Advice on Transducer Placement

Finally got around to getting a chartplotter (Garmin Echomap UHD2 5") and transducer (Garmin GT15M) for my Ericson 25+. It's an in-hull transducer and I'm trying to figure out where I can put it since the fixed keel is below the entirety of the bilge. It'd be nice if it could go under the v-berth just aft of the blackwater tank because it would be out of the way. But that's probably too far forward. I could set it just aft of the steps and inboard of the old transducer but that would get in the way of accessing the space beneath the cockpit and I'm in there a lot since it's the majority of our storage.

Does anyone with one of these have advice on where to put it so it's both out of the way and functional? It says that it only works on solid fiberglass up to 16mm (5/8") though I'm not sure what the thickness of the fiberglass is anywhere on the boat.

Thanks,
Josh

You can experiment with the various locations mentioned to determine which one works best for your boat. For a temporary mounting, use generously amount of plumbers putty. It works surprisingly well.

I had a similar dilemma on a ComPac 19, a robustly built trailerable boat with a fixed shoal keel. On a sailing trip with two young daughters, I was testing various ways to affix the transducer temporary without success until my two daughters presented me with peanut butter, a stable for our sailing trips. It worked! The peanut butter was later replaced with plumbers putty and the unit stayed put that way for many years.

jtsai said:

On a sailing trip with two young daughters, I was testing various ways to affix the transducer temporary without success until my two daughters presented me with peanut butter, a stable for our sailing trips. It worked! The peanut butter was later replaced with plumbers putty and the unit stayed put that way for many years.

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I'll assume you want creamy and not chunky with that application. JIF - It's not just for sandwiches.

_Ish_ said:

It'd be nice if it could go under the v-berth just aft of the blackwater tank because it would be out of the way. But that's probably too far forward.

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I don't think there is "too far forward". After all, the front of the boat usually gets to the shallow water first.

My transducer is nearly 2 feet forward of the keel, on the centerline. Centerline is preferred for consistent reading on either tack, but offset a bit is no big deal.

If I'm not mistaken, the 25+ is very similar to my 26-2. On the very center-aft end of the vee-berth, immediately forward of the bulkhead that divides the vee-berth from the head, there is a storage compartment accessible by removing a wooden hatch. On my boat, at least, the floor of that storage compartment in turn has a removable round hatch/access cover. Removing this cover gives me access to the bottom of the hull. I mounted my transducer there. It is just forward of the keel. I originally set it in silicone, but it developed a slow leak, so then I used wax. I also used water for the transducer medium and not mineral oil or anything else exotic. It has worked very reliably.

Alan’s location is the same for the transducers on my 28-2.

william.haas said:

Alan’s location is the same for the transducers on my 28-2.

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Ditto on mine.

Hi, on my boat (38200), I have the NASA Marine one. It's nice that you don't have to drill holes in the hull; it's positioned with a kit inside the boat at the bow. It's very easy to install and works very well.

ecoscandaglio nasa marine clipper

That looks like a "solution in one box" for transducer placement. On our previous boat I glued the face of the transducer to the hull with sealant and that worked fine for the decade that we owned it. I did wonder if the slight flex in the sealant bond might have soaked up some impulse/transmitted power. (?)

I put mine here (see pic) but if I were to do it again I’d place it somewhere in the center of the v berth closer to the bow. Even with a paddle wheel, it would have been perfectly fine there and I think yours would as well.

PSA, that plastimo fresh water tank is junk. Don’t ever buy one.