Mounting Transducers etc on Transom

[Marble Eyes]

It was suggested to me that I should get a piece of wood and attach it to the transom of my Aluminum Boat so I can move around Transducers and other things without drilling holes in the boat.

My Questions are, do you do this, and if you do how do you attach the wood to the transom? Do you use marine Grade wood or just wolmanized? Plywood or something like a 3-4" wide x 1' or 2' x 3/4"thick board on each side of the motor?

Thank you.

[flyingfish]

I heard this recommendation, from PWT pro Lance Valentine, after mine was already mounted, so I haven't used it--but it sounds good--
Get a 16" x 6" piece of polycarbonate material 1" thick. Drill a countersunk screw hole in each corner. Now attach this material to the hull, level with the bottom of the hull. Secure with 4 stainless steel screws and caulk around the edges. Attach your transducer into this plate, if the transducer needs to be repositioned you don't have extra holes in your hull.

I like his idea without using any kind of wood.

[Jerry Reith]

I did this to my Lund 1775. I used 3/4" Marine grade plywood which my boat dealer had. I trimmed the bottom edge to match the curve in the bottom of the boat where I mounted the wood, then siliconed the entire surface (100% silicone and lots of silicone so it squeezed out on all four sides), placed it on the transom, and used two SS wood screws which were the right length to go through the plywood and about 2/3 of the way into the transom. These two screws are at the top of the board above the waterline. I made sure to use lots of silicone around these screws also. That was 6 years ago and it's still on there tight. Good luck.

[Dave in Mpls]

Try to stay away from wood for any marine application. Transducer mounting boards are manufactured specifically for this purpose:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/horizontal-item.jhtml?id=0000847010102a&navAction=push&navCount=7&indexId=cat21402&podId=0000847&catalogCode=IC&parentId=cat21402&parentType=index

Regards

[Marble Eyes]

Thanks Dave...That looks like the ticket to Me! :)

[CI_Guy]

Get a corian cutting board in the kitchen dept of any Home Depot, Lowes or Menards. they are made of the same material as the mounting boards at Cabelas. They are large enough that you can keep the holes above the water line where you attach it to the transom and they cost about 1/2 of what the mounting boards do. Just sand the edges a little so that the edges aren't sharp.
Pat K

[REW]

I 2nd the comment on the plastic cutting board. You don't need to get as fancy as corian however. Any of the plastic style cutting boards will work just fine.
You can go to target or wall mart and get a nice sized plastic cutting board that will make a great transducer mounting board for about $6.
This is in contrast to about $24 at a marine supply store for a marine transducer mounting board.

Use a table saw, skill saw, or what ever to trim the board to the size that you want.

Mount one end of the board above the water line - and into the transom mounting board.
Have the bottom end of the board extend to about 1/8" of the bottom of the transom.
Then use screws that will just get to the other surface of the mounging board - without going through - to mount the transducer.

-____________________
Another very smart thing to do - before drilling any holes in your boat is to get a 3 foot 2X4 and a large c_clamp and mount the transducer to the bottom of the 2X4.

Then use the C-clamp to mount the transduce in exactly the position - that you plan to mount it permanently. Take the boat out on the water and run it at all speeds in all kinds of water - and see if you always have a lock on the bottom. If you are finding that you are losing bottom - move the transducer to - the area - which has the cleanest water - in back of your boat -- i.e. the least turbulance, from rivets, strakes, or fins, or chines. Retest. Continue to retest in various positions - until you get a perfect bottom reading at all speeds in all water conditons.

Mark that spot on your transom.
Then go back home, and use the board - mentioned above - to permenantely mount your transducer.

I have seen so many dealers and or folks mount a transducer - in - what they thought would be a good position. But due to some turbulance from the boat hull design, prop, or motor lower unit - end up in a spot - which causes the transducer to lose bottom a little or a lot. Then someone has to remove the transducer - plug the holes - test and find the correct locaiton, and remount the transducer.

You can take a best guess - based on hou you preceive the bottom of your boat to be: but the real test - is on the water - running the boat at all speeds and in all types of water.

The testing ie easy and trivial - with a portable mount - like a 2X4 and large c clamp -- not easy - if the transducer is permenantly mounted on the transom.

Take care
REW