HG02 said..
I'm sort of wondering and question this in regard to buying a hull depth speed and temp sensor Ramona would it be an advantage or not?
The inbuilt temperature on fish finders/plotters is handy and is a conversation piece. They are only indicating the temperature at the depth the sounder transducer is mounted. If you monitor the VHF frequencies the professional fishermen use as you travel up and down the coast they invariably will mention water temperature and colour and current. They will often talk about the differences of the current at varying depths. We as sailers are really only interested in taking advantage or avoiding the East coast current, at the surface. So apart from the GPS it's all about powers of observation. Current lines, surface activity[fish and birds] temperature and colour and whether its a clear blue with sparklers. ****ty green water can run just as hard. Current past fish traps or FADs. 6 bubbles on a fish trap will pull under in about 2 knots of tide. The current can switch on and off in your position also in less than a minute [we use the term"roll over"] you can be approaching a fish trap and it will suddenly disappear just as you go to pick it up [and stay down for 6 weeks]. So its really local information you need. Generally the current is least inshore and strongest at the shelf. Often eases off out wide of the shelf. So locally we can expect not much inside 3 nm, fairly fresh by 8nm out to 22nm then maybe easing off after that. It will vary all the way up and down the coast. Or there may be none at all or running up!
