Do you have access to the inside of the hull? You *can* mount it inside if
you use slow set epoxy to secure it. The slow set insures that there are no
bubbles that would interfere with the sonar.

--Mike

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 01:44:50 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

Any suggestions where I could mount a dept finder on the new sail
boat?

Or even how for that matter.

Make that depth finder transducer.

My bad.

Later,

Tom

Email decoder:

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Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
Any suggestions where I could mount a dept finder on the new sail
boat?

Or even how for that matter.


Anywhere below the waterline.

A common place is on the centerline under the V-berth. Personally, I
like to put depthsounder transducers in tubes but a lot of people don't
like holes in the hull.

You can put the transducer in a "wet box" installation which doesn't
require a hole in the hull. No holes, but it's more difficult to adjust
properly and may not work as well some of the time. It's the same as
putting it in a tube, but no hole in the hull. Since fiberglass carries
sound waves excellently, leave the hull intact and just fill the tube
with glycerol (I've also heard of people using Crisco). Put the
transducer in.
http://www.marinews.com/electronics/...thsounder.html
(scroll down about half way)

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
Any suggestions where I could mount a dept finder on the new sail
boat?

Or even how for that matter.

Later,

Tom


I wonder if there is some kind of 'owners association' for your new
baby? Good way to get advice and learn from others who have already
added that option.

Harry Krause wrote:
Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:

On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 01:44:50 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

Any suggestions where I could mount a dept finder on the new sail
boat?

Or even how for that matter.


Make that depth finder transducer.

My bad.

Later,

Tom

Email decoder:

Remove onetwothree, replace with info, Remove four, replace with
swsports,
Remove com, replace with org.



Find a flat spot on the bottom, and do a through hull jobbie, and
compensate for however much more of your boat is lower than the hole.

I've heard sailors recommend forward of the keel to avoid turbulance,
but that may not be possible in a full keel type boat.

Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:


Thanks for the idea. I used to do this type of installation years ago
when I was a Field Engineer for Texaco on tugs, tow boats and service
boats - didn't think of it with respect to this boat.

Great idea thanks.

I've been thinking of the same addition for my modest cruising sailboat.
Some swear by the 'shoot through fiberglass' type of transducer, others
feel the best way is to drill the hole and put in a traditional
'thru-hull version'. I'll decide next spring.

Why is it boat builders seem to think a depth finder is an option anyway?
I'm having a hard time thinking of a reason to not have one. Even if you
primarily boat well offshore you're still going to need to approach the
occasional unknown coastline.

"Don White" wrote in message
...
Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
Any suggestions where I could mount a dept finder on the new sail
boat?

Or even how for that matter.

Later,

Tom


I wonder if there is some kind of 'owners association' for your new baby?
Good way to get advice and learn from others who have already added that
option.

Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
Any suggestions where I could mount a dept finder on the new sail
boat?

Or even how for that matter.

Later,

Tom

Email decoder:

Remove onetwothree, replace with info,
Remove four, replace with swsports,
Remove com, replace with org.

You'll need a fairing block.
Obviously you won't be able to put the transducer on the deepest part
of the hull, (the keel), so you simply measure and make a note to
subtract X inches from the reading on the DS to determine actual depth
under keel. (on my boat, it's 21 inches so I use two feet.

My vote would be to do a standard, through hull installation unless you
hull is cored and there is no solid "plug" available for the purpose.
IMO, these Mikail Rodent shoot through the hull installations are a
pain in the butt. I was aboard a boat where a big tube full of seawater
rose up in the middle of the engine room, surely a perpetual nuisance,
and the explanation was that it was the owner's quick and dirty method
of installing a DS.

Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
On 25 Aug 2005 09:10:51 -0700, wrote:


Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
Any suggestions where I could mount a dept finder on the new sail
boat?

Or even how for that matter.

You'll need a fairing block.
Obviously you won't be able to put the transducer on the deepest part
of the hull, (the keel), so you simply measure and make a note to
subtract X inches from the reading on the DS to determine actual depth
under keel. (on my boat, it's 21 inches so I use two feet.

My vote would be to do a standard, through hull installation unless you
hull is cored and there is no solid "plug" available for the purpose.
IMO, these Mikail Rodent shoot through the hull installations are a
pain in the butt. I was aboard a boat where a big tube full of seawater
rose up in the middle of the engine room, surely a perpetual nuisance,
and the explanation was that it was the owner's quick and dirty method
of installing a DS.

I've seen that done on oil service boats - the engine room is the most
likely place to put it because it's always manned by somebody.

The Halman has enough tumble home that I could do a through the hull
without compromising the hull integrity significantly, but the problem
is that under sail, I'd really need two - port and starboard. I was
trying to think of a way to do it with one.

Maybe I'll just go back to lead and line and have anybody on board go
up to the bow and do soundings like in the old days. :)

"By the quarter nine".

~~ snicker ~~

--

Later,

Tom



I've been much more a saler of boats than a sailor, but it would seem
that
a single unit would work even on most sailboats. When you're heeled
over, you're typically moving along pretty quickly on a long reach and
I can't "fathom" (ouch) doing that in an area likely to be shallow.
Would it be possible to get a reading when changing tacks? (not that
you have a lot of time to do so......)

When preparing to anchor or proceeding slowly through fog (and using
the DS to help verify position by comparing soundings on the chart)
your boat should be upright enough to hear the echoes fairly clearly.


Email decoder:

Remove onetwothree, replace with info,
Remove four, replace with swsports,
Remove com, replace with org.

Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
Maybe I'll just go back to lead and line and have anybody on board go
up to the bow and do soundings like in the old days. :)

"By the quarter nine".

~~ snicker ~~

Why laugh? It works. But don't send just anybody, it takes a bit of
skill to be a leadsman.

wrote:
I've been much more a saler of boats than a sailor, but it would seem
that
a single unit would work even on most sailboats.

Yep, works fine. I have seen depthsounders go on the blink when the boat
heeled over, but only when there was a *lot* of heel (more than 45
degrees) and it could have been turbulence under the hull (sailboats
usually slide sideways when they heel way over).

... When you're heeled
over, you're typically moving along pretty quickly on a long reach and
I can't "fathom" (ouch) doing that in an area likely to be shallow.
Would it be possible to get a reading when changing tacks? (not that
you have a lot of time to do so......)


No need to worry, the depthsounder will work fine at usual sailing
angles. I've even seen them installed without the fairing block.

When preparing to anchor or proceeding slowly through fog (and using
the DS to help verify position by comparing soundings on the chart)
your boat should be upright enough to hear the echoes fairly clearly.


Just so's you'll know how much anchor rode to let out!

Don White wrote:
I've been thinking of the same addition for my modest cruising sailboat.
Some swear by the 'shoot through fiberglass' type of transducer, others
feel the best way is to drill the hole and put in a traditional
'thru-hull version'. I'll decide next spring.

Why not put it thru the hull? For a trailerable boat, that makes even
more sense than one kept in the water. But then, being of the old school
"if you want it done right, do it yourself" school of thought, I rarely
stay up at night worrying about the integrity of holes sawed in my hull,
or patched spots where holes used to be.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King