Using a smartphone on the water has become a necessity for navigation, sonaring and communication, but simply putting it in your pocket or in your seat puts it at great risk of loss or breakdown. boat-mount It is a key element of safety and comfort for the crew, allowing them to have free hands and constant visual control over the screen.
The specifics of the aquatic environment dictate the stringent requirements for accessories: constant shaking, splashing of salt or fresh water, direct sunlight and the risk of falling overboard. In this article, we will discuss in detail what types of holders exist, how to properly prepare the surface for installation and why a regular suction cup can cause the loss of an expensive device. You will learn about the nuances of installation on various materials of the case and how to protect electronics.
Criteria for choosing a reliable holder for the water element
The first thing to look at when buying is the fabrication material and corrosion resistance. The plastic must be marine, not fading under ultraviolet light, and the metal elements must be made of stainless steel Cheap alloys exposed to salt water will oxidize in one season, causing the structure to collapse and the phone to fall.
The second critical parameter is the type of fixation of the device: mechanical clamps are considered more reliable than magnetic or suction cups, especially in conditions of strong vibration from the motor. A good mount should be able to adjust the angle of inclination so that the screen remains readable even in bright sun, and provide access to charging ports if this is provided by the design.
And the versatility of the installation is not to be ignored. Modern models are often threaded. 1/4 inchIt's important to check if the clamp mechanism fits the diagonal of your smartphone, especially if you plan to use it in your case.
- 🌊 Material: marine plastic, AISI 316 stainless steel or aluminum with a high-quality coating.
- 🔒 Type of fixation: mechanical gripper with a spring or screw clip is preferable to magnets.
- ☀️ Protection: the presence of a turning mechanism to compensate for glare and the possibility of installing a visor.
- 📐 Compatibility: Support for a wide range of device width and thickness cases.
Features of installation on boats from PVC
Installing equipment on inflatable boards requires a special approach, since it is not always safe to drill or glue heavy structures to the cylinder. suction-bag Suction cups must have a reliable locking mechanism that does not depressurize when the temperature changes.
If you own a hard bottom boat (HBB), a good option is to use regular rod mounts or install additional bushings in the plywood transom. It is important not to overload the soft elements of the structure, so the weight of the holder along with the phone should be minimal. For temporary fixation, adapters are often used that are clamped between inflatable tubes and hard floorboard.
Before installing the suction cup on board PVC, carefully degrease the surface with an alcohol napkin and slightly warm the place of attachment with a hairdryer - this will increase adhesion by 40%.
When choosing a place to set up, remember the balance of the boat. Placement of a heavy tablet or smartphone on a high takeaway can shift the center of gravity, which is critical for small craft. It is best to mount the holder in the cockpit area, where the amplitude of the vibrations is less, and access to the device does not require unnecessary movements.
⚠️ Attention: Never install sharp metal holders directly on inflatable tubes without safety pads. Any backlash of the structure when rolling can cause a puncture of the chamber and a water emergency.
Installation on metal and plastic housings
Aluminum boats and plastic boats have more capital installation options, and you can use threaded joints, glued sleeves, or powerful magnetic bases. For aluminum, it's critical to use insulating pads between steel mounting parts and the hull to avoid the need for aluminium. electroplatingIt's a metal that eats away at the metal.
Plastic housings (glass fiber) allow hidden mounting. Often the holders integrate into the dashboard or install on brackets coming from the cockpit rack. When drilling fiberglass, you need to use special feather drills and be sure to treat the edges of the hole with epoxy to prevent material from stratification.
How to protect the carving from rust?
When mounting in an aluminum case, use threaded bushings made of brass or stainless steel, and lubricate the carvings with a large marine sealant, which will prevent the bolts from "filling" and electrochemical reaction between heterogeneous metals.
For temporary installation on smooth surfaces of plastic boats, vacuum suction cups with lever pressing mechanism are excellent, they withstand considerable loads and are easy to remove after fishing, the main requirement is that the surface should be perfectly smooth and clean, without the texture of the "anti-splash" that is often found on the deck.
- 🔩 Insulation: mandatory use of dielectric gaskets when in contact with steel with aluminum.
- 🧪 Sealing: treatment of the fiberglass drilling sites with polyester resins.
- 🧲 Magnets: powerful neodymium magnets are only effective on steel cases, for aluminum are useless.
- 🧼 Preparation: thorough cleaning of the surface of fish mucus and oil before installation.
Protection from water and vibration: technical nuances
Even if your phone has a certificate IP68It can be fatal, and the dynamic water pressure of the boat is much higher than static, so you shouldn't rely on the built-in protection of the smartphone, especially if you're looking at older models or devices with damaged seals.
Vibration from the outboard motor is the second enemy of electronics. Constant shaking can damage the optical stabilization of the camera (OIS) or unstick the internal plumes. A quality mount must have built-in dampers or be made of materials that dampen high-frequency vibrations. A rigid metal bar without rubber elements will transmit all the vibration directly to the phone motherboard.
☑️ Checking the water-readiness
For maximum protection, it is recommended to use specialized sealed cases that are attached directly to the holder. Such cases often have transparent windows for touch control, which allows you to use the navigator without removing protection. However, it is worth remembering that a thick layer of plastic can worsen the sensitivity of the touchscreen and the quality of photos.
⚠️ Attention: Salt water crystallizes when it dries. If you get splashes on your phone, be sure to rinse the device with fresh water and wipe it dry, even if it's waterproof. Salt corrodes the protective membranes of speakers and microphones.
Comparative specifications of popular types of fasteners
To make it easier to choose, let’s look at the main types of mounts in a comparative table, each with its own advantages and limitations, depending on the type of boat you’re boating and driving style.
| Type of attachment | Case material | Reliability | Difficulty of installation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suction (vacuum) | Smooth plastic, glass | Medium | Low. |
| Strubzin | PVC board, countertop | High. | Low. |
| Threaded (bolt) | Aluminum, plastic | Maximum | High. |
| Magnetic | Steel | Medium | Low. |
As you can see from the table, for serious exits and long-distance crossings, fixed solutions with threaded mounts are preferred. Suction cups or rods are suitable for short-term trips to calm water, and the choice also depends on the frequency of changing boats or the need to quickly dismantle equipment.
There is no universal solution: for PVC, strubcines and soft suction cups are optimal, and for metal and plastic - threaded installation or powerful magnets.
Navigation applications and sonar: practical applications
Having a reliable holder opens up the possibility of using the smartphone as a full-fledged navigation complex. Navionics, Locus Map or Yandex. Maps. With offline mode, you can see depth, bottom relief and forbidden areas, and the screen should be in the field of view of the steering wheel, but not block the view of water.
Fishing is often done with bundles of smartphone with external GPS modules connected via Bluetooth, in which case the phone acts as a display for sonar, and the fastening should allow you to easily change the orientation of the screen from portrait to landscape, because the interface of different applications requires different position of the device.
Keep in mind the power consumption. The GPS and the bright screen quickly land the battery. You can plan the power cable in advance to the place where the holder is installed. You can use waterproof outlets. 12V or power bank, attached nearby so that the cable does not hang around and interfere with the control of the boat.
- 🗺️ Visibility: Set your phone so that the sun doesn’t hit the screen.
- 🔋 Power: Provide a spare power source or wired charging.
- 🎣 Functional: the ability to quickly remove the phone for a photo or call.
- 💾 Memory: Download cards in advance, as mobile communication is often absent on the water.
Why does the battery go down in the cold?
Lithium-ion batteries lose capacity at low temperatures. If you fish in winter or early morning, keep your phone in a warm pocket or use a thermally insulated case, taking it out only for navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I use a car holder on a boat?
The car holder is only a temporary solution, and only if it's fixed to a hard surface, car suction cups are not designed to keep the screws humid and vibrating, and plastic quickly degrades from UV light, and the risk of losing the phone is very high.
How to clean the rust mount after the season?
Use acetic acid solution or special rust removal sprays to clean the movable parts. After processing, be sure to lubricate the movable parts with silicone lubrication. If rust has appeared on the load-bearing elements, this mount is better replaced, since its strength is already compromised.
Will the GoPro mount be suitable for the phone?
Yes, many mounts use the standard GoPro (3-prong) mounting system, and there are adapters that allow you to install your smartphone in an action camera holder, which gives you more flexibility in where you want to set up thanks to the variety of brackets.
What to do if your phone falls into the water?
Don't try to turn the device on or charge it right away. Wash with fresh water (if it was in salt water), remove the SIM card and place the phone in a sealed silica gel or rice bag for at least 24-48 hours. Enable the wet device is guaranteed to short circuit.
Which mount is better for a kayak?
For a kayak, ideal mounts on a suction cup with a flexible leg (crow's neck) or specialized holders mounted in a hatch or on deck hinges, they should be as compact as possible so as not to interfere with rowing, and have a high degree of moisture protection.