Choosing the right location for navigation electronics installation is not only a matter of comfort, but also a matter of safety on the water. Branch for sonar to the boat It's the foundation of the entire system, because the reliability of the sensor is critical to the stability of the sensor readings and the safety of the expensive head unit, and if it's not properly attached, it can cause the device to be lost at the most inopportune moment or cause the hull to be damaged by vibrations.
Floating owners often face a dilemma of whether to buy a ready-made solution or build a structure themselves. The market offers many options from universal racks to specialized systems for specific boat models. However, understanding the principles of water physics and the properties of materials allows you to create or choose the perfect solution that will last for many years.
In this article, we will discuss all aspects of the selection and installation of sonar holders, eliminating unnecessary theory and focusing on practical nuances. You will learn about the types of materials, methods of protection against theft and the features of installation on different types of board.
Types of fasteners and design features
The first thing you need to decide before buying or manufacturing is the type of design that will be compatible with your boat. Stationary brackets They require drilling of the side or deck, which ensures maximum rigidity and no backlashes, even at high speeds, and is the best choice for metal boats and boats, where aesthetics and reliability are important.
For owners of inflatable boats or those who do not want to violate the integrity of the hull, there are downsizingThey are fixed on the transom or on board with powerful screw-clamps, and these systems are easily dismantled, which is convenient for storing a boat in a garage or when transporting it.
- 🔹 Rotary brackets: allow you to change the angle of the screen to protect against the glare of the sun.
- 🔹 Removable platforms: Ideal for situations where the sonar is used by several boats in turn.
- 🔹 Embedded solutions: They are mounted flush with the surface, creating minimal aerodynamic resistance.
Special attention should be paid to the material of manufacture. Aluminum alloys with anode coating are excellent resist corrosion, but are afraid of galvanic pairs with stainless steel. Plastic holders are cheap, but in the cold become fragile, and under the scorching sun can deform, losing the rigidity of fixation.
Manufacture materials and corrosion protection
Aggressive aquatic environments do not forgive mistakes in the choice of materials. The main enemy of metal structures is electrochemical corrosion, which can destroy even high-quality metal in one season. Stainless steel AISI 316 is considered the gold standard, but its cost is high, and it is difficult to find a ready bracket from it.
The more affordable option is an aluminum profile or a pipe that is powder-painted or anodized. It's important to understand that any damage to the coating will lead to rapid oxidation. stainless-makeIt requires careful insulation from other metals on the boat.
⚠️ Attention: Never use conventional black screws or bolts to attach the bracket to water. Even galvanized fasteners will rust in a couple of months, turning into dust, which will cause the sonar to fall.
If you make a bracket yourself, use sea alloys of aluminum (such as AMG5/AMg6) or high-quality plastic. Wooden elements, although aesthetically pleasing, require constant maintenance, varnishing and still dry out or rot over time.
How to protect the threaded connections?
All threaded joints on the bracket must be treated with lithium lubricant or a special spray preservative. This will prevent nuts and bolts from clinging, making it easy to disassemble the structure at the end of the season for maintenance.
Installation of PVC boats and inflatable vessels
Installing electronics on inflatable boats has its own specifics related to the elasticity of cylinders. boat-mount PVC can't just be screwed to a balloon, because when pumped and waved, the material will walk, creating vibrations, and the solution is special sites that are attached to a rigid transom or bottom.
Often, owners use transom wheels as a point of support, welding or screwing an additional platform to their rack, which is convenient, but adds sailing and weight. A more competent approach is to use removable racks that are inserted into regular holders for fun or in special glasses pasted into a balloon.
- 🎣 Use soft pads between the metal bracket and PVC to avoid rubbing.
- 🎣 Fix the wires with screeds with a margin of length so that when blowing the boat does not damage the contacts.
- 🎣 Avoid placing the sonar over an inflated balloon where it can get hit when landing on water.
Compactness is critical for inflatable boats, and the bulky design will interfere with fishing and packaging, and swivel brackets that can be folded along the side when the sonar is not in use are considered the best solution.
For PVC boats ideal brackets from polished stainless pipe diameter 20-25 mm. They are light, do not rust and easy to bend at home with a bend.
Installation on metal and fiberglass boats
Metal boats ("Kazanki", "sparrows") and fiberglass boats allow for more complex and reliable attachment schemes, where you can use welding (for metal) or sticking (for plastic), which ensures the monolithic structure. Vibration. on such vessels is transmitted more strongly, so the rigidity of the screen attachment is subject to increased requirements.
When mounting on aluminum, it is important to avoid contact of heterogeneous metals. If the bracket is made of stainless steel and the boat is made of duralinium, there must be a pad of paronite or special sealant between them, otherwise active corrosion of aluminum will begin.
The position of the sonar should provide a convenient view of the operator without blocking the view of the water surface in front. Often the instruments are installed on remote consoles or on the dashboard ("torpedo").
☑️ Pre-drill check
For fiberglass boats, drilling requires care to keep the material from layering. Use only sharp drills and low rpm. Brackets on these boats are often integrated into a common dashboard, which looks professional and protects the wiring.
Organization of wiring and protection against theft
Aesthetics and safety are the two pillars on which a quality installation is based. Wiring It should not be hung with hinges that you can get caught by clothes or gear, all the cables are hidden in a corrugated tube or cable channel, attaching them with clamps every 15-20 cm.
The issue of sonar theft is acute, especially in open parking lots. The removable bracket is the best protection: you remove the head of the device and take it away with you, leaving only the base on the boat, if the bracket is stationary, you can use special locks or cables.
| Type of protection | Efficiency | Complexity of implementation | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Removable platform | High. | Low. | Low. |
| The screw lock | Medium | Medium | Low. |
| Hidden editing | High. | High. | Medium |
| Locked cable | Low. | Low. | Low. |
To connect the power, use only a copper wire with a cross section of at least 1.5 mm2, be sure to use a fuse located in the immediate vicinity of the battery, which will save the boat from fire in the event of a short circuit.
⚠️ Attention: Do not run wires near fuel hoses or in places where they can be clamped by moving parts of the engine or the pump.
Homemade solutions: is sheepskin worth making?
Many fishermen prefer to make their own boat-mount It allows you to take into account all the individual specifications of the boat and save the budget, the simplest option is to use furniture pipes and flanges, which can be found in any construction hypermarket.
More advanced craftsmen use an aluminum profile that builds lightweight, durable structures, and the main advantage of a homemade bracket is that it can make any shape and size that fits perfectly into the interior of a cockpit, but the time and cost of materials can exceed the price of a factory-made bracket.
- ⚙️ Access to tools is required: drill, hacksaw on metal, possibly welding.
- ⚙️ Minimum skills must be possessed.
- ⚙️ There is a risk of miscalculation and spoiling the material.
If you're doing it yourself, start with a life-size drawing, which will help you avoid errors in size and angles, and make sure you have space for the wires to be laid inside the structure, if possible.
A homemade bracket is justified if you have free materials and the desire to make a unique thing, otherwise, a factory product will save time and nerves.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can you attach the sonar directly to the transom wheels?
Technically possible, but not recommended by manufacturers: vibration from the wheels when moving through the water can be transmitted to the sounder sensor, causing interference on the screen ("noise"). In addition, the wheels are often removed, and there is a risk of forgetting to remove the sonar.
How high is the bracket to make?
The optimal height is tailored to the height of the operator, and the screen should be at eye level or just below, so that you don't have to constantly tilt your head, which is usually 30-50 cm from the surface of the mount.
Do I need to take the sonar for the winter?
The head unit (screen) definitely needs to be removed and stored warmly, because (screen) can leak and the memory battery will run out. The sensor and wires are usually left if they are securely fixed, but the connectors are better preserved with lubrication.
How to deal with glare on the sounder screen?
Use tilt brackets, and it also helps to put a visor over the screen or use anti-reflective film, sometimes just turn the boat nose against the sun.
Will the plastic bracket withstand seawater?
High-quality engineered plastics (ABS, polyamide) are great at seawater and do not rust. However, under the influence of ultraviolet light, cheap plastic can become brittle (fragile) in 2-3 years.