[Rhodes22-list] wind indicator

[KUHN, LELAND]

Chris,
 
If you go down to any marina nearly all the boats have wind indicators at the top of their masts.  If everyone else is doing it then it must be the right thing to do.  Why else would men keep getting married?
 
Stan was the first one to advise me not to install a windex at the top of the mast.  He said that it will quit working for a variety of reasons; it will require lowering of the mast to repair or replace; and it's just not practical to constantly crain your neck to look straight up into the air.
 
A wind indicator at the top of your mast is more accurate but telltales on the windward and leeward shrouds probably tell you more about how the wind is attacking your sails.  In extremely light wind the telltales may not move but the spider webs all over my boat are pretty sensitive and I can usually feel the wind on my ears; I think that's why God started growing hair on them.
 
I've got the store-bought telltales installed both high and low on my outer shrouds.  The high ones are attached as high as I can reach from the cabintop.  The low ones are attached so the poptop doesn't block their view while I'm sitting or standing at the helm.  I can't say that yarn or cassette tape or trash bag handles don't work just as well.  The only reason I keep buying the professional telltales is that it's one of the few things I can afford at West Marine.  By the way, the new WM on Kent Island rivals the Annapolis stores.
 
Your Genoa can knock the fancy telltales off when tacking if you're not careful.  The bright red plastic tales are not UV protected and turn a dirty pink after a couple of months in the sun.  You occasionally need to bend the hard plastic supports and soft tales so they're in the proper position.  Attaching a replacement tale to the ring requires the fingers and dexterity of a five-year old.
 
Good luck!
 
Lee
1986 Rhodes22  AT EASE
Kent Island, MD
 
 
 

________________________________

From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org on behalf of cowie
Sent: Sat 2/26/2011 8:28 PM
To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] wind indicator




I have simple fabric wind indicators, telltales, on my port and starboard
shrouds that help give a sense of the wind direction and I am wondering what
others like to use.  Does the  davis instruments windex wind indicator
mounted on top of the mast work well and is this easy to install?  I also
see that davis has "wind tell telltales" that are rigid plastic flags that
mount on the shrouds.  Both of these would be a step up form the fabric or
yarn I hang on the shrouds and I am wondering what others find useful.


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