Water ballast tank location

[mallen7]

I am in the process of installing a : NORCROSS HAWK EYE DF1000D DIGITAL BOAT DEPTH SOUNDER. I would like to place the the Transducer through the hull. I read on the forums that it shouldn't be placed above the water ballast tank. Does anyone know how to determine where the ballast tank is ? I own a 1988 26D.

[Russ]

I can't help you with the location of the ballast tank. On the M you can see the "ribs" inside the hull.

I wouldn't mount the transducer through the hull. I've never drilled a hole for a depth finder. What I've done is cut the bottom out of a plastic bowl and lay it where I want the transducer. Then squirt a tube of clear silicone caulk to make a "bed" being careful not to introduce bubbles. Then smash the transducer into the bed and let it dry. Easy peezy no holes. Cut it out with a knife if you want to remove it.





If the boat is in the water, you could place the transducer in a baggie full of water and set it down inside the hull to see if it gets a bounce to test before mounting it.


--Russ

[Sumner]

Great idea Russ. I'm going to try that on the Endeavour and might move the one on the Mac back inside. The orginal one was inside.



How about cutting the bottom out but then turning the container upside down so that the top is against the hull and the taper on the container would be working for you when you remove it?

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Russ]

Sumner, there are many ways to contain the caulk. That isn't even my photo, I lifted from a google search. In the past, I've used plastic containers..like empty butter containers. I've seen some use PVC pipe and others use nothing and just bed the transducer into the goo. I guess if the caulk is thick enough you really don't need to contain it.

--Russ

[Sumner]

Sumner, there are many ways to contain the caulk. That isn't even my photo, I lifted from a google search. In the past, I've used plastic containers..like empty butter containers. I've seen some use PVC pipe and others use nothing and just bed the transducer into the goo. I guess if the caulk is thick enough you really don't need to contain it.

--Russ

Yes I've seen the PVC and the 'just glue it in' methods but I like this plastic container used as a mold. I still have the original depth finder on the mac that used toilet bowl wax and it is mounted just ahead of the ballast tank on the S. It started to get flaky, I don't think it is the transducer mount but just the old, old depth finder acting up.

I added one at the stern that also has GPS so I could send that signal to first the DSC radio and now the DCS/AIS radio. I wanted to see water temp so it is on the stern. It messes up sometimes since I think it is too close to the prop but further than what they said is safe. It also gets growth on it on long trips (pretty easy to clean off from the dinghy). Then at the end of the last trip its plastic mount busted so I'm thinking about giving up on the water temp (take a thermometer on a string??) and mount it back inside like the other one.

On the Endeavour I was going to epoxy a PVC pipe in after cutting the pipe so that it sits vertical on the hull and mount the transducer vertical in the pipe to get more accurate readings (not shooting down at an angle). All of that is a lot of work so I might try this method you posted and see how I like it. Probably use it in both boats. I might be able to reduce the angle some with enough silicone,

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Sumner]

I am in the process of installing a : NORCROSS HAWK EYE DF1000D DIGITAL BOAT DEPTH SOUNDER. I would like to place the the Transducer through the hull. I read on the forums that it shouldn't be placed above the water ballast tank. Does anyone know how to determine where the ballast tank is ? I own a 1988 26D.

With the D you might have flotation under the v-berth but if not you can see where the tank is under there and it doesn't go all the way back to the lazarette, so all the way forward (more hull angle) or back in the laz. The cut-away above shows the tank location. It also doesn't go completely across the locker spaces under the seats on both sides of the cabin but you can see it there protruding into that space.

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links