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Are these magnets any good?

Zayna

By Zayna
in Boat Equipment

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jonathanA Experienced

jonathanA

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I have something similiar that i bought at crick or somewhere - mine came with plastic and metal discs to keep it clean/protect the underside.

 

I've rescued hammers and tiller pins amongst other things accidentally dropped in the water....

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

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I bought one and it's rubbish in comparison to my Sea Searcher

 

I lost my Sea Searcher and I bought one like this to replace it. I then found the Sea Searcher and was able to do a side-by-side comparison of magnetic power, sticking each to the hull of my boat. The circular one can be pulled directly off the metal with a good hard pull on the rope I attached to it. The Sea Searcher cannot, or at least I'm not strong enough to pull it off directly with a similar rope attached, I have to tip over it sideways to break half the contact, then I can pull it off. Not very scientific but I find my Sea Searcher is certainly a substantially more powerful magnet. But then it's twice the price too.

 

 

MtB

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Zayna Proficient

Zayna

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I bought one and it's rubbish in comparison to my Sea Searcher

 

I lost my Sea Searcher and I bought one like this to replace it. I then found the Sea Searcher and was able to do a side-by-side comparison of magnetic power, sticking each to the hull of my boat. The circular one can be pulled directly off the metal with a good hard pull on the rope I attached to it. The Sea Searcher cannot, or at least I'm not strong enough to pull it off directly with a similar rope attached, I have to tip over it sideways to break half the contact, then I can pull it off. Not very scientific but I find my Sea Searcher is certainly a substantially more powerful magnet. But then it's twice the price too.

 

 

MtB

 

Ahh. But what worries me is that I'll hurl the magnet over the side of the boat, pull it up and it will latch on to the baseplate or something, then I'll have to get my drysuit on to get the thing off.... or am I being ridiculous?

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Ahh. But what worries me is that I'll hurl the magnet over the side of the boat, pull it up and it will latch on to the baseplate or something, then I'll have to get my drysuit on to get the thing off.... or am I being ridiculous?

No,

 

Not necessarily!

 

A Sea Searcher that manages to attach itself (for example) to steel piling, can be remarkably hard to detach!

 

With a Sea Searcher it is vital that it is on very strong rope/cord.

 

As MTB says, the type like you have pictured are considerably less powerful.

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

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Ahh. But what worries me is that I'll hurl the magnet over the side of the boat, pull it up and it will latch on to the baseplate or something, then I'll have to get my drysuit on to get the thing off.... or am I being ridiculous?

 

This has occurred to me too, but the answer is quite easy. Tie the magnet line to a mooring ring and cruise off. I doubt the boat will be yanked to an instant halt as the line tightens...

 

 

MtB

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Posted (edited)

 

This has occurred to me too, but the answer is quite easy. Tie the magnet line to a mooring ring and cruise off. I doubt the boat will be yanked to an instant halt as the line tightens...

 

 

MtB

But you may get smashed in the head by a flying magnet as the rope first stretches like a catapult, then it releases violently and tries to catch you up!

 

Also your solution can't be used if the reason you got the magnet out in the first place is that you had dropped the boat's starter key overboard!.......

Edited by alan_fincher
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Zayna Proficient

Zayna

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Will the one I've put the link up for pick up a sunken windlass or mooring pin, or a bunch of keys? I think that's all I'm after, really.

 

I can do without shopping trollies and landmines, I'm only after a bit of swag here and there...

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Yes,

 

The one you have pictured should have no trouble with windlasses, (not aluminium ones obviously!), mooring stakes, hammers, etc, provided it gets a good purchase on them.

 

Keys can be harder, because many things like car keys, bike lock keys etc can be largely non magnetic. We failed to retrieve a bunch of bike keys in Little Venice, although we knew pretty well where they went in - and that was with a Sea Searcher. Subsequent testing of a simiar set showed only one of the bunch was magnetic.

 

A Sea Searcher will easily remove standard shopping trolleys, (if not silted in), and with difficulty we have even recovered some of the biggest trolleys from a "Wickes" used to move builders materials. I don't think what you have pictured would even lift a shopping trolley, normally.

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jonathanA Experienced

jonathanA

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agree thr sea searcher is a better item.

 

I've used one like that pictured to recover a 4lb club hammer and I've had it stuck to the side of the boat and had to drag it up the side (scratching my nice new blacking) until i could pull it off. Also used it to recover smaller items too. I've used some decent (10 or 12 mm) rope and eye spliced the magnet onto the end of it. so no danger of a knot coming undone.

 

the biggest problem is the amount of small metallic 'bits' (mainly rust) on the bottom of the average canal....

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STUBAG Collaborator

STUBAG

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If you want to keep your magnet free of swarf and other nasties which lurk on the bottom, put it in a plastic bag before immersing, then discard responsibly after use! Think "prophylactic"!

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Zayna Proficient

Zayna

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If you want to keep your magnet free of swarf and other nasties which lurk on the bottom, put it in a plastic bag before immersing, then discard responsibly after use! Think "prophylactic"!

 

What a belting idea!

 

I'm leaning toward the cheaper magnet, not really so much because of it's cheapness, I just don't think I need the stronger one.

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pquinn Rising Star

pquinn

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i have picked up a windlass,Swiss army knife,lump hammer,mooring pins and alsorts of strange very old pieces of metal with my sea searcher..pays for its self.there is a knack to lifting them out and not getting them caught on the boat but i find a rarely use it from the boat and am more likely to go magnet fishing around a lock or bridge.

paul

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Guest

Guest

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Oh I'm definitely fancying one now.

 

What kind of rope do you tie to them, any old washing line or what?

 

 

Ours has some nice 'blue CRT work boat mooring string' attached to it.

 

And as has been said they are invaluable, I have rescued a few things like metal egg cups and screwdrivers that have gone in.

 

It didn't work with a brand new tube of No nails I once dropped in though.....

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Québec Rising Star

Québec

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Posted (edited)

The OH bought me a Sea Searcher for a birthday present (always the practical one). Haven't used the smaller ones so can't compare, just wondering whether the 'atrraction field' - or whatever the proper name for it is - is bigger on the bigger magnet? I only ask as it's been really useful in finding small items like a dropped screwdriver. Obviously don't need the power to pick up such an object, but if it grabs items that are nearby rather than in actual contact, size might actually matter.

 

(edited for typos)

Edited by Québec
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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

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I dropped both bits of a small D shackle into about 4 ft of water in the Thames last year whilst messing about adjusting a fender. On my first dip with the Sea Searcher I recovered the clevis pin. About 100 dips later I still hadn't recovered the D shacke itself so I decided one more dip and I'm giving up. Got it on that one last dip!

 

 

MtB

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