Leaking Transducers

[lorimccrea]

Hi everyone. We are new boaters/owners of a 1988 Carver Voyager 2827 and are having leaking problems with both the depth finder and the speed sensor transducers. Has anyone had to either re-seal or replace the depth finder and speed sensor transducers on a late 80s Carver Voyager? We are planning to have the boat pulled next Friday and our plan will be to just reseal them if possible since they are working fine, but if there is something else wrong we will need to have new parts on hand while the boat is out for the weekend. I believe these to be original or near original equipment. The electronic pad on the flybridge says they are Impulse XP. It is just an analog read-out. The speed transducer has a wooden paddle wheel on the bottom of the boat. On the inside of the boat there is a piece of wood about 1 inch thick with a large washer and nut on it with the transducer going through the center. It is leaking at the top of that wooden block right at the washer. The depth finder has a triangle looking piece of wood on the bottom of the boat and a puck style piece of wood under the plastic housing of the "pig ear-style" transducer inside the boat. Are there gaskets on these transducers? I am thinking if we can just re-seal the current transducers we will still need to get some sort of new fairing block for inside and outside since it is pretty degraded. Should this be wood or some other material? If anyone has replaced with newer style equipment I'd be interested to know what you used. We are trying to stay cost effective here. Any replies would be appreciated!

 

[Radioactive]

What you describe are two "through-hull transducers".

The leaking, taken by itself is merely irritating, but the real problem is that the leak is a symptom that might point to a more serious problem.

If your hull at the point of penetration is solid fiberglass, you are likely in the clear. After haul out, remove the offending fitting, clean out the hole to expose a fresh surface, then re-install the fitting, bedding it in a compound appropriate for this task, I'd suggest 3M 101.

If the hull is NOT solid fiberglass, but rather cored FRP, then you potentially have a saturated hull issue. The hull in this instance might be considered to be two sheets of resin impregnated glass cloth sandwiching a lighter, often permeable ( "spongy" } material. if the core got wet, then you must take action to discover the extent of the water saturation, and either drying the core, or replacing the damaged section. What you do will depend on the post removal inspection of the hole...

Hoipefuly this is not a big deal, but you must ensure that it is a minor issue, and in all cases it should be remedied.

Just my opinion.

 

[lorimccrea]

Thanks for the info. Hopefully we're ok on the saturation issue. From what I've read on this forum and others, Carvers ending in "7" are solid fiberglass below the water line. The spec sheet says that the hull is made up of 1 1/2 oz random strand mat and 24 oz woven roving fiberglass. Here's a link the spec sheet: http://media.channelblade.com/boat_graphics/electronic_brochure/Company624/_17_430200743006PM.pdf
What is the product of choice to use for fairing block? Plastic or wood given the transducers are plastic? I've read in some places it isn't good to use wood with a plastic transducer but it currently has wood.

 

[Radioactive]

The purpose of the fairing block it to stiffen the area weakened by the hole. Thus, you want stiffness. Wood works, plastic does not.

 

[Gregory S]

don't use plastic and don't just try to re-seal. Do what Bill said before you have a much bigger problem.