I'm planning to install a depth gauge with a thru-hull transducer on my '78 Cat 30. The old non-functioning thru-hull transducer was kindly removed somehow while my boat was hauled out last fall, although the yard manager won't take credit for that... I'd appreciate some advice on how to install the new transducer, what adhesive/filler to use, etc. I'm a little concerned about not completely or properly filling the hole that's currently in the hull...
- Status
I filled a transducer hole on my C27...
The hole was prepped by sanding off all bottom paint within a 10" or so radius. I also sanded down the gelcoat around the hole to allow a figerglass patch lay flush with the bottom of the hull. Using West Sytem epoxy, I mixed the epoxy with high density filler to a peanut butter consistancy, taped over the outside of the hole just to act as a backing for the epoxy slurry. From the inside, I wetted down the hole real good with straight epoxy (no filler) and then filled the hole with the thickened epoxy. After it hardened, I removed the tape, sanded the patched hole and glassed over the patch from the outside with glass wetted with epoxy. The fiberglass was cut into circles of increasing diameter and enough of them to fill and fare the edges of the hole I bevelled earlier. That's basically it. After sanding the fiberglassed patch, mix a little low density filler with epoxy and spackle it on the repair and sand it nice a fare, repeat as necessary and paint the bottom. The area inside the boat where the repair was done is under the v-berth so I never really did anything to finish it from the inside. Although the patch has lasted 2 years so far I still have nightmares of that 3" plug popping out. One of these days I'm going to just epoxy a big ole sheet of woven roving over the repair from the inside just to give me piece of mind. Good luck!
The hole was prepped by sanding off all bottom paint within a 10" or so radius. I also sanded down the gelcoat around the hole to allow a figerglass patch lay flush with the bottom of the hull. Using West Sytem epoxy, I mixed the epoxy with high density filler to a peanut butter consistancy, taped over the outside of the hole just to act as a backing for the epoxy slurry. From the inside, I wetted down the hole real good with straight epoxy (no filler) and then filled the hole with the thickened epoxy. After it hardened, I removed the tape, sanded the patched hole and glassed over the patch from the outside with glass wetted with epoxy. The fiberglass was cut into circles of increasing diameter and enough of them to fill and fare the edges of the hole I bevelled earlier. That's basically it. After sanding the fiberglassed patch, mix a little low density filler with epoxy and spackle it on the repair and sand it nice a fare, repeat as necessary and paint the bottom. The area inside the boat where the repair was done is under the v-berth so I never really did anything to finish it from the inside. Although the patch has lasted 2 years so far I still have nightmares of that 3" plug popping out. One of these days I'm going to just epoxy a big ole sheet of woven roving over the repair from the inside just to give me piece of mind. Good luck!
- Status