Need in-hull depth finder — recommendations?

jssailem · Aug 29, 2019

CHI->CO said:
My budget is $100-300.

Aileen... I am confused... Is that per weekend or the depth sound equipment?

Lots of ways to go. If you do not want to take your boat out of the water to drill a hole through the bottom to install a transducer, you can choose a fish finder unit. Lorance, Hummingbird, Garmin etc. all make reasonable equipment. You can try and locate the transducer in the water on the transom, but it can work nearly as well located inside the boat lying on the hull.

Put the transducer in a plastic bag. Fill the bag with water and then lay the bag on the hull. You can move it to various locations. Turn on the depth finder and see how it works.

As a general idea if you can locate the transducer just in front of the keel (ahead of the base of the mast) you'll get a great picture of the bottom and what is approaching your boat. Note the sound is being emitted as a small cone of sound. Then the unit is listening for the bounce back from something solid in the water. (fish, rock, sea floor etc.). Move the bag about until you get a good clear picture from the bottom. Then that is where you want to locate the transducer. You can attach it to the hull with Bees Wax, or caulk, There are a variety of options.

As far as budget, the plain depth sounder is not expensive.. If you what to add a chart plotter to the fish finder then the budget goes up.

Welcome to the forum. Happy sailing.

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani · Aug 29, 2019

Agree completely with John. Even as to the plastic bag idea. I prefer Lorance and have then on both of my boats, with transducers glued to hull

rpludwig · Aug 30, 2019

good advice above, I prefer plumbers putty, works well, less messy than toilet wax and not permanent...I too have lowrance, depth/chart plotter, was ~ $300

All U Get · Aug 30, 2019

Who needs sand for ballast when there is so much wine and beer to be had. Cheers.

dziedzicmj · Aug 30, 2019

Arimar makes most of the transducers and the one that you want for in-hull installation is P79. However, the way how the transducer is connected to you display unit depends on the vendor, so not all of them are easily changeable.

Many people installed a "normal" through-hull transducers inside their hulls, as well (as described in previous posts) with good results. However, the P79 is specifically designed for that purpose.

HMT2 · Aug 30, 2019

+1 for Airmar. Just mind the connection to the display. They do make converters for the connections.

jssailem · Aug 30, 2019

CHI->CO said:
Haha, I’ve more than exceeded $300 in the first 3 days

It is a good sign that you can still laugh at this normal new boat behavior.

Depth sensor is a valuable tool.

I would encourage you to pace yourself. What has worked for me is to excitedly make a list. Lose the list. Sit in the boat looking about and then make a new list. Lose that one (or maybe hide it)

Sit in the boat sipping a beverage and make another list of what I think I really really need.
This evolves over a couple of weeks. The list gets smaller and more focused. My pocket book suffers less and I have more money for cruising fun like that bottle of 15 year old rum that helps celebrate a successful return to port or project completed on the boat.

rgranger · Aug 30, 2019

jssailem said:
... locate the transducer just inferno of the keel ...

Spell check can be your worst enema.

Mattcia123 · Feb 23, 2020

In the same boat, what is the purpose of the plastic bag?

Davidasailor26 · Feb 23, 2020

Mattcia123 said:
In the same boat, what is the purpose of the plastic bag?

The transducer won’t read properly through air. Putting it in a water filled plastic bag allows it to emit sound into the water. It’s also important to avoid having air voids between the bag and the hull while you’re testing. Once you finish testing and find a good place you can bed the transducer in wax, silicone, etc, again making sure there are no air pockets between transducer and hull.

garymalmgren · Feb 23, 2020

am looking for an in-hull depth finder. I’m trying to decide between something simple for now or one that has depth/speed.

Hi Aileen.
Let's keep this simple (and cheap)
There are 3 thing that you want from a depth sounder for your type of boat.
1, Accuracy.
2, An alarm
3, BIG, figures.
Everything else, (pretty colors, little fishy symbols, water temperature. ) is just baggage that you will fiddle with once and never use again.
1. They are all accurate to within a few inches when the transducer is mounted correctly.
2, They all have alarms.
3. Well, unfortunately BIG figures are not available anymore , even on expensive units.
I have an old black and white screen Hook unit and the figures could be enlarged to fill the whole (tiny) screen.
This Garmin
GARMIN STRIKER™ 4 Fishfinder/GPS Combo with Dual Beam Transducer | West Marine

or this Hook

HOOK² 4x Fishfinder with Bullet Skimmer Transducer | West Marine

Check out our HOOK² 4x Fishfinder with Bullet Skimmer Transducer and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

will do just fine. You can see on the Garmin that the most important information (the depth) is represented as small figures tucked away in the top corner. The Hook will be the same.
Plumbers putty is the easiest (removable) mounting medium.
Here is how I fitted my new fish finder.

As for speed, I use the Boat Speed app on my phone.
Free, only needs a GPS connection and has BIG figures. Heeling (not necessary ) can be canceled and you end up with what you need. Also has a audio setting and a little lady in your phone will tell you your speed.

Boatspeed - Apps on Google Play

The Sailing App

play.google.com

all the best
Gary

fred1diver · Feb 23, 2020

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you, looking at getting and installing a depth finder, but I decided to go with the sonar phone fish finder, I figure I'm using either my phone or iPad for maps so might as well use the sonar phone to complement my navionics app, it's around 200$ easy to use and install

rgranger · Feb 24, 2020

rpludwig said:
good advice above, I prefer plumbers putty, works well, less messy than toilet wax and not permanent...I too have lowrance, depth/chart plotter, was ~ $300

Done the plumbers several times. Easy peasy 5 min job.

dLj · Feb 26, 2020

Love the spelling checker comments - you all seen the Ode to Spell checker poem? You have to read this out loud. First time I saw it, I couldn't actually figure out all of the lines...

I have a spelling checker,
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.

Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.

A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when eye rime.

Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.

Bee fore a veiling checker's
Hour spelling mite decline,
And if we're lacks oar have a laps,
We wood bee maid too wine.

Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know fault's with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a wear.

Now spelling does knot phase me,
It does knot bring a tier.
My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped word's fare as hear.

To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should bee proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaw's are knot aloud.

Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays
Such soft wear four pea seas,
And why eye brake in two averse
Buy righting want too pleas.

dj

Hydro Therapy · Feb 27, 2020

I used plumbers putty and its held fine for 3 seasons. I even get correct water temp. As far as speed my unit has depth and chartplotter. I rely on the gps for speed. My unit is a Garmin. I find them to be user friendly.