Sonar inside or out ?

[Jonathan]

I bought my Oday 23 with a Humminbird Sonar rigged up with a through hull fitting. I'm in the process of a major refit and a friend said that it would be better to fill the hole and mount the device on the inside of the hull with plumbers putty to reduce any possible leaks from the fitting.Is he mad or do sonars work just as well mounted inside or out ???ThanksJonathan

 

[richard]

transducer will shoot through hull

if it is a solid, uncored, fiberglass hull. You will lose some depth, but you could go to a more powerful unit if that was a problem. You might need to set something up to make sure the transducer is shooting straight down and not off to the side.

 

[Doug Dannen]

Did one

I installed a "shoot through the hull" transducer on my Oday 23 four years ago and have not had any problems. If you follow the instructions and don't get any air bubbles in the epoxy you should not have a problem.

 

[Keith]

ditto

I agree with the previous posts. No penetration necessary. I have a "shoot thru the hull" on my Oday 23, and it works great. It was already on the boat when I bought it...mounted just to starboard, ahead of the keel.

 

[Mike]

Another view

Jonathon:I installed a depth sounder on my 23' boat and it worked very well. The adhesive I used was simple silicon sealer, thickly applied to the transducer face and the hull. Press to hull, wiggle out air bubbles, allow to cure a couple of hours and your done.However, since you have an existing thru hull which, I gather, works. Also it isn't leaking now but you fear it may in the future; I guess I don't know why you're replacing it if it isn't busted.In any case good luck and fair winds.Mike,S/B Pitterpat, Lake Huron

 

[Trevor - SailboatOwners.com]

Thru hull is already there

My thoughts are in line with Mike, in that the thru hull is evidently already there. The reason people typically go with the through the hull method is because it's easier to install if you don't have the thru hull already. I'd leverage the existing hole and enjoy more power. It really comes down to whatever you're comfortable with.Best,Trevor