Topic: Homemade Transducer Mount On New Lund - No Holes!

[iowafuzz]

Thought I'd post some pics and explain what I did to mount my 898c si transducer without drilling any holes in the transom. 

Just got a new Lund Alaskan 18' and started rigging it out.  Didn't really want to drill any holes in it and wife was just appaulled at the idea of buying a boat and then drilling holes in it.  Two boats ago, I did something like this, but used a "C" clamp to keep it in place.  I had marks on the transome to keep it alligned and it worked very well.  Soooooooooo, what worked once should work again - this time without the "C" clamp.  I used hard maple that was on hand and carpeted it with indoor/outdoor carpet (except for very bottom where transducer mounts) that was also on hand.  As you will see in the pics below, I made a "C" that would slide over the transom and fit flush with it at the top.  The bottom of transducer holder is pretty much flush with the bottom of boat - about 1/4" + higher.  The transducer when mounted is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch lower than this.  I will have to tilt my motor up some to use the sideimmaging, because motor will block it somewhat it looks like (on dry land)  Going to put it in the water on Tues. for test run to see how it operates.  It is mounted very solid in this position.  I made the tolerances very small and with the carpet, it made it fit very snug.  In addition, the carpet keeps it from scratching that new paint!  Made some marks on the transom with markers so that I can slip it off if needed and put it back in original place.  If pics don't show, will try again.

Thanks, Fuzz

   

[ITGEEK]

That's a neat concept.

I have a 2001 Lund Alaskan 16'.
I was the same way at first about drilling holes in the boat.
You'll get over that fear after you've had your boat for awhile.

Holes drilled in the right place make the boat lighter.
I must have at least 100 holes drilled in the boat now, and I plan on
drilling some more.

The only problem I see with your transducer installation is that when
carpet gets wet (any kind of carpet), it mildews.  Until it's dry.

Also, having the wood submerged and having the wet carpet on the
wood is going to cause it to rot.  You'll have to replace that wood
eventually.

In the long run, you may be better off using polyurethane,
or starboard, something that is waterproof and is made for marine
use.

[iowafuzz]

ITGEEK,

Yes, thought about wood rot and wet carpet, but the boat is usually only in the water for a day at a time and at the most six days while on a fishing vacation.  Most of the time the boat is out of water and this will give it time to dry.  As mentioned,  made something like this before on a previous boat.  Believe oak was the wood used, although no carpet.  Used it that way for 4-5 years and no rot at all - always dried out.  The reason this application was carpeted was to keep rear transom paint from being scratched and to give it a cleaner look.  If there comes a time with a problem, will adapt.

Wife and I are looking forward to getting the Alaskan 1800 SS in the water next week for a week of crappie fishing in Wisconsin.  How do you like your Alaskan?  Have you done anything to it that you think improves it?  (sounds like you have with the hole drilled) Always looking to make life easier.  Thanks for your imput.   

Fuzz

[ITGEEK]

I really like my Lund Alaskan.
I've had it for 11 years now, and it's the only boat I have.
It's a very well made boat, wide and very stable.

I made the mistake early of putting too much stuff on my boat.
I usually fish electric only lakes, with occasional trips to a river.
At one point, I had 10 batteries in the boat, and cd player, vhf radio, multiple lights,
multiple 12-volt receptacles.

When going to the river, I have to change out my big electric motor for
a 25hp outboard.
Well, thanks to all of the crap I had in the boat, it acted like a barge on
the river.  I think the best speed with the gas motor was 8.5mph.
It would not get on plane because it was too heavy.

I came to the realization, that if you want more performance (electric-only or gas),
then lighten the load.  I'm currently in the process of removing every
bit of unneeded weight from my boat.
It will save gas while towing, launch and retrieve easier, be able to float
in more shallow water, and be safer, since it will float higher in the water.
It will be easier to push the boat around (on it's trailer) by hand

I'm even going to start drilling out plugs in the marine-grade plywood floor.
I basically want to transform it into a Jon boat.
I'm also going to remove all carpet, if the boat gets wet, it smells with mildew until
it dries.  If you look at salt-water boats, they don't have a speck of carpet on them.
There's a very good reason for that.

I even removed 4 hatches from it.  They didn't keep stuff dry anyway.
That was 15 pounds permanently out.

My boat may not win any beauty contests, but the more I remove from it, the better it
will perform.  It's an ongoing project.  Maybe I'll have it done in 10 years or so.

[Patty]

Do the new lunds not come with that piece of white plastic on the transom for mounting the transducer to any more? My dads '02 pro sport has a 6" wide piece of plastic factory mounted on the transom that the factory install transducer is mounted to, when we asked why they did that we were told " No holes in the boat" from the dealer... It is most definetly factory installed and i believe it is rivited to the transom...

None the less that seems like a pretty good idea you have there!!! I like the idea of the carpet, and i also belive that marine carpeting is supposed to have mold and mildew resistance to it?

 You could try using PWF plywood, I built a "Jackplate" for a canoe i used to use by laminating two pieces of 3/4" PWF plywood with PL-Premium adhesive and #8X1" ceramic screws and bolted it to the exsisting transom with stainless bolts, been there for five or six years now no signs of deterioration as of yet....

[iowafuzz]

My new Lund did not have anything on the transom.  Your point is well taken.  Why don't boat manufacturers put a plastic board on the transom and make it water tight from the factory.  Cost probably?

Fuzz

[ITGEEK]

There are probably two reasons why manufacturers don't do this:
1) Cost
2) They don't know what type, if any, of transducer(s) that people will run,
and where they will want to put them.

It would be a waste of money to build a boat with a transducer pad
built-in, and sell to customers that don't even use a sonar.

Also, as technology changes, transducer types and mounting locations may change.
The Humminbird 360 is a perfect example of this.