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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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New electronics or not?

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Happy D
Admiral

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921 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/04/2007 : 11:40:59

As some of you know, I am refurbishing my boat from stem to stern. Slowly, but none the less I’m getting there.
The instruments that I have are [url="http://www.signetmarine.com/products/instruments/SL267A/SL267AF.html"]speed[/url] and [url="http://www.signetmarine.com/products/instruments/SL172/SL172F.html"]depth[/url]. I have a hole for a compass and will be installing one.
The problem I’m having is weather I should get rid of the speed and depth instruments and install a GPS Chartplotter/sounder or just keep the two old instruments I have.
On one hand I don’t need a chartplotter. On the other hand, it’s not much of a refit if you don’t install new electronics.
I was looking at something like the Garmin 498c or something like that. I would love to have it flush mounted. I saw the installation Kevin Mekenzie has and it looks excellent. I’m in a position in the refit where I can seal up the holes from the old instruments and install the new gear or skip it and keep the existing equip.
What would you do?

1977 SK/SR Dinette Hull #29
1979 ChrisCraft 251
1965 Chris Craft Cutalss

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2007 : 15:52:07

I'd be reluctant to cut big new holes for things like chartplotters... They're constantly and rapidly changing technology. Swing-out arms are nice, but I just used a beanbag base for mine--visible wherever I wanted it in the cockpit or down below (running off a 12V plug or its internal battery). Also, the resale value of your boat is substantially contrained by its vintage--I suspcect an expensive, permanently mounted chartplotter will add almost nothing.

Beyond that "advice" I don't have much... Too many variables and choices.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 11/04/2007 15:55:07

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2007 : 17:14:14

I'm with Dave on this one. I've seen a lot of very cool mounting gadgets that work very well on a sailboat.
Mainthing for me, is to have my gadget adjustable. In highwind I tend to have a hand on the tiller and stand. When sailing in lighter winds I use a tiller extension and move forward. The great thing about adjustable electronics is visibility based on conditions.
My choices for electronics are GPS and depth. My only exception is a surface mounted compass that is big enough to be seen from anywhere in the cockpit.

Po cut a big hole in the cockpit step for a very crappy depth sounder. I've since moved on to a simpler, smaller depth sounder. I'm trying to figure out how to fix the big nasty ugly hole he made.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 00:10:19

I completely agree with Dave. Don't cut custom shaped holes for rapidly evolving short lived equipment like electronics. To mount my fishfinder, I fabricated a teak sort of picture frame for the unit. The frame is attached to the bulkhead with four #8 or so screws. There are two additional holes just large enough to pass the connectors on the wiring.

Even something as long lived, traditional, and generic as a steering compass can bite you in the fiberglass. My 1979 C-25 came with a bulkead mounted compass at the end of its life. I installed a Plastimo Contest 101 (I think) on the other side of the boat. Luckily, I was able to save the new cut out, and trim it to fit the old hole. The repair isn't invisible, but it's very strong, weather proof, and a lot less conspicuous than a 5" or 6" hole!

-- Leon S.

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ChrisandCheri
1st Mate

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USA
30 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 06:14:27

good choice on the 498c. It was recommended as a best buy in PS.
I got one also, and still need to mount it. More on that later...

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 07:18:45

Wow! Leon agrees with me on something! I'm moving up!

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 13:02:04

I have the same dilema. Standard Horizon no longer supports repair-replacement of their older, round instruments and are concentrating on radios and chartplotters. The big decision for me after my sounder went kaput last summer - do I buy a square replacement or multi-function instrument from Raymarine and replace both instruments, or get a new chartplotter with depth to replace all my instruments including an existing chartplotter? It's a dollars and cents issue I guess but I am tending to lean toward a new chart plotter since a multifunction instrument will cost nearly as much as a new chartplotter anyway. The question then becomes-do I mount the new plotter on my swingarm or topside on the bulkhead.

Edited by - aeckhart on 11/09/2007 13:27:37

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 15:22:24

If the existing instruments still work, and you don't need the chartplotter, why would you spend the boat units for a chartplotter? If you don't buy the chartplotter, then you don't have to pay for it, and you don't have to figure out where to install it, and you don't have to deal with the problem of filling the holes left by the old instruments.

I bought a chartplotter for my boat, but only because I needed one, and I left the old instruments in place. The knotlog is still useful, because I can compare it with the gps speed, and that tells me if there's a current. The depthsounder is still useful, because the charted depth isn't always accurate, and in some locations, the charts don't even show the depth.

Edited by - on

piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 16:55:40

Keep what you have and buy an inexpensive handheld gps.
Steve A

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djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2007 : 16:57:22

This is what I used on my C25.

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 11/10/2007 : 17:12:54

With radically declining depths on Lake Superior these days a depth sounder is a must. I'm just not sure if I want to eliminate my remaining round instrument, cover the holes with something, and mount a new chart plotter (with depth capability) on the bulkhead.....or not. The alternative is Raymarine, B&G, etc all of which are square, require covering the holes anyway, and are almost as expensive as a new chartplotter.....at least for multifucntion instruments. I don't like to be cheap with these things since they are very useful safety devices in frequent Lake Superior fogs and for night coastal cruising. I don't want to break the bank either. Thus the dilema. Be sure that before the boat is in the water next spring I will have made a choice one way or the other.

Very nice setup Dennis. I'm not a fishfinder kind of guy though. I've got a 2" diameter hole in my bow waiting for a new transducer of some type.

Edited by - aeckhart on 11/10/2007 17:16:17

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3466 Posts

Response Posted - 11/10/2007 : 23:27:47

I also installed a fishfinder using a RAM Swing Arm. chart plotter could be installed similarly. I like the fishfinder because it provides sort of an indicator as to the contour of the bottom. The transducer was mounted inside the hull using a toilet bowl wax ring to hold it in place. I made a Starboard circle and covered up the non-working original Depthfinder hole. If the photos do not show below, then go to my website.

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 11/11/2007 : 10:02:21

Larry, Is there a layer of wax between the hull and the transducer or, does the wax just surround it an hold it in place?

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/11/2007 : 13:13:20

John: The wax (or other fluid) is between the transducer and the hull--there must be no air.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3466 Posts

Response Posted - 11/11/2007 : 17:02:57

A number of us have hooked up new depthfinders or fishfinders using the toilet bowl wax method. It is the easiest and if no signal, just try again. My transducer has been mounted this way for almost 2 years with absolutely no problems. Basically pull off a section of the wax from the rest of the wax ring and then push it onto the hull near the original transducer (which was a thru-hull). Then take the transducer and push and wiggle it into the wax for a good seal with no air spaces underneath it. Then I just curled a bit of the wax along the sides of the transducer (maybe a 1/2" if that) and then done !

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djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 11/20/2007 : 10:35:13

For Shady Lady, I am buying the Garmin 440S which is the replacement for the 172C. The 440S has the depth finder option and if I just want a sounding with out water temp the transducer is only $70.00 If I want the really fancy one with all the options it is $500.00 just for the transducer. I am sticking to the $70.00 model. On this new boat I have the same swing out setup but it is made of Teak. Cheers.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/20/2007 : 11:24:52

I spent around $160 for the Garmin 160C color fishfinder with transducer including water temp... Not the world's most sophisticated unit, but it works nicely for me. I would've spent more to integrate with my GPS, which would've taken some of the relatively small screen. Simpler is often better. (But I now have a lot more space for those things than I had on the C-25.)

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.