Opinion on a tricky situation...

Agree with you. He should get it fixed or replaced if it makes you more comfortable. You're the experienced captain here and are responsible for safety in my opinion. He will need to get it fixed anyways, why not now?
Jim
 
I would not be comfortable running a boat without a depth finder. GPS alone is not enough. Cross referencing the GPS with the dpth gauge allows you to trust the GPS.
 
No ones mentioned a paper chart, that is a requirement on my boat along with a good compass. Chart plotters and GPS are good information, I would never count on them.
 
I'd have no concern in good (decent) weather in charted and marked areas. There is also the option of a sounding line if you get into skinny water. In general I think people are too addicted to gadgets, great to increase safety but not necessary if you do good risk management in other areas.
 
Rarely use my depthfinder.
If I am in the channel, I am good.
Only time I use it is at the dock or when going into a area that is not a channel and I am not familiar with.

To each his own.
 
We boated for years without depth finders! How did we ever survive? :) Chart plotter and paper charts - you're good to go.
 
I would not be comfortable running a boat without a depth finder. GPS alone is not enough. Cross referencing the GPS with the dpth gauge allows you to trust the GPS.
 
Stay in the marked channels and yes look at the chart. Depth finder doesn't tell you not to go forward and run aground, it just tells you that you just did.
 
Do you have any reason to believe you'll run into skinny water? I recall seeing a portable one yet u could just toss over the side when needed. Maybe pick one of those up?
 
Georgian Bay boaters know what I'm talking about... you can be in 200' of water one minute and 6' the next.
 
Like I said earlier, it's your decision. Unfamiliar waters, if you're not comfortable don't do it. Lots of brave talk here but if you trash your friends boat, it's on you if you take an unnecessary or uncomfortable risk.
Jim
 
It depends on where you ll be running... if the depths are at least 5' more than you need, you ll be fine. Especially in familiar waters Now if you have to go they some skinny waters then it s a tough one

Sure the sounder doesn't tell you what s ahead but it gives you a warning. When you see the depth under the wheels get to 4,3, 2... then you know it s time to slow down and stop.

All depends on the boat, where you're going and how familiar the waters are.

Couple of years ago I lost a xducer leaving Miami for a month long trip to the Bahamas including a visit to Harbour island and the infamous devils back bone.... wasn't fun but at leadt I could read the water.
 
You guys crack me up and obviously have never boated on the Great South Bay aka "the sandbox".

No offense and I agree with all the comments, a depthfinder is important.
But if I slowed down every time I saw 5' of water, I would never get over no wake speed!!
Our bay goes from 3' to 15' and that's it. When I see 20' of water I am usually tapping the depthfinder or turning it off and on because its got a bad reading!

Again, if you have marked channels and can follow them on a chart, you are fine.
If you are relying on a depth finder, then it will be too late when you see 2' if anything over no wake speed.

In addition, remember, boats draw less water up on plane and the most when they go from on plane to off plane and squat.
Biggest mistake most boaters make is when they see low water, they slow down or stop.
If you know where you are and you where the channel is, just turn back towards the middle of channel.
Most channels are "V" shaped and if you get slightly too close to a edge, you may see low water, but stopping is wrong and would be worse than just turning back in.

Bottomline - Always know where you are!
 
I guess you rarely venture out of familiar waters... the way I see it is that's if you ve gotten yourself to a point where the water is so shallow that you can't get off plane or stop, you've screwed up. Big time.

Nothing wrong with going fast on a route you ve done many times and know is deep enough but advocating doing that in unfamiliar water is just plain crazy. Channels ? Yeah sure... they r marked but it doesn't mean depths are good enough and haven't changed. I ve been thru more channels with the wrong charted depths (one way or another) than channels where th charts are accurate.
 
I do venture but no where near what you do.
I do two things. One, I study the route before i do it. Charting it.
Knowing where the bad spots can be and noting where I want to be on plane and where I want to be off plane.

The second thing I do is gather local knowledge. Boatered. Call Seatow. Friends. Whatever it takes.

This discussion is more about navigation skills and less about "do I need a depthfinder", that is all I am saying!

If your boating/navigation skills rely on a depthfinder, then your missing a large part of how to stay safe.
Sure it's an important device, but for me, only if I messed up the more important one of knowing where I am!
 
It s interesting discussion which comes down to how much do you trust the charts. I guess my view is the ole "trust but verify"... unless I know the soundings are accurate I d rather slow down to hull speed or less and watch the depth finder. In most areas the bottom rarely instantly comes up unless rocks or coral but then the charts are usually accurate

Charts are usually inaccurate with soft stuff like mud and sand and due to the nature of the material it rarely jumps at you. So if you know you re in skinny water (my definition is my draft plus 3') then I slow down and watch the depth. Having the run the icw many times with a 6+ draft this has saved by behind many times.
 
I know you must run FI inlet sometimes. Without depth I would hate to rely only on marks and obsolete charts.

depth is an important third dimension indicator of where you are not.
 
To the OP. Insist on a depth finder working. He wants you along because he doubts his experience so that experience has to begin before leaving the dock. This new boater is obviously unfamiliar with boating's third dimension aspect. Tell him it like having an unknown speed bump on the freeway.
I can see it now. Zooming along the river and crashing to a sudden expensive stop.
 
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