Seafarer 501 Echo Sounder: Installation And Operating Instructions -

[glynsue]

Seafarer 501 Echo Sounder: ​

I want to install the above in my Buchanan 24ft.Wooden Boat
and I would like to find a copy of the

Installation And Operating Instructions -​

will the transducer supplied work with the through hull bronze fitting
currently the fitting appears to be capped off.
Has anyone got a manual I could copy please

 

[glynsue]

Sorry everybody, the number on the actual unit is 901 but i think its only the
range that is different from the 501, its looks good on the boat, now to get it to work
Glyn

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Can't help with the manual, but there isn't enough information here. Presuming the transducer is the usual type where the transducer fits snugly inside the through-hull fitting and has a screw cap at the upper end that engages with the outside thread on the through-hull fitting to make a seal. you need a) the outside diameter of the transducer, b) the inside diameter of the through hull, c) the length of the transducer (it should be flush with the bottom of the outside flange of the through-hull fitting) d) the length of through hull and probably most important the diameter and thread specification of the through-hull fitting and the transducer. Unless all these match, it won't fit.

Is the echo-sounder the original fit on the boat? If it is, then it is likely that the through-hull is the right one. But if it isn't, it is highly unlikely that a pre-existing through-hull will be right, especially for older equipment such as this.

 

[DownWest]

I have a 700 and the standard transducer has a 12mm (or so) threaded plastic shaft for bolting through the hull. Might your through hull be for a speed distance log?

 

[glynsue]

Can't help with the manual, but there isn't enough information here. Presuming the transducer is the usual type where the transducer fits snugly inside the through-hull fitting and has a screw cap at the upper end that engages with the outside thread on the through-hull fitting to make a seal. you need a) the outside diameter of the transducer, b) the inside diameter of the through hull, c) the length of the transducer (it should be flush with the bottom of the outside flange of the through-hull fitting) d) the length of through hull and probably most important the diameter and thread specification of the through-hull fitting and the transducer. Unless all these match, it won't fit.

Is the echo-sounder the original fit on the boat? If it is, then it is likely that the through-hull is the right one. But if it isn't, it is highly unlikely that a pre-existing through-hull will be right, especially for older equipment such as this.

Thankyou for your help, boat is coming out of water this week and, bad back permitting, I
will investigate further.
I cant discover what was its original equipment as a lot of the original documents are missing
I am going to try and restore my Alan Buchanan 24ft Motor Sailer to as near as to its original
condition as possible ( safety first)
Help and advice will be warmly welcomed, Boat will be kept on a Marina in Essex

 

[DownWest]

If it is of interest, I have the Seafarer speed and log unit. No idea if working, but it should. I have a friend visiting end of month and he could take it to UK and pop it in the post, Just cover the postage.

 

[glynsue]

Its of a great deal of interest ,thanks.
I should be able to test the unit, if its works brilliant,
if not at least we tried.
I am not computer literate so when you need address etc. let me know

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I would note that any equipment such as echo sounders would be after-market equipment, fitted either by the selling agent or by the owner. It's not like cars, where the equipment fit is usually (these days) factory fitted. So there isn't any real merit in fitting an obsolete unit to maintain authenticity - on a boat of that generation, authentic is no electronics!

 

[glynsue]

on reflection you are right, I have over thought it,
perhaps a new and reliable modern unit is the way I should go
as I am led to believe the bronze hull fitting is a modern unit,
and it is capped at present, back to the paper and pencil
with perhaps a tablet as back up

 

[doug748]

Its of a great deal of interest ,thanks.
I should be able to test the unit, if its works brilliant,
if not at least we tried.
I am not computer literate so when you need address etc. let me know

I have found them to be very reliable and easy to live with, in fact I have something similar on board as a backup. They and the transducers, often come up cheaply on Ebay. Bonus is you can power them from batteries if you like.

The transducers are 150kHz and were used widely, in fact you can still buy new ones from NASA, the marine electronics people. On wooden boats they were often mounted externally with a small timber fairing piece to streamline the water flow. That way you only need a small hole in the hull to take the wire.


SEAFARER 5 : Operating Instructions and Installation Instructions : Page 2


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[glynsue]

We have fitted a Clipper Depth units and Thru hull transducer, no leaks so far,
currently fitting and fixing a VHF unit, slowly but safely we are heading for trip round the
estuary soon. A question , my boat was built in the 1960's and was built using
plywood for the decking, original architects spec said fir planking but on a copy of the spec containing
a list of the materials used it talks of ply.
When was ply widely use in boats like mine??
I am still trying to find any info on the early history og Skye

 

[AntarcticPilot]

We have fitted a Clipper Depth units and Thru hull transducer, no leaks so far,
currently fitting and fixing a VHF unit, slowly but safely we are heading for trip round the
estuary soon. A question , my boat was built in the 1960's and was built using
plywood for the decking, original architects spec said fir planking but on a copy of the spec containing
a list of the materials used it talks of ply.
When was ply widely use in boats like mine??
I am still trying to find any info on the early history og Skye

Plywood construction was common in the 1960s; many boats (e.g. Silhouette, Lysander and many more) were designed for plywood construction.

 

[doug748]

Is this the sort of thing you have? The hull would have been planked in solid timber and at that time plywood was the most convenient material for the decks. Sometimes you get more rot in the deck because they are freshwater washed whilst the lower hull is in brine.

.

 

[glynsue]

Hello,
that is a photo of the boat I have bought,

I examined this boat while it was out of the water

The larch stringers on an oak frame were all in good
condition and the oak keels were sound.
To a wooden boat novice the ply decking looked
out of place, I only had two pieces that have gone soft
so replacement is done.
I am making haste slowly in the ongoing challenge to a pair of
OAP's but any tips ,hints, or knowledge of its previous life will be warmly
welcomed.

 

[Tranona]

Ply was essentially a wartime invention and by the 1950s it became available for many applications. For boat building particularly decks because it promised a longer life and les chances of rot. Previously decks were planked either in teak if you were rich but more commonly in the way that your boat was specified. Planks of usually pine or fir attached to close spaced beams and covered in painted canvas. The weakness of all decks is joints, either to the beamshelf or the carlins of deckhouses or hatches. Painted canvas had a limited life and inevitably leaks would start rot in the planks. Ply is much easier and cheaper to lay, generally more waterproof than timber and does not need canvas covering. However the same weak points for water entry remain, and although they can be minimised by the use of modern glues and epoxy glass coating, this is not generally used on boats with flexible hull structures like yours.

I have owned ply boats for over 40 years, the first was built in 1963 and was still largely sound when I sold it in 2019 with only localised repairs needed mostly on the deck and coachroof. My current boat is GRP with an epoxy glass sheathed deck and coachroof, built in 1979. Again largely sound except for leaks where the wood joins the GRP and where the sheathing has failed locally on the coachroof.

 

[glynsue]

Hello,
I am gratefulfor your helpful info, I am lifting each ply panel and inspecting it and the timber beneath
currently the support timbers are painted in natural linseed oil which appears to be working so I will continue that
avenue. I am now looking for a trusty supplier who can sell me Bronze screws , please ,if you have the time, hints ,
and answers to problems that I am not aware of will be so appreciated

 

[Tranona]

angliastainless.co.uk import bronze screws from USA. seaware.co.uk/categories/fastenings also good supplier. However not sure I would use bronze for ply onto beams, but A4 stainless which is much more readily available. Bigger problem I find is sourcing good quality ply especially in small quantity and I tend to use epoxy coating and sheathing for repairs although would not do that if staying traditional like you seem to be doing.

This is my old boat just before I sold it. I solved most of the deck problems by laying 3mm teak strips on it after repairing the localised damaged ply with a mixture of ply, veneers and epoxy glass. The hull was sheathed in Cascover up to the rubbing strake and the hull deck joint I remade using epoxy and new toerails epoxied on to eliminate any water ingress.

 

[glynsue]

I had heard that oak, stainless and seawater were not
a good combination, but if I can use A4 stainless it
solves some supply problems.
I am trying for originality but not at the expense of safety,
us cowards live longer

 

[glynsue]

It must have been a wrench to sell such a cracking boat

 

[Tranona]

It must have been a wrench to sell such a cracking boat

Still have nostalgic feelings for it but at the time I also owned a new Bavaria 33 which was my ideal retirement boat just for sailing rather than boat fettling so had to make a choice and much as I loved the old boat it was hard work and very cramped down below by modern standards. However 3 years later I changed tack again sold the Bavaria and bought a bigger sister of the old boat as I missed the fettling bit. Although the boat has a GRP hull there is still a lot of work mainly because I decided on an OTT refit which is almost a full time job, but I am long retired from conventional work so it keeps me busy.