Installing transducer on transom

[Yosi]

I'm looking to install Lowrance Elite7 HDI on my 26M. I saw at the dry storage 26m and 26x with ducer screwed directly to the transom. A bit scary to me to screw directly into the transom. Anyone tried to first adhere a block of hard plastic and then screw the ducer to the block to avoid making any holes into the hull?

 

[centerline]

there are too many better options than to mount it on the transom... no matter if you screw it or glue it.
a "shoot thru" installation will be a simpler and more dependable way to install it, and no holes.

 

[Yosi]

there are too many better options than to mount it on the transom... no matter if you screw it or glue it.
a "shoot thru" installation will be a simpler and more dependable way to install it, and no holes.

Thanks. Then where would you install it? Isn't the ballast tank in the way?

 

[Roadking Larry]

Mine is in a 26S but I put the xducer in the bottom of the stern locker.

 

[Justin_NSA]

You can mount a block of HDPE or some other material and fasten it above the water line. Then just screw the Xducer to it.
Mine is on the transom. It works great until I heal sharply, but then most depth measurements aren't accurate at angle either.
FWIW, I get accurate water temp this way.

 

[Yosi]

Thanks Justin. That's exactly what I was thinking but wondered if anyone tried it. Being new to sailing and having just purchased the boat I hate the thought of making holes in it. Also, since it has the ballast tanks I thought that transom mount is the only option, but maybe I'm wrong about that.

 

[caguy]

I did it on the Mac 25. That low in the transom the glass is pretty thick. I used ss sheet metal screws. The water temperature issue is the only advantage. If I had to it again I would mount it through hull. I temporarily mounted a transom mount transducer through hull on the Catalina 27 three years ago with bees wax (toilet ring wax) and it is still working just fine. My sounder also has a fish finder that we use regularly.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Thanks Justin. That's exactly what I was thinking but wondered if anyone tried it. Being new to sailing and having just purchased the boat I hate the thought of making holes in it. Also, since it has the ballast tanks I thought that transom mount is the only option, but maybe I'm wrong about that.

It's common, some of the marine supply places sell the stuff for that reason.
Many will say to shoot it thru the hull in front of or behind the ballast tank. It's your choice.

 

[Bobglas]

I installed my shoot thru transducer using toilet gasket wax port side just above the long ballast hump just behind the battery space. Solid hull here. Works great unless I go to fast (over 7 knots).

 

[Doc_holiday]

Mine is also in the laz (stern locker) just starboard of the centerline. I used wax from 2 toilet rings and yet to see it give me any false readings. I can't say much for water temp tho.

 

[Sumner]

You can mount a block of HDPE or some other material and fasten it above the water line. Then just screw the Xducer to it.
Mine is on the transom. It works great until I heal sharply, but then most depth measurements aren't accurate at angle either.
FWIW, I get accurate water temp this way.

The boat came with one mounted in toilet bowl wax in the bow, at an angle just ahead of the ballast tank. It doesn't work all of the time. The problem isn't where it is located but the unit is just old and dieing in stages.

Mounted the new one....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-navigation/Cuda 350.html

...in the stern on a bracket that attaches to another bracket above the waterline and I like it there. I also like the water temp. It was also easy to clean of marine growth on our longer trips in FL. Of course if it is inside there is no growth at all.

On the Endeavour we have a portable one off the stern on a bracket attached to the ladder there. I'm also putting one up forward probably suspended in oil. It will help when going real slow finding a new anchorage in a shallow area. We will keep the portable as a backup and we got it to use in the dinghy to scout possible anchorages but haven't done that yet,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Yosi]

Thank you all. After reading your responses and on the web, I'm going with transom mount. Sum, I've been reading a lot of your postings and visiting your websites. I appreciate your documenting mods and trips as I learned a lot from reading it. Thank you and keep sailing and posting.

 

[Sumner]

Thank you all. After reading your responses and on the web, I'm going with transom mount. Sum, I've been reading a lot of your postings and visiting your websites. I appreciate your documenting mods and trips as I learned a lot from reading it. Thank you and keep sailing and posting.

Thanks and the board is made up of a lot of great people who Ruth and I have also learned from.

We sure hope the Endeavour goes into the water after the first of the year. We had planned on taking the Mac back out on Lake Powell this fall. That has been put on hold since....

... we helped to get a car together and up to Bonneville for racing on the salt a few weeks ago. Now the car is at our house and I'm working again on it....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/Hooley 2013/13 - construction menu.html

.... We are hoping to make the meet the 1st of Oct. back out on the salt. So sailing is sidetracked at the moment. Also why I haven't been real active here the last couple months,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Chris & Lenore]

A thru hull transducer in the laz should not scare anyone....
The fibreglass there (at least on Teliki) is almost an inch thick. The aft locker area is isolated from the cabin so even of there was a leak It would to sink the boat.
A proper marine thru hull transducer is a permanent deal - install it and forget it. They don't leak or "blow out", are flush and give maximum range and accuracy.
To each their own but don't let a thru hull scare you off - its what the " big boats" do, so that says a lot.

Chris

 

[Yosi]

Sum, interestingly I just drove by Bonneville a couple of weeks ago towing my newly purchased Mac from Idaho. Was considering stoping by to check it out, but by that time my wife and I were rather tired and decided to just continue to SF.

 

[Yosi]

I know what you are saying Chris. Still I have a Bayliner 175 that came with transom mounted xducer and it works great. I know I would sometimes sail the Mac at high speeds using the motor (that's why I got an M). So, why assume the trepidation of cutting holes into a perfectly good hull if I can simply mount it in the transom (and just be careful not to knock it off).

Another idea I'm considering is somehow link it to the ballast valve handle. This way, when valve is closed, xducer is in the water. When I open the valve to drain, xducer is raised. I will never operate without ballast, so in operation xducer will always be in water. More ambitious, but doable.