Log Wheel and Depth Sounder Transducer Location

[101Ragamuffin]

Ragamuffin came with an Airmar DST800 "triducer". It is located where the manual suggests, off centre, forward the keel. The depth signal wire is not connected. The display gets the depth signal from a stand alone transducer which is installed on the centre line in an added bulge. I assume because of the angle of the DST800, the depth sounder wouldn't work. The bulge where the depth sounder transducer is doesn't seems to be right and also the bulge started to crack off from the hull. I am working on the hull (new barrier coat and coppercoat) and now it is the right time to figure this out.

- Should I repair the "bulge" and leave everything as it is?
- Should I redo the "bulge" and move the triducer to this location? It seems to me that the flow would not be ideal there for the log wheel and the bulge still wouldn't seems to be right
- Should I remove the centre line bulge and stand alone transducer and modify the position of the triducer so that it would poin straight down? This would require to add a "bulge" at that location... again ..... doesn't seems to be right

I posted a photo on Facebook. It seems I cannot put it up here.

I am wondering where the other Nic31s have their transducers?

Any input would be appreciated!

[Nich31Admin]

We now have the site re-organised and the Forum can accept pictures. I will transfer the details of my own attempts from Facebook at some stage, however if you need to post pictures yourself there is an 'Attachments' tab below which you can use to upload photographic files. The file has a maximum size of 256kb, so you will either have to save it as a jpeg with about 40% compression for send it through to me and I'll resize it.

[Mitch]

That position worked for me with an Airmar transducer (triducer) for the B and G. I have a forward facing sonar fitted amidships as well in an earlier ‘hole’ but I had to level this because of the nature of the transducer.

The depth sounding from the triducer in the bow gives as accurate a reading as the sonar transducer amidships - depth doesn’t have to be plumb vertical, as the radiation is in a cone and the reflection comes back from the bottom naturally I think. (Only my opinion, I may be wrong but it works fine)

Because the sonar transducer has to be vertical I manufactured a teak 'stand-off' and epoxied the whole thing in place.

I'm putting the first picture on to show what was actually holding the original tube in place - not a lot. There was no locking ring or collar, the whole tube was surrounded by glass fibre, with nothing but some mastic outside to glue it in position........