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Thru-hull installation DIY job?

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Capt. Kurt
Navigator

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185 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/07/2004 : 16:06:12

I've purchased a Raymarine ST60 tridata (depth/speed/temp) gauge for my C250 WK. This comes with two through-hull type transducers. After reading through the manual, I have a ton of questions about installing this!

What kind of drill bit do you use / how thick is the hull?
Are there any tips for drilling into fiberglass?
Is this really a DIY job? (Drilling 2" holes in the hull doesn't sound fun!)
How much can I expect to pay to have a professional install this?

Thanks,
Kurt

Kurt C-250 #818

"Tortuga"

Edited by - Capt. Kurt on 12/07/2004 16:06:43

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 12/07/2004 : 16:25:41

Kurt, drilling the two inch holes goes some easier with a good quality hole saw and a slow running heavy duty drill. A good quality arbor and hole cutter can cost $50 bucks so if this is the single task for it, try to borrow or rent a good quality. A cheapie will work ok as a subsitude. I prefer to drill both directions rather than all the way from one side. Drilling from the inside, once the pilot drill is through and the hole saw has cut some depth, finish the hole from the outside. Mask the area with tape to keep the edges from spintering, insert the pilot into the hole and finish the hole.

Clean the area that the lip will bed with a rag and acetone to remove any hull wax. Bed the lip of the sensor well with life caulk or your favorite (not 5200) and finger tighten... further tighten 24 hours later, this will prevent squeezing all the caulk out.

Good luck and if your still unsure, your plan to hire it done might be the right approach.

Edited by - on

Capt. Kurt
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185 Posts

Response Posted - 12/07/2004 : 17:19:23

Thanks Arlyn, thats alot clearer to me now. Thanks for the tip on drilling from both sides.

I was planning on drilling these under the berth, a few feet aft of the keel where it flattens a little. Is this the most common place to mount transducers?

Do you sand the edges of the drilled hole at all?

Thanks,
Kurt

Edited by - Capt. Kurt on 12/08/2004 11:10:26

kbq
1st Mate

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USA
99 Posts

Response Posted - 12/07/2004 : 18:33:31

Kurt -

A good quality hole saw will run less than $25 at Orchard Supply (think Sears on hardware) out west. Buy the arbor ($15?), and different saws will fit...

Wait until you're sitting in the boat looking at the pavement through a big hole!

When picking location, be sure you check from the inside first! Be sure you can get *to* the location, route the cables without exposing them to crushing, etc. Also check the specs on your transducers - there will be a limit of "tilt" from vertical that they will work with.

Arlyn - why not 5200? It worked for me - and there are chemicals out there that will break it loose without a big hassle. Have you had some bad experiences? (personally, I like 2" holes in the bottom of my hull to be *well* sealed!) Off topic - do you have any of the steering kits available?

Kevin
"wait for me"
250wk #751

Edited by - on

Capt. Kurt
Navigator

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185 Posts

Response Posted - 12/07/2004 : 18:43:00

I was reading up on 3M 5200 after Arlyn's post, and found that alot of people found that 3M 5200 will not bond to surfaces cleaned with alcohol.

Edited by - on

At Ease
Admiral

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672 Posts

Response Posted - 12/07/2004 : 19:06:36

Once you get it in, you'll love the ST 60...it's a good piece of equipment. As for the 5200, I've used it and 4200 without problems. You want it to seal and be there for good don't you?

Edited by - on

Jeff McK
Captain

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USA
389 Posts

Response Posted - 12/07/2004 : 19:52:20

Kurt,

I had the factory install the same gear for me (cluck-cluck!). They installed it ~8" forward of the water tank and ~4" on either side of the centerline. This part of the hull is still relatively flat and nearly parallel to the sea floor.This aims the depthsounder just a few degrees forward of vertical & is within the recommended angles.

Folks have told me the water flow around the keel can mess up the knotmeter function & the wings partially block the depth sounder signal if it's installed aft of the keel.

Besides, when you need to pull the knotmeter for cleaning or service it's easy to get at it through that big hatch under the V-berth.

The cables are run along the angle formed by the starboard side of the hull and the underside of the seat, through the cabinet under the galley sink, behind the drawers, through the bulkhead near the aft berth & up to the power panel. The cables are run through some of that 3/4" black flexible plastic conduit.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck with the installation.

Edited by - on

Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1016 Posts

Response Posted - 12/07/2004 : 20:29:45

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Wait until you're sitting in the boat looking at the pavement through a big hole!<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Kurt - You are doing this on the hard, aren't you?

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 12/07/2004 : 21:09:59

One tip if you DIY...After drilling the hole and before applying any sealant, fully install the thru-hull dry and make sure that both the inner and outer flanges remain flush to both sides of the hull. During the installation of a thru-hull this past Spring, I found that when I tightened it down, one side of each flange made contact whilst the other side had a 1/8" gap. This required fashioning a shim spacer to account for the more curved contour of the inner hull.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by At Ease
 ...As for the 5200, I've used it and 4200 without problems. You want it to seal and be there for good don't you?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Last spring I removed two thru-hulls from broken speed/depth transducers from North Star and I was glad the PO who installed them used a sealant that allowed me to remove them quite easily.

Edited by - on

Capt. Kurt
Navigator

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185 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2004 : 00:41:02

Thanks for the great tips, I feel alot more confident now. I ordered some life caulk from WM for the job, hopefully 2.5oz is enough for two through hull fittings.

Lightnup: Yes, the boat is on the trailer! :)

Thanks,
Kurt

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2004 : 09:46:47

My comments about 5200 were really answered by Don, its a matter of the eventual replacement. If 5200 is used, a fine wire or very thin putty knife must be used to cut the sealant before the part its bedding can be removed and in the case of a transducer the sealant may infact wrap through the hole and be very difficult to get at and cut. Forcing the transducer imbedded with 5200 may experience what has been reported several times, that 5200 adheres so tenaciously that it will strip gel coat rather than turning loose.

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Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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2030 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2004 : 09:59:45

All good stuff here, want to emphasize two points. Undisturbed waterflow is critical for accurate readings, so, forward of the keel!. Also, use (rent cheap) a heavy drill (1/2" vs 3/8") It provides stability, and lessens the tendency for the hole saw to take off and gouge the you know what out of your gel-coat. (been there, done that.)

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Ex. C250 WB #618)
Georgetown MD/Fort Lauderdale FL

"Hindsight is 20/20, if I knew then what I know now, I would now be living on a small wooden sailboat, making a few bucks here and there playing a guitar and singing songs in bars."

Edited by - on

Wayne Wallace
1st Mate

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USA
28 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2004 : 11:05:38

Do not mount the through hull transducers aft of the keel as the disturbed water flow will provide false readings. The best place is forward of the water tank and it provides for easy access.
One thing to consider is the hull fairing and internal mounting method. Unless you are pretty good at that you may want to consider having it done by a professional as it can also impact the performance of the transducers and the water flow.

Most transducers come with a plug that you can put into the mounting base when you need to remove the transducers for repair etc. Using a sealer adheasive like 3M 5200 is OK for the base but it is not easily removed and should not be used for the transducer itself to the hull.

Wayne Wallace
ZMAJESTIC

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mday
Navigator

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197 Posts

Response Posted - 12/13/2004 : 16:32:22

Kurt,

I also have placement of my ST60 sensors as Jeff described -- about 8" forward of the water tank under the forward berth. I second his comments about it being a convenient loacation to pull the knotmeter out for minor service. As Lake Pleasant fills during the "winter", there's all kinds of debris floating in the water that loves to jam up your knotmeter. I have to pull mine out frequently.

Max

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