masthead instrument replacement

[farotherside]

hey,

not sure where this thread should go - I would say "electronics", but it's not comms/av, and it's not batteries/solar... I guess it's navigation.

my masthead instrument broke again. my instruments are 1970's "SRMariner" analogue guages - when I bought the boat in 2009 the masthead was broken, so I tracked down the company (well, the company that bought the company that bought the company that bought the leftover spares) and bought a new masthead. it was like $600 or something!!

I cruised for a few years, then left the boat on the hard to go refill the kitty for a couple of years. now I'm back, and lo and behold the masthead is broken again. this time the windvane was snapped off and the anemometer cups were making a really concerning grinding noise... well, concerning until I figured out it was the anemometer, I thought it was something in the rig chafing!

I want wind instruments, but I don't want to pay $600 to bring these ancient ones back to life. one option is to cut them out of the boat and install a whole new set, but that's at least a grand. another option is to not bother with wind instruments at all and just leave the broken guages installed.

the option that I'd *like* to hear about is one in which some company makes a cheap generic analogue masthead device that I can wire in instead of the one I have. if I hunt I have the manuals for the current instruments, and I'm pretty sure they specify the voltage ranges for the anemometer and direction indictator... has anyone done this before? is there a known good company making generic masthead devices?

thanks in advance for any info.

[Badsanta]

This won't help you now, but I remove my mast top insterments when I lay up. Keeps the birds off.

[Pete O Static]

Hey Drew

I was in a similar predicament a few years ago when I was restoring an old C&C. All of the old analogue instruments were not working and I sourced a new set that would fit right in. Like you said, it was a company which had bought another and was trying to stay alive but realistically, the old analogues are more expensive than the newer "networked" instruments. Simply because nobody is making them.

When the depth started acting up, I bit the bullet and replaced everything with an updated networked system. Frankly, I wish I had done that in the first place. I honestly think it will save you money in the long run.

I can do without wind instruments if need be. A windex works fine for apparent information, as does a tell tale on the shroud. I know when to reef and if I don't, the boat reminds me. Speed, depth and a compass I do like to have for basic navigation.

[Suijin]

I finally replaced my old Nexus instrument package this past spring. The wind anemometer has blown of in Hurricane Sandy, and I went through the same process as you trying to find a replacement. They are *all* expensive when purchased by themselves, it's a racket. I even hunted on eBay for a used of any brand that I could kluge onto it.

Consider biting the bullet and buying a "last year's model" instrument package. It will be N2K which is almost reason enough, and you'll be delighted by it. I bought the B&G Triton package from Defender when it went on sale and I'm really glad I did. Sounder/paddle in one thru-hull, with temp sensor, two MFD displays, the wind anemometer, backbone and a fistful of connectors and drop cables. The new system is heads and shoulders above the Nexus kit in terms of displays, configurability, and the breadth of information readouts. And the Nk2 backbone is there, so adding anything is literally a matter of just plug and play.

Is this for your Islander 34? If so it deserves good wind instruments. Those are amazing sailing boats...they go like a scalded cat.