Obelikx
Veteran Member
- Joined
- May 19, 2012
- Messages
- 29
- Location
- Netherlands
- Vessel Name
- Obelikx
- Vessel Make
- De Klerk Kotter
has anyone experiences / recommendations for the type of line deflector best fitted together with stabilizer fins
The boat is a 35 t vintage Dutch steel cutter with Naiads fitted a few years ago.
I am very happy with them and they work perfectly. However, I had two times problems when the fins were catching stuff:
A few years ago I needed a tow due to engine failure. I had warned the guys from the tow boat, but on arrival they let the tow line slip in the water in front of the bow and of course it got caught under the SB fin - impossible to remove from outside the water even with the whole crew of the towboat pulling in all different directions. It was January and with the icy North Sea water and having no dry suit, I preferred to pay a professional diver to remove it.
Second was last spring when we visited a few old fishing towns in the Ijssel lake (fresh water) and caught lots (!) of water plants between fins and romp - mostly due to own stupidity as the chart clearly showed water plants but as it was still early in the year I thought it no problem and wanted to make a short cut
... The large packs of caught plants were slowing me down by almost a knot and increasing fuel consumption by 30%, propeller is wel protected and was completely free of stuff; took me more than 30 min of diving with snorkel and fins and a knife to free them.
I regard this as a potential safety risk and hence my decision to have some type of deflector fitted when the boat needs to come out of the water in spring/summer. When searching around in the internet , I found different types, I would describe them as:
1. single shark fin type reflector
2. multiple shark fins (i.e. 3 fins spaced a few cm away in front of the stabilizer fin)
3. a sort of flat banana type deflector that sits surrounds the radius of possible fin movement (probably better in protecting the moving fin?).
Any ideas or experiences about the hydrodynamics and effectivity of these types? Pictures of your own reflectors are also welcome! Also send the question to Naiad a few days ago but got no response so far.
Tx for your help
The boat is a 35 t vintage Dutch steel cutter with Naiads fitted a few years ago.
I am very happy with them and they work perfectly. However, I had two times problems when the fins were catching stuff:
A few years ago I needed a tow due to engine failure. I had warned the guys from the tow boat, but on arrival they let the tow line slip in the water in front of the bow and of course it got caught under the SB fin - impossible to remove from outside the water even with the whole crew of the towboat pulling in all different directions. It was January and with the icy North Sea water and having no dry suit, I preferred to pay a professional diver to remove it.
Second was last spring when we visited a few old fishing towns in the Ijssel lake (fresh water) and caught lots (!) of water plants between fins and romp - mostly due to own stupidity as the chart clearly showed water plants but as it was still early in the year I thought it no problem and wanted to make a short cut
... The large packs of caught plants were slowing me down by almost a knot and increasing fuel consumption by 30%, propeller is wel protected and was completely free of stuff; took me more than 30 min of diving with snorkel and fins and a knife to free them.I regard this as a potential safety risk and hence my decision to have some type of deflector fitted when the boat needs to come out of the water in spring/summer. When searching around in the internet , I found different types, I would describe them as:
1. single shark fin type reflector
2. multiple shark fins (i.e. 3 fins spaced a few cm away in front of the stabilizer fin)
3. a sort of flat banana type deflector that sits surrounds the radius of possible fin movement (probably better in protecting the moving fin?).
Any ideas or experiences about the hydrodynamics and effectivity of these types? Pictures of your own reflectors are also welcome! Also send the question to Naiad a few days ago but got no response so far.
Tx for your help
