I have this mounting bracket that I've mounted on boats for fly-in trips and I cannot seem to find my suction kit.

I don't have enough time to get another suction kit before I leave.

Bracket

And then I came across this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unm9LC2uEbA

I've read something about being able to go through the hull of a kevlar canoe, but a little perplexed how to pull this off.

What kind of graph? You can likely just set it on the bottom of a wet canoe , maybe you will need to put it on a wet rag. My showdown shoots through the hull with no issue as long as the bottom is wet. I would definitely want to test it before my trip!

I have two transducers mounted more or less permanently in the bottoms of my boats. One is carbon fiber and the other is an "S" glass Kevlar combination. I seated the transducers within a dollop of 100% silicone. It is available in a caulking tube for easy and accurate application.

Just squeeze out a lemon sized pile of goo and seat transducer within. I seated mine to the bottom of my boat (not suspended within the silicone) by gently but firmly pushing the transducer until it gained contact with the bottom of the vessel. Then, using latex or nitrile gloves I smothered the transducer with the excess silicone.

I did this up near the bow........be certain to avoid skid plates as that will just use more power. Then I coiled the excess cable tightly and secured using electrical cable ties. The cord that ran to the depth finder unit is routed and installed under the gunnel using clips designed for that very purpose. The clips are held in place via stainless screws.

This is a very satisfactory set up (shooting through the hull) and avoids the hassle of the suction cup becoming continuously detached as well as creating drag on the boat. Better!

quote mastertangler: "...I did this up near the bow........be certain to avoid skid plates as that will just use more power. Then I coiled the excess cable tightly and secured using electrical cable ties. "

This is a very good point to make. I believe that the transducer would be best situated under the bow seat with the sonar unit near the stern paddler. The cables should be kept tidy and out of the way with cable ties. You can use whatever successful method you prefer to mount the transducer for a through-the-hull application.

Mounting the transducer near the front of the canoe allows you a few seconds to drop marker buoys from the stern seat more accurately on fish and structure that you identify on your sonar.

SE

Not sure about Kevlar but mines shoots through my cedar strip/ Fiberglass hull without even being wet. I just set it on floor in front of me.

Marcum lx2

I agree with what others said. Often you can just put the transducer on the floor of the canoe. A more fool proof method that I use is ultra sound gel. 4oz is probably enough for a trip. It is sticky and water sloshing in the canoe won't wash it away. When you are done just rub the gel with water to dissolve. Environmentally friendly, purpose built. You just need to pay attention to the floor of the canoe. Some have foam sandwiched in to add strength and to keep the canoe floating if filled with water. The foam core won't be on the extreme ends of the canoe so if the transducer doesn't work keep moving it out to the bow or stern until it does. Good luck.

I take my unit out of my boat at the end of each trip. I shoot through the hull and I just shmoosh my transducer into a glob of duct seal. The duct seal is actually stuck to the bottom of my transducer. So basically I just set it on the floor in a few drips of water and make sure it stays upright. Works like a charm.
~JOE~

I take my unit out of my boat and the end of each trip. I shoot through the hull and I just shmoosh my transducer into a glob of duct seal. The duct seal is actually stuck to the bottom of my transducer. So basically I just set it on the floor in a few drips of water and make sure it stays upright. Works like a charm.
~JOE~

Dang double post.

http://www.fishfindermounts.com/product-page/xpower-15mm-magnetic-transducer-mount

I was holding off on responding to this thread until I could try out my prototype for a temporary removable transducer mounting. It works the way I wanted so far, but further testing is still needed to be certain that it works with other hulls.

The mounting is a 4" pvc straight junction fitting, a 4" pipe clamp and a big rubber balloon. Cut the balloon cleanly about 2/3 of the way to the open end. Stretch it over the pvc fitting and clamp it. At the lake, fill it about 1/2 full of water and place it on the floor of the hull wherever you wish. The weight of the water will force the rubber into good, solid contact with the hull. Place the transducer in the reservoir and your sonar unit should start reading immediately.

This will make it possible to use your portable sonar unit (mine is the Garmin Striker 4) in a rental canoe without having to clean up any gel or silicone mess when you turn it back in. I have not tried this on an aluminum or a kevlar hull, just the fiberglass/cedar/fiberglass hull of my stripper, which to me should present a greater deterrent to sound waves than the other two.

SE

quote SouthernExposure: "I was holding off on responding to this thread until I could try out my prototype for a temporary removable transducer mounting. It works the way I wanted so far, but further testing is still needed to be certain that it works with other hulls.


The mounting is a 4" pvc straight junction fitting, a 4" pipe clamp and a big rubber balloon. Cut the balloon cleanly about 2/3 of the way to the open end. Stretch it over the pvc fitting and clamp it. At the lake, fill it about 1/2 full of water and place it on the floor of the hull wherever you wish. The weight of the water will force the rubber into good, solid contact with the hull. Place the transducer in the reservoir and your sonar unit should start reading immediately.


This will make it possible to use your portable sonar unit (mine is the Garmin Striker 4) in a rental canoe without having to clean up any gel or silicone mess when you turn it back in. I have not tried this on an aluminum or a kevlar hull, just the fiberglass/cedar/fiberglass hull of my stripper, which to me should present a greater deterrent to sound waves than the other two.


SE"

We are going to need a few pictures of this when you can.

quote Savage Voyageur:We are going to need a few pictures of this when you can. "

Here are two photos of the temporary transducer mount.

This one shows the components: the pvc connector, the hose clamp and the balloon.







This one shows the mount half full of water, sitting on the bottom of the canoe with the transducer sitting on the bottom. The weight of the water and the transducer makes good contact with the hull and allows a clear transmission and reception of the signal.







I think that other materials could be used in place of the balloon such as thin latex sheet, a cut open latex glove or any flexible, resilient, waterproof material.

SE

Thanks Norman for the pictures, very ingenious invention.

Given the time that's passed, has this setup worked effectively? I was thinking of trying the same thing for an upcoming trip.

I used a small piece of foam that I hollowed out to fit my transducer nice and snug.
I make sure the bottom of the foam is open to the kevlar canoe bottom.

Then I simply put the transducer in a ziploc bag full of water and push it into the foam block.

I tuck it under my seat in a Wenonah Boundary Waters edition canoe. The BW has foam in the floor so be sure to set it off to the side of these if your canoe has them.

It is super simple and works great for rental canoes.