reef, and the afternoon blows harder than the morning. I "think" the wind is stronger this weekend than last weekend.

Now, I know what 10kts and 20kts feels like.
Also, it helps with true and apparent wind.
It's a fun toy that helps you get the feel, but its not required.
Russ (#793)

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2006 : 09:21:45

Russ
The Kestrel -2000 is the one that I am considering. If I am going to buy one, I would certainly like to have the temp and wind chill readings as well as wind speed. Then I can always point to the admiral and say "see it is not as cold and windy as you think." Of course that could get me in all sorts of trouble and a trip to the brig.

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2006 : 11:34:22

There was a really nice one I found last year that was omni-directional (you don't have to point it into the wind) and had a mount available that clipped onto the backstay.

IMHO: omnidirectional reading and backstay mount = good things.

It was similar to this: http://www.novalynx.com/200-960.html

The above model does have a standard tripod thread in the bottom so you could fabricate or buy a rail mount very easily.

I will poke around some more and see if I can find a link to the model I was looking at last year... but this one may actually be nicer.

Edited by - ClamBeach on 10/28/2006 11:41:10

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2006 : 18:43:06

Clam,

Tht's a nice unit. Wish I'd seen that before. I like the idea of mounting it.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2006 : 18:51:27

I also like the Nova Lynx unit and the idea of clipping it to the back stay. I didn't look that closely, but I wonder what replacement parts would be available. On the kestral, you can get a replacement for the moving parts. Not sure on the one shown on the nova lynx site.

Edited by - on

frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2006 : 10:02:38

WM has a wind wizard for $43.00 that they will put on sale some time during the year and is what I use. I only use it before I leave the dock to give me an idea of reef or no reef. Once on the water the reef or no reef measuremant is the clinometer. At 10 deg. with gusts to 15 deg. I reef the main with 15 an over after main reef I reef the jib to 110. At 15 and over after both sails are reefed I put in the main second reef. At 15 and over after that everything comes down and I put the iron jenny in the water and head for home or a safe gunk hole. The thing to remember here is these are the numbers I use on a C250 which is designed to sail flat. On a C25 I would say you could add 5 degrees to each before doing the reefing.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2006 : 10:52:18

After doing some poking around on that Windtronic 2 anemometer that was mentioned earlier, I think I'll put it on my Christmas wish list.

I contacted the distributor, ([url="http://www.gusts.net/"]http://www.gusts.net/[/url]), listed on the [url="http://www.windtronic.com/index-e.htm"]Windtronic 2 web site[/url], and the price from them is $69.00, which included the case, plus $5.00 for shipping. (The Novalynx site listed the unit at $79.00 plus $10.00 for the case and $8.00 shipping.)

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

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USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2006 : 11:49:37

In my experience the accuracy of wind meters is the same as knot meters - they are only good to tell if the wind is increasing or decreasing. I have sailed past other boats and asked the other skipper how fast their knot meter said they were going and when they answered "5.4 knots" I would look at my knot meter that said 4.6 knots and thank them as I sailed ahead and left them in my wake. It's the same with knot meters. If your cruising and you're are uncomfortable then reef. If you're racing do what maks your boat go faster than the other guy regardless of the wind speed.

L. Caricchio
ZINGARA Sail #4222
Fleet Captain - Fleet#3
NAVIGO ERGO SUM

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2006 : 14:11:28

Knotmeter readings can vary from boat to boat due to things like placement under the hull, orientation, degree of fouling, currents, calibration, and a host of other things. This is probably why knotmeter manufactureres don't state accuracy percentages in their specifications.

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

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USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2006 : 19:41:40

Don- The same is true to a lesser extent for wind meters. They depend on how they are held or where they are located on the boat and if the bearings are clean or the vanes are worn or knicked or unballanced and so on. Don't get me wrong, wind meters(anemometers)can be a valuable tool to a boater but, like many instruments, they are not essential to good sailing or sucessful racing. I never ran aground until after I bought a depth sounder.

L. Caricchio
ZINGARA Sail #4222
Fleet Captain - Fleet#3
NAVIGO ERGO SUM

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2006 : 19:46:33

I just added a couple of handhelds to the selected front page products in the Amazon Store.

While I agree with you Larry about everything being calibrated, merely having a relative scale for comparison can be a great help. Not so much on our boats, but on boats where the sail plan changes dramatically from 15 to 16 knots or 10-12 knots knowing the windspeed at the onset can save tens of boatlengths by not having to make a sail change half way up the leg.

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