Chart Plotter Transducer Mount

[DougsMessyGarage]

Good day,

I am picking my new-to-me '84 Sun Tracker Part Barge on Friday. As I prepare to get it ready to use this summer, I am curious what to do about mounting a transducer on the back of the right (Starboard) side tube. More modern boats have a transducer mount welded to the lower back of the tubes but my boat does not.

One option I have come up with is to have my local aluminum boat repair shop weld a bracket on the back of each tube, one for the transducer and one for a washdown/livewell pump. I have a TIG welder but with my limited aluminum welding experience, I do not want to risk burning a big hole in the back wall of my tubes so I am willing to farm this job out to an experienced welder.

Since I plan on using the boat for both fishing and as an underwater exploration platform, I do really want to get the sidescan capability operational on my Garmin Echomap 93SV. Is there a better option than welding brackets onto the tubes for installing a transducer on the back of an older boat?

Doug M

 

[southkogs]

Depending on the shape of your logs, do an internet search for "stern saver." It's a little hunk of star board that glues to the hull, and you can mount to that. If you've got a flat enough spot on the 'toon, or a way to shape some star board to fit.

Might be able to buy one or make one.

 

[DougsMessyGarage]

Depending on the shape of your logs, do an internet search for "stern saver." It's a little hunk of star board that glues to the hull, and you can mount to that. If you've got a flat enough spot on the 'toon, or a way to shape some star board to fit.

Might be able to buy one or make one.

Unfortunately, the rear end of the tubes are slightly domed. I have no problem making a mounting bracket as I work with aluminum as a hobby but I am still a little green in the aluminum welding field so will farm out the actual welding part of the project to someone more experienced.

I am curious if someone else had a mounting plan that I was not finding in my search of mounting methods.

 

[MRS]

Here is what I did it worked out great got a 2in. aluminum strap and mounted it where I could in the middle of where the ladder goes. I know every one says not good cause someone will step on it but no cause nobody steps in the middle of the ladder when climbing up a ladder never had anybody step on transducer.
I did use velcro on the strap to hold it to the pontoon been there 2 years and still holding.

 

[gpfishingdude]

Mine had a place for mounting the transducer bracket itself but I needed to fasten the cable going up the back of the tube. I tried taping the cable in place against the tube and then using ribbon epoxy but the ribbon epoxy wasn't sticky enough to stick to aluminum. I got some J.B. Water Weld Epoxy and kneaded it into a small strip. It stuck the cable to the aluminum and hardened like a rock.

 

[Starcraft5834]

keep it away from the ladder in the rear. to easy to miss a step and snap it off

 

[DougsMessyGarage]

A brief update on this topic.

I brought my 'new to me' Party Barge home last week and to my surprise, it actually has a transducer mount on the right toon. When I made the deal to purchase the boat back in January, there was a bit of snow around. While generally the snow did not prevent me from checking out most of the boat, there was just enough accumulation to cover the transducer mount at the back of the right toon.

Thanks to all who replied. I am still thinking about a second mount on the left toon for a water pump pickup and possibly a temporary transducer mount at the front for my second graph for use while fishing from the front deck.

 

[MRS]

Great, I did just get a Minn Kota Terrova trolling motor hooked up and it has a F.F. built into it so I can just plug in my old unit and have a f.f. in the front. Bought a new Garmin unit to run on the console plus this one I can mount on the port side that does have a mounting bracket.