Depth Gauge installation

[MacStonge]

Hello,
I am hoping to install a Uniden QT206W Depth Gauge in my 1984 Mac25. I bought an 'Inside the hull' type, as I wasn't interested in drilling a hole in the bottom of my boat. In looking at the instructions, it questions whether the hull is cored. Apparently it can be very difficult to install in that case. Does anyone know if 1980s Mac 25's have cored hulls?
Thanks

[Russ]

The hull (bottom) is not cored.

Don't cut a hole in your boat. There are simple methods. I've used a bed of silicone caulk. Works great.

See this thread

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=26437

[MacStonge]

Fantastic, RussMT! This is very helpful.
Have a great weekend.

[Sumner]

Our Mac has one of the depth finder transducers mounted to the inside of the hull forward using toilet wax, what you set the toilet on to seal it to the floor mount. It worked fine but didn't like the fact it was shooting at an angle due to the slope of the hull.



When I mounted transducer to the bow area of the Endeavour I used a short length of PVC pipe cut at an angle as shown above and ...



... then filled it with epoxy and ...



put some toilet wax on the top and embedded the transducer in it and it works fine and the hull on the Endeavour is much thicker than the Mac and it is also shooting through some thickness of epoxy above the hull. It is also now shooting straight down and not at an angle. More on the install here ....

http://1fatgmc.com/boat/end-1/Endeavour ... age-2.html

I might change the one in the Mac to do the same. Currently we are using a different one with the Mac that is on a bracket off the transom.

Sumner

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

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[MacStonge]

Great idea, Sumner. I'm planning to mount mine under the V-berth just ahead of the keel.
Thanks for the photos.

[sailboatmike]

I never did understand the point in putting a depth sound out the back of the transom, I want to know BEFORE i hit something, once I have hit it I already know its to shallow

[Sumner]

I never did understand the point in putting a depth sound out the back of the transom, I want to know BEFORE i hit something, once I have hit it I already know its to shallow

I think at most boat speeds, even us with displacement hulls, once you would see something on the depth finder you aren't going to get stopped before you hit it. I'm looking for changing depths not a sudden obstacle. In Florida the water doesn't usually go from deep to shallow ever in a boat length. It changes very gradually. In the west it can, but going into a shallow area to anchor the person on the bow can see the bottom to a pretty good depth and avoid an obstacle if there is one.

Our main use of the depth finder comes when going close to shore to anchor. We have had two depth finders on the boat, one in the bow and the other on the transom and haven't noticed much difference using either as we will be going very slow in these situations. We are looking for a good depth to drop the anchor where we don't have to put out too much rode. We also are making sure we aren't in too shallow so that we don't go aground if the tide goes out. Most of the time we never use the bow one as the screen is at the head of the cockpit and hard to see when one is at the tiller and the other up on the bow.

90% of the time sailing we'll just check the depth finder every few minutes if we feel we are in deeper water,

Sumner

============================================================================================

1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Tsatzsue]

I installed mine in the v-berth directly under the access hatch. I had to remove the foam but I cleaned and disinfected it at the same time. I used toilet ring wax and a hair drier to set it. Ran the wire back. It works flawlessly. My original location was next to the battery area under the cockpit. It would not give a good reading.

While I was in there I noticed that the fiberglass webbing the connected the liner to the hull was separated. I laid in new glass and West System epoxy to tie them back together. I did the connections under the seats as well as they has suffered the same fate. Much less noise when pounding in waves.