Hulls With Floatation Materials
The transducer installation inside a fiberglass hull must be in an area that does not have air bubbles in the resin or separated fiberglass lay- ers. The sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass. A successful transducer installation can be made on hulls with flotation materials (such as plywood, balsa wood or foam) between layers of fiberglass if the material is removed from the chosen area. See the figure below.
WARNING:
Do not remove any material from your inner hull unless you know the hull's composition. Careless grinding or cutting on your hull can result in damage that could sink your boat. Contact your boat dealer or manufacturer to confirm your hull specifications.
Fill with polyester resin | Fill with resin |
| |
Flotation material | Inner hull |
Epoxy to hull first | Outer hull |
| |
Epoxy the transducer to a solid portion of the hull. | |
For example, some (but not all) manufacturers use a layer of fiberglass, then a core of balsa wood, finishing with an outer layer of fiberglass. Removing the inner layer of fiberglass and the balsa wood core exposes the outer layer of fiberglass. The transducer can then be epoxied di- rectly to the outer layer of fiberglass. After the epoxy cures for 24 hours, fill the remaining space with polyester resin. When the job is finished, the hull is watertight and structurally sound. Remember, the sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass. Any air bubbles in the fiberglass or the epoxy will reduce or eliminate the sonar signals.
23
