Q&A

HOW CAN I INSTALL MY FISH FINDER’S TRANSDUCER INSIDE MY BOAT SO I DON’T HAVE TO DRILL A HOLE IN THE HULL?

Most marine-electronics brands offer an inside-thehull transducer kit that can be fastened to the hull’s interior. This will work only with solid fiberglass hulls (excluding balsa core or foam core hull construction that might contain air pockets).

Expect some signal loss. It is best to choose a location that has a flat surface. Bends in the hull have thicker layers of fiberglass that can reduce the depth range of the transducer signal.

Pick a spot where nonturbulent water passes beneath the boat. Make sure no through-hull fittings or other protrusions are positioned forward of the location. These can cause turbulence that might interfere with the sonar signal.

Test the spot first by wetting the inside hull surface with water, and then place the transducer inside a plastic bag filled with water and zip-tie the top of the bag. Wet the outside of the bag, and hold it close and tight to the hull. Check your fish finder’s performance at the depths you expect to operate.