My wife says no more lead line, which I admit is a little old fashion, but it does work quite well I have little to no experience with transducers and was wondering how other BCC’s are set up.
Kathy & Tycho Horning’s Penguin is the only BCC I have a picture of a transducer/speedo.
Also any suggestions/referrals on good units?
Thanks for you opinions.
Bryon
P.S. anything good available in a flush mount? I noticed somewhere that some transducers have their components pre set to a certain angle.
Bryon
I installed an in hull transducer this spring so that I would not have another thru hull, it is working fine. I have a Garmin chart plotter so it was one I bought through them. It does not do speed through water, I figured I can estimate that fairly well and if I want any better than that I can turn on the GPS and get SOG.
Jonathan
Hi Bryon, On Calliste I use a “Standard Horizon”, Depth sounder.
I mounted the transducer inside the hull, following the supplied instructions.
It seems to work well, and I don’t have to purchase and use that special transducer anti foul paint , anymore.
I placed the transducer, just up-slope from the galley sink drain thru-hull, in the same locker, to be out-of-the-way.
Douglas
I do not use “special” transducer paint. I reasoned if the transducer can “fire” through the hull, then it can “fire” through bottom paint. I have done this for several years and the depth sounder always work.
IDUNA
In hull sounds like the way to go for sure.
I too was thinking of putting it under the sink behind the seacock.
Thanks,
Bryon
Bryon: Hi!
Traditional depth sounders, like a lead line, tell you about the bottom you’ve just passed over. What you need to know is what the depth is ahead of you: whether a coral reef is just ahead, a rock, a sand bar etc.
For that you need a Forward Looking Sonar, like the Interphase Twinscope. See http://www.interphase-tech.com/colortwinscopese.htm.
Zygote has carried an Interphase Twinscope for the past 9 years. The transducer is best on the keel, at a point that is a compromise between being as forward as possible and far enough aft to be in clean water. See my pic of Zygote being hauled in Langkawi, Malaysia, in 2005.
The issue with paint on the transducer has to do with the solvents in antifouling. I used an epoxy primer to separate the plastic of the transducer from the antifouling. And since then I coat the transducer with the bottom paint.
Cheers
IDUNA’s transducer is located under the chart table (starboard side). The galley sink is to port. I plan to install a depth transducer forward in the hull in the head area. We have found there is very little warning just before we go aground in the Chesapeake, whereas if the transducer was forward in the head area we would have a chance of turning toward deeper water before running aground on a shoal.
There are two types of sailors on the Chesapeake. Those who admit they have gone aground and those who claim they have never gone aground. The latter, either do not admit they go aground or they have never left their dock. Since owning IDUNA, we have gone aground at least five times. Fortunately, the bottom in the Chesapeake is mud.
Cheers,
IDUNA
Thanks for all the good info.
Bryon
Byron,
Shaula’s depth sounder transducer is mounted a bit aft of the port cockpit drain seacock, inside, on a big blob of silicon sealant. It works fine, except when we’re heeled very much to starboard, when that spot is above sea level. I’m sure there are better positions for it. Actually, we gave up on digital depth sounders about 20 yrs ago when they seemed to need expensive repair every few years. We bought a cheap fishfinder, and since they were so cheap, we bought a spare, which we haven’t needed. I guess modern units combine the fishfinder’s graphics with a digital readout to the chart plotter, etc., all in color?? We still have the lead line handy, just in case.
Dan sv Shaula BCC 59
