[kayak_fish]

Fellas,
Will be putting a sounder in the swing soon. Have decided on the colour eagle model. Intend to do a permanent install with the required drilling. Was looking at doing the conventional sealing holes with the sealant and so on. But then had a thought, what if I used thin rubber matting cut out with the appropriate holes for screws and cables. Screwing down the sounder base onto the matting would create a watertight seal. Or at least thats the theory?

What do people think? Is there somehting glaringly stupid that i have not thought of? I thought it would be a neat, hassle free way of sealing everthing, and possilby more effective than silicon...

 

[Guest]

Sounds ok, it would work. Like a gasket.

I just put a bit of silicone in the screw hole and around the underside of the bracket beforehand.no leaks so far.

Cheers

 

[kayak_fish]

Yeah thats exactly what i was thinking - a gasket. I think it would be a very neat, effective solution maybe

 

[HiRAEdd]

The one rule with salt water and electronics is "you can never have too much sealant".

 

[PhilipL]

I don't bother unless the hole is large enough to warrant it. I don't think bolt/ screw holes let much in anyway and generally accept that water will get into the hull - within reason of course. What I will need to seal is around is the perimeter of the 8" access hatches - the hatch itself is waterproof, but the rim that is fixed to the hull - either the rim is warped or the hull is warped making the gasket ineffective between screw fixings - barely noticable. Last weekend, I emptied close to half a bucket of water from the hull - you're talking lumpy lumpy conditions though. Usually, its between a sponge full to dry.

 

[Davey G]

hi kayak fish.

the hole that needs to be sealed is the hole where the transducer/power cords penetrate through the hull to the inside of the yak.

Although the cables are only a few mm thick, unfortunately at the end of that cable is a stinking big connector plug that connects onto the back of your screen. the problem therefore is that in order to seal properly you need to find a gasket that can surround the cables but can still go over the top of the connector plug.

On my unit the connector plug is approx 20mm diameter *(not sure on the Eagle unit diameter but think it is approx 16mm).

What I've done is found a gasket that fits the 20mm hole that is drilled in the yak, but only has approx a 5mm opening in the centre. Unfortunately in order to get it around the cables you need to cut the gasket from edge to centre, slip it around the cables and then seal it up with silicone or the like.

I'm sure theres some sort of plumbing fitting which will work better and I'm off to the hardware this weekend to have a look, but at this stage that's the best solution I've come up with.

If anyone has a better solution I'm all ears!

 

[wets]

Davey,
If you find something better let me know. I did the same with my swing had no problems so far been on there for a year or so. I f there is a better option I would like to know.

Wets

 

[PhilipL]

Thats a pretty neat solution Dave. don't have that problem yet - the lip on the hull for the front hatch means I can bend the cables though the hatch cover seal and still have a pretty watertight entry between inside and outside. This will change when I mount the FF toward the middle of the cockpit though. Would be interested in a pic of your gasket - I'm imagining a cork or plug shape with a hole in the middle.

 

[Peril]

I did the same as Dave on Peril

 

[Dodge]

KF

Where the plug enters my yak, I only cut strips of duct tape to fill the plug hole where the cables exit [all hidden by the bracket] and the only silicone is where the cable comes from under the bracket to attach to the Sounder body.

Like PhilipL I don't worry about silicone on screws

 

[mickr]

Hi Guys! Have not posted to the forum for quite some time now!
Thought I would mention my idea that we have just been incorperating in my Dorado a be -t being Fibreglass you could do the same with poly - in the case of poly you need to have a tube - pipe which is of the same material as your yak with an internal size big enough for any cables and transducer fittings to pass through.
The tube should be no less than 25 to 30 mills long, have this plastic welded to your yak (once this is done cut the hole out in the centre - I use a (tube size that fits a rubber brewing kit plugs which fit inside this tube with the cables passing through that first) - you can use this cork by it self but the recommended way is to obtain a piece of bicycle tube at your required length - slip all your cables through this bicycle tube and then through your newly welded in tube which also has the brewing cork fitted in hole on your kayak.
You can use a small amount of selant on the ends of the bicycle tube, slip the bicycle tube of your pipe (should be a tight fit) and ziplock - cable tie this in place, on the out going cable end of the bicycle tube you should have a min of 2 cable ties and a small amount of sealer inside - cable ties should be 10 mills apart providing a really tidy water tight seal that will take any new items through this and none if you decide to sell your yak things are still professional and water tight.

Have not been out yaking much as limited time has only permited me to work on the Dorado filling in the side handles - fitting 2 pumps and some deck and rod holder changes. Could post some picks if the interest is their in a couple of weeks on happenings.

Being watching Hairmicks progress on his S&G with a great deal of interest now I have had my hands dirty in fibreglass - I wouldn't change to much of the Dorado format If I did a S&G Hybrid strip built of the Dorado - only do away with the crate in the rear in favour of water tight bagged hatch and livi bait tank behind me.

Hope this gives you guys some idea's on cable running which could also be used for rudder cables with great ease and pro.

Mike