After seeing the incredible job you did on your BFS i have been waiting for this as soon as i heard you got the EVO. I will be watching with great interest so i can steal some ideas.
OK...Im going to attempt to replicate this install on the 575! Wish me luckindiedog said:Rod Chute Hatch and Wet mount install.
Tools needed; 100mm hatch, 6 x 3/16 x 1 SS countersunk bolts with nyloc nuts, a Dremel or hacksaw blade to cut the wall out, a drill, pencil, Sikaflex 291 Marine Sealant (white), face mask, safety glasses, 25mm black EVA, Cutting board, Small spanner, phillips screwdriver.
Not much new here in how I went about this but I'll explain in detail. It's important to access the outer hull area where there's only one skin of glass (and more importantly, no air) for the transducer to get through. I again chose the area beside the fish box as it's the most convenient. I did consider the rear hull but discounted it as you still need to get the cables from there up to the front somehow so would still need to get through the fish box side wall to manage this.
A 100mm hatch was purchased from Whitworths and the position worked out inside the chute to clear the foot wells and make sure there was room for the fixings and the proposed backing plate. The position of this was penciled onto the side wall. Note that the lid of most hatches seems to be the same diameter as hole that's required to fit the section that goes through the wall, so the lid was used as a template to mark out the size of the hole in the wall.
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I purchased an Ozito (Dremel copy, about $50 complete with flexible shaft) and used this to cut out the hole. It's an awkward job due to the position and easier with the Ozito (I did do the BFS with a hacksaw blade and managed it but it was painful). Make absolutely sure you use a face mask here as breathing in fibreglass dust is not good for you. Also use goggles if possible. Once the hole is cut slip the hatch frame into place and make sure it's all good. Mark through the fixing holes with a pencil and drill them out either with a small drill or the Ozito.
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I always use a backing plate when I install hatches or rod holders. The glass of the rod chute walls and the top deck is not that solid and if you only fit the hatches/holders in with say 6 bolts or screws then there's only a small area of glass stopping that bolt/screw from pulling out. The other thing is that by cutting a whopping great hole in the wall/deck, you are weakening the structure of the yak. The glass can still flex if unsupported between the bolts so if there's any stress in the yak (say going out through the surf for example) then this is the obvious weak point in the system. Using the backing plate helps to lock the wall into its original position and keep it all tight, plus it spreads any loads evenly around the opening, not just in the bolt hole area. I've found plastic cutting board to be the best as it is waterproof, UV stable, and cheap.
For the backing plate again use the lid as a template and mark out the internal hole diameter and cut out with a jigsaw. Again plan this out as you can sometimes fit one backing plate inside the centre of another as I did using a 100mm and 150mm hatch. Next cut the outside diameter of the backing plate. You'll end up with a frisbee looking circle. Slip this over the back of the hatch frame and mark and drill the bolt holes. With a hacksaw cut the backing plate on one side only so that you can spread it sufficiently to corkscrew it into the smaller hole in the side wall. It's worth doing a practice fit before the sikaflex goes in as you don't want to discover things don't line up once that's on (Note this is a good time to install the wet mount foam pad so skip down to that bit before completing the hatch install). Once you are happy and the backing plate is in put a couple of bolts in from the outer hull side and then use these to fit the plate to the rod chute wall. It's now ready for final installation. (Take a look at the last pic in this post to see backing plate in place as described.
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Take the hatch frame (with the lid out) and generously cover the back of the flange with Sikaflex. Position this into the hole in the rod chute and line up with the 2 bolts already in place and then fit all the way in. Install the other 4 fixing bolts the correct way using the small spanner and phillips screwdriver and then turn the two guide bolts around so that all 6 are now in the right way. Wipe away the excess Sikaflex and clean up with a chux dipped in mineral turps. Job done.
An absolute goldmine of ideas. It's making my fitout so much easier.salticrak said:Dog...this is pure molasses. love your work.
I have the same system and my kayak is stored outside.Stevie said:Hi Indie,
mate i found some rubber plugs that are designed for pushing over chair legs, at Clark Rubber, they are soft and I push one over the end of the cable and its sealed, very tight fit and should keep out the salt (it worked well for a 300c I had for a year or so a while back). Perhaps not ideal though I admit. For most trips however the transducer will start set up, excluding big surf trips. Anyway Ill see how it goes....trying to keep it simple as possible without cords everywhere and limiting things on the hatch lid.
indiedog said:cjbfisher said:Yeah, bit of sphincter suction going on I think.indiedog said:Or was it puckered and gripping the seat?
Kez, wasnt sure why outside storage would effect the sphincter pucker? Note, no pucker required for a SIK.keza said:I have the same system and my kayak is stored outside.
Are you a journo Dru ?dru said:indiedog said:cjbfisher said:Yeah, bit of sphincter suction going on I think.Kez, wasnt sure why outside storage would effect the sphincter pucker? Note, no pucker required for a SIK.keza said:I have the same system and my kayak is stored outside.
:lol: :twisted: :lol: