Which DEPTHSOUNDER for a sail boat??

[trouville]

Im looking for a simple small clear depthsounder for my Folkboat.
Should i mount the transducers in the traditional place with fairing blocks or one on the transom?given the rudders very close.at least on the transom ill only need one transducer.
Which depthsounder???

I also need a self stearing as i havent found an autohelm 2000, which one? are there really only two navico or autohelm??

What is the best modern electronic system for me?

 

[aluijten]

Ïfyou have a Polyester version you can mount the transducer inside the hull, just in front of the keel. Laminate a short piece of plastic tube in the bilge, fill it with a clean, thin oil and submerge the tranceducer in the oil. Fix the transducer to a cap that seals off the other end of the tube.
If your boat is made from wood you'll need to mount a through-the-hull transducer. Consider the Navman (Plastimo) product line. It's good value for money.
Arno

 

[mainmarine]

Hi If you have a wooden hull you will need a bronze transducer, as the plastic ones can snap off due to the expansion of the wood
Malc

 

[gianenrico]

I don't now for You Brits, but in Italy fittig a plastic through-hull case for the depth sounder sensor would invalidate the navigational range of the boat (red tape matter)
As for autopilot, since 15 years I'm using an Autohelm 800 on my 30 footer without any problem; suggest to by the remote control unit, which allows to steer from inside or whilw taking te sun on the foredeck; on the contrary, at least for Mediterranean conditions, the windvane is practically useless due to frequent windshifts.

 

[Guest]

That is interesting.

Where is the regulation?

Does this apply to the log transducer as well?

What if you carry softwood bungs, as in ORC special regulations?

Are there any records of boats lost due to transducer failure?

On my boat the log transducer is under the starboard quarterberth; the height of the berth is above the static water line. By bonding in two pieces of ply. the through hull will be enclosed in a dam holding a small quantity of water.

Idea is to buy time to fix any failure of fitting, however unlikly.

I have a Navman depth transducer in a tube bonded to the inside of the hull. Using oil I found a max depth reading of 20 m. Water cured this, but I get occasional no reading in rough seas.

 

[bruce]

would suggest putting in a fish finder rather than depth finder, same hole, but much more info about bottom condition, obstructions/pipelines, mud, fish present and bottom conture and depth alarms.

 

[Metabarca]

First time I've heard about this! Does this mean, with a plastic thruhull, you're limited to the 12 mile mark?

 

[ashanta]

I agree about the tiller pilot, I use the ST 1000 (replaced the 800) on my 31 footer. I am sure that the 1000 would be well suited to the Folk boat as it is a long keeler and are well balanced boats.

Regards.

Peter.

 

[aitchw]

Agreed, more info & less money than most sounders.

 

[oldharry]

Dunno why they still make echo sounders. Fishfinders do the job vastly better for the money, giving a great deal more information about depth, depth trends, the nature of the bottom (vital for anchoring, or for beaching). And they are much easier and quicker to extrapolate - while a depth sounder simply tells you the depth at that precise moment. And nothing else. More advanced forward looking ones will give a 3d picture of the ground ahead - almost essential for feeling your way through shoalwaters.

They even tell you if fish are about!

Bronze transducers are twice the price, but are specified for wooden hulls to avoid the risk of breaking with the movement of the timber.

 

[gianenrico]

To Manoaica and Metabarca:
the through-hull case has to be in bronze, not the actual sensor.
This I was formally told by a RINA officer (and friend) years ago when I showed him the boat that was in a few days going to be handed to me and in which I was planning to install the electronic stuff: he positively assured me that the plastic "pipe" would preent the "no limitation" sailability of the boat in case of renewal of the licence (this silly things are just for italian collegues, as other countries had / have more sensible regulations.
So I just went to a shipchandler and lucky found at the first try a bronze through-hull fitting of the exact diameter and went on the installation.

 

[Guest]

Gianenrico,

The first keelboat I bought had a B&G bronze through hull for the log.

Fortunately this was the same diameter as the Navman I replaced it with.
(different length, but his was solved by a special tool)

Current boat has a Navman speed and log through hull, I am not sure if they have a bronze option, but I have fitted the standard plastic one.

If the plastic through hull fitting is suspect, how can it be supplied with a CE mark?

Further what does RCD say???

Frank

 

[fireball]

CE Marks are easy to get ...
But - you wouldn't fit any CE marked item in your boat would you? It has to be designed for purpose ...

The problem with wood is that it swells and contracts with water/heat - far more than GRP boats ... the plastic thru-hull fittings generally have much less strength than the bronze fittings - hence the advice to fit the metal version on wooden boats. The last thing you need is for your wooden boat to squeeze your plastic thru-hull fitting to death ... and end up with a hole in the bottom ....

 

[Guest]

my boat is grp with plastic through-hull for the log.

Fortunately not contemplating takin it to Italy

(although a previous owner did)

 

[fireball]

So is mine ... and I'm not taking it to Italy either ... don't think it has ever been

 

[gianenrico]

The problem of plastic Vs. bronze through-hull fittings only would apply to boats/ ships under italian flag and requesting an italian seaworthiness certificate; all this as prior to RCD. So please don't be worried by italian bylaws and feel most welcome to our seas and shores.

 

[Colvic Watson]

[ QUOTE ]
More advanced forward looking ones will give a 3d picture of the ground ahead - almost essential for feeling your way through shoalwaters.


[/ QUOTE ]

This may be a bit of an old fart reply, but I question whether 3d forward looking sonar is really 'almost essential' for shoalwaters?

But then we have bilge keels!

 

[jenku]

I agree.

 

[oldharry]

Well it rather depends how much time you want to spend waiting for the tide rather than sailing....

Anyway the original post was for a Folkboat - and running one of those aground on a falling tide can be quite dodgy!

 

[jenku]

Well yes, but he intends to sail in the Baltic, initially, and there he would have to worry about rocks but certainly not about falling tides.