Is this what replacing a thruhull fitting is like?

Joe11688 · Nov 18, 2010

JonnyQuest said:
Jonny Quest's knotmeter is not working and I expect it hasn't been serviced in a half million years. Descriptions of replacing the thruhull without knowing how to do it scares the proverbial carp out of me. (I am probably just being a big chicken however )

Does this youtube video represent what I will be facing and need to do in my 1975 27ft Oday? It doesn't really look all that bad after seeing the video.

Thanks for the tips on this one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGFZ86yh4RQ

Hmmm...looks like the embed youtube video feature does not work, too bad. Try the link above if it doesn't work for you as well.
[ttyouyube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGFZ86yh4RQ[/ttyouyube]

Don't feel bad Jonny. I'd be afraid of that one myself. If it was my boat, I'd relocate that transducer to the outside of the stern transom even if I had to Mickey Mouse it somehow. Then I would patch that hole some day when I got it out of the water. My friend Wayne mounted his knot meter on his rudder blade using a track which allows him to lift the transducer out of the water when the boat is not in use. That way, it doesn't get fouled up with growth. Here's his rig. I found this small track with a car attached to it at a consignment shop in Newport RI and paid about $4.00 for it and he Mickey Moused it to work on his rudder blade on his Seaward 22. His transducer is as old as the hills but it still works great for him.
It's possible that the transducer on you boat is OK and just needs to be cleaned up. I remember reading about Tristan Jones using a piece of canvas with four ropes attached as a temporary patch for a hole in the under side of the hull. It's a matter of getting the ropes under the hull and using them to slide the tarp under the hull from the beam of the boat. Then, I would have a large cork handy or some rags to plug the hole temporarily as soon as I removed the transducer. You could try that. A small polytarp would work in keeping the water from gushing in fast. The rag would stop it for sure. If the rotor is just stuck and needs cleaning, you'll be able to fix it right on the spot and stick it back in place once you free it up.
Joe

Bill Coxe · Nov 20, 2010

It may be that you only need to pull the padle wheel and clean it. This can be done while in the water and you have the plug at hand. The first time you try this is a bit unsettling, but you won't sink. If the cable is long enough you can spin it and look at the knotmeter or have someone look while you do it. If vanes are missing or broken and it is really important to you, replace it. Good luck!
Bill Coxe, O40 Kukulcán, New Bern, NC

Is this what replacing a thruhull fitting is like?

JonnyQuest

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Joe11688

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Bill Coxe

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