I have just purchased a 1994 Hunter 26' and it doesn't have any electronics. It was previously sailed between Catalina and Del Reye. I will be using it in Northern California Lakes and water ways, so a depth finder is a must. I want to get a depth gauge for the boat. One of the older threads on this site talked about a puck transducer instead of through hole or transom mounting. I have not been able to locate a vendor that mentions that type of transducer. One other thread said way get a depth finder "when a fish finder is cheaper and works better". I am new to mono hull sailing on this scale and would like some help. Also any offers of what else would be needed to help keep me off the bottom. I will be taking sailing classes with my wife this winter. Thank you, Carl and Leslie Bader WIND SHADOW wish4wind@usa.net
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FISHFINDER/DEPTH GAUGE INFO
CARL AND LESLIE....HOPE THIS HELPS.I WANT TO DO THE SAME AS YOU SO I WENT TO THE "LOWRANCE" COMPANY WEB SITE.LOT'S OF INFO THERE AND A GOOD READ ON ELECTRONICS,ESPECIALLY DEPTH-FINDERS. I THINK I WILL BUY THEIR MODEL X-28 FISHFINDER AND THEIR "SHOOT-THRU HULL TRANSDUCER".YOU WILL FIND THESE ON PAGES 110+111 OF THE NEW WEST MARINE CATALOG.AS A PRECAUTION I WILL BE CALLING THEIR TECH DEPT. IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS TO VERIFY MY FINDINGS BUT I'M PRETTY SURE I'M RIGHT. GOOD LUCK.! P.S. THIS MODEL ALSO HAS ALARMS FOR BOTH SHALLOW AND DEEP-USEFUL FOR ANCHORING,I'M TOLD.
CARL AND LESLIE....HOPE THIS HELPS.I WANT TO DO THE SAME AS YOU SO I WENT TO THE "LOWRANCE" COMPANY WEB SITE.LOT'S OF INFO THERE AND A GOOD READ ON ELECTRONICS,ESPECIALLY DEPTH-FINDERS. I THINK I WILL BUY THEIR MODEL X-28 FISHFINDER AND THEIR "SHOOT-THRU HULL TRANSDUCER".YOU WILL FIND THESE ON PAGES 110+111 OF THE NEW WEST MARINE CATALOG.AS A PRECAUTION I WILL BE CALLING THEIR TECH DEPT. IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS TO VERIFY MY FINDINGS BUT I'M PRETTY SURE I'M RIGHT. GOOD LUCK.! P.S. THIS MODEL ALSO HAS ALARMS FOR BOTH SHALLOW AND DEEP-USEFUL FOR ANCHORING,I'M TOLD.
A Fish Finder For Me
My vote is for a fish finder. They are much more affordable than a depth guage and I like that they show a graph of the bottom. With just a glance you can watch the bottom rise and fall. Dave Laing s/v WindSong h-23
My vote is for a fish finder. They are much more affordable than a depth guage and I like that they show a graph of the bottom. With just a glance you can watch the bottom rise and fall. Dave Laing s/v WindSong h-23
Fishfinder
I have a Raytheon fishfinder on my H26. It does depth, water temp, and speed/log. However, I found the speed doesn't seem to be accurate at sailboat speeds. Just something to keep in mind. The depth and temp readings are really helpful though and now I just use my handhelp GPS for speed. Jim Covey s/v Wampeter
I have a Raytheon fishfinder on my H26. It does depth, water temp, and speed/log. However, I found the speed doesn't seem to be accurate at sailboat speeds. Just something to keep in mind. The depth and temp readings are really helpful though and now I just use my handhelp GPS for speed. Jim Covey s/v Wampeter
Thru the hull (easy way)
We use a Garmin GPS/Sounder so everything is on one display. We shoot thru the hull with the sounder puck and it works great but 70' is the deepest I've sailed in. You must find a good clear spot to mount it on the inside of the hull and away from the water ballast tank. On our H23.5 we put it just aft of the ballast tank and under the bunk. It's mounted with silicone adhesive and can be removed with a razor blade if you need to. It's possible to temporarily try different spots inside the hull by using KY jelly to fill the voids just like the medical ultra-sound people do. It would be nice to have the sounder mounted forward so you can 'feel you way' into shallow water. The outside transom mount didn't work at any degree of heel and is vulnerable to accidents so I wouldn't recommend that. Mounting adhesive just fills all the voids and holds it in place. Epoxy and polyurethane work well but are difficult to remove. The fishfinder display is interesting. Often there are fish, logs, debris, under your boat that won't show up on a depth sounder, or will give a false reading. You can also tell the character of the bottom for an anchor too. Ken S/V Wouff Hong
We use a Garmin GPS/Sounder so everything is on one display. We shoot thru the hull with the sounder puck and it works great but 70' is the deepest I've sailed in. You must find a good clear spot to mount it on the inside of the hull and away from the water ballast tank. On our H23.5 we put it just aft of the ballast tank and under the bunk. It's mounted with silicone adhesive and can be removed with a razor blade if you need to. It's possible to temporarily try different spots inside the hull by using KY jelly to fill the voids just like the medical ultra-sound people do. It would be nice to have the sounder mounted forward so you can 'feel you way' into shallow water. The outside transom mount didn't work at any degree of heel and is vulnerable to accidents so I wouldn't recommend that. Mounting adhesive just fills all the voids and holds it in place. Epoxy and polyurethane work well but are difficult to remove. The fishfinder display is interesting. Often there are fish, logs, debris, under your boat that won't show up on a depth sounder, or will give a false reading. You can also tell the character of the bottom for an anchor too. Ken S/V Wouff Hong
Fish Finder a go 
It looks like the combo fish finder with temp and log would do great. Now if anyone with a similar boat has a recommendation on mounting location. There doesn’t seem to be anywhere to put it so that it won’t get in the way and still be useful. If someone has a picture I would really appreciate it. Thanks again for the suggestions. Also any other goodies to put on the boat, it’s pretty bare right now. Carl WIND SHADOW
It looks like the combo fish finder with temp and log would do great. Now if anyone with a similar boat has a recommendation on mounting location. There doesn’t seem to be anywhere to put it so that it won’t get in the way and still be useful. If someone has a picture I would really appreciate it. Thanks again for the suggestions. Also any other goodies to put on the boat, it’s pretty bare right now. Carl WIND SHADOW
Depth Sounder Location
I have a Horizon Knot Log and Depth Sounder. I mounted the transducers in the aft section of the boat just behind the water ballast and on each side of the useless bilge pump. This is the location suggested by Hunter. It is not the best area since it is not as far forward as I would like but given the ballast tank location the options are limited. As far as other options, I would suggest a VHF radio to start and an AM/FM/CD if you like tunes while sailing or at anchor. If you play the radio for long periods of time, a solar panel will help top off the battery. For cockpit comfort a Bimini is nice. Check the archives for other options and advice. Good luck with your new boat. I love mine and can't wait for spring. We have snow flurries here today and my boat is safe and sound on the hard by my garage with it's winter cover on. Bob Gravenstine s/v Gravyboat
I have a Horizon Knot Log and Depth Sounder. I mounted the transducers in the aft section of the boat just behind the water ballast and on each side of the useless bilge pump. This is the location suggested by Hunter. It is not the best area since it is not as far forward as I would like but given the ballast tank location the options are limited. As far as other options, I would suggest a VHF radio to start and an AM/FM/CD if you like tunes while sailing or at anchor. If you play the radio for long periods of time, a solar panel will help top off the battery. For cockpit comfort a Bimini is nice. Check the archives for other options and advice. Good luck with your new boat. I love mine and can't wait for spring. We have snow flurries here today and my boat is safe and sound on the hard by my garage with it's winter cover on. Bob Gravenstine s/v Gravyboat
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