My 2014 '97 28TE Projects

[John_Madison CT]

Got the 28TE launched today (finally, latest launch ever!). She's sitting at her slip in Clinton Harbor (CT) .

I got a few things done since picking her up last October.

Here you go:

1. 4 of 6 Rod Holders installed. I'll be adding two more on the gunnels, forward of the current ones. FYI, 3 of the 4 I had access underneath to put nuts/bolts. One, 2nd over from the port side, I used screws and 5200. I don't have the shower head access port.

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2. Installed Furuno GP1870F Fishfinder/GPS Chartplotter with Airmar B60 Tilted element transducer.

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3. Installed SeablazeX Blue LED underwater light. Haven't seen it on in the water yet. (Still daylight here: ))

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[whwells]

John _Madison Ct" Nice work and the pictures are helpful. Have a great season. Our No. Cal. Salmon season should open early May. Can't wait for that first fresh catch.
whwells "Howard"
2006 35te Sportfisher/Flybridge
2004 Osprey Pilothouse 22

[RobS]

Nice stuff John, thanks for posting. Did you work on her all winter? This is the first winter since owning T-R that I did not have a real winter project on hand and I guess I was lucky for that as with the heavy snow and extreme cold it would have been very difficult.

I am not seeing how you would have underside access to the rod holder on the port corner?

What a surprise on the gunnel top thickness when drilling those rod holders, right? Damn near deeper than my hole saw blade.

[John_Madison CT]

The port corner rod holder is accessible by removing the port gunnel insert. A lot of screws, you have to take off the louvers and cut out the sealant. A bit ambitious but not difficult. You then have blind access to the underside of the rod holder. I'll need access when I install the port forward rod holder too.

I suppose I could lag screw those in too, but thru-bolting is stronger.

[Pitou]

The port corner rod holder is accessible by removing the port gunnel insert. A lot of screws, you have to take off the louvers and cut out the sealant. A bit ambitious but not difficult. You then have blind access to the underside of the rod holder. I'll need access when I install the port forward rod holder too.

I suppose I could lag screw those in too, but thru-bolting is stronger.

Way to add those rod holders. You can never have enough lines in the water!

Through bolting is the way to go, but as you saw and from Rob's picture there is plenty to screw into. When I installed the rod holder starboard side of the transom door and not having a transom shower as well I used a series of extensions on a ratchet and with a buddy on the phillips head above we got it through bolted. Just another knuckle mashing boat project!

[John_Madison CT]

Well sorry to say that the transducer mounting location does not work. I loose bottom readings at around 10 knots and it doesn't come back until I slow down.

Anyone else have pics of their 28te transducer mounting location? Fwiw, the old transducer still attached also lost bottom at 10 knots. I should have learned from it, but I blamed it on 17 year old technology.

So, looks like 2015 will have a new location to mount a transducer, but the question is......where?

[Tree]

Well sorry to say that the transducer mounting location does not work. I loose bottom readings at around 10 knots and it doesn't come back until I slow down.

Anyone else have pics of their 28te transducer mounting location? Fwiw, the old transducer still attached also lost bottom at 10 knots. I should have learned from it, but I blamed it on 17 year old technology.

So, looks like 2015 will have a new location to mount a transducer, but the question is......where?

I've the same issue sometimes - it all depends for me how i've got the boat trimmed. Bow down and I will lose readings on both the midship transducer and stern mounted one - Bow up and both work even at 18 knots quite comfortably.

[RobS]

That sux. Did you try playing with the gain, put it on manual gain and go max?

I see a few things. Air is the culprit. Ever see a video or picture of the bottom of a boat while underway on plane. It's covered in air bubbles. I think the high speed fairing block mounted transducers have a better chance of getting down beyond those bubbles than a flush mounted one, especially when the bottom condition is not smooth due to nooks and crannies from old bottompaint layers. She's way back in the boat so she's getting a lot of air bubbles due to all of the surface area in front of her. It is also best to keep the ducer as close to centerline as possible, your's is way out towards the chine edge of the hull. And, due to the angle of the leading edge of the old ducer, it also looks like at higher speed the old ducer could be interfering with the new ducer's clear flow of water, hard to tell..

As a 2014 "in-water" remedy, try picking up an inexpensive plastic transducer and shooting it through. I know it is supposed to not work on a cored hull but I have heard some cases where it has. I think you're balsa core which could work out. For under $150 the Furuno 520-5PSD would be worth a try. Just drape the wire loose from the display and put the ducer in a plastic bag of water. If it works at the dock then go out with a helper and keep moving it around while underway. I would try under the center hatch as close to the front of the engine as possible. Or from one of the cockpit side hatches in the center bilge area under the engine. Where safety earphones.

[Pitou]

Bummer John. When I first saw the posted transducer photo I crossed my fingers for you. My first ducer location on my 28 was where your fairing block is. My local electronics shop swapped out a new ducer in the same location .. same issue dropping out.

Check out this thread for transducer location (especially page 2). As Rob stated, you need to get that transducer close to the center line forward of the transmission on the port side. Your drop outs will disappear. This is where Airmar recommends that the transducer be mounted. Sorry for your trouble and disappointment.

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2305&hilit=transducer

[John_Madison CT]

Finished adding the two additional rod holders forward on the gunnel. That makes 10 total. 6 in the gunnels and 4 across the transom.

Also, when I got the boat, the area forward of the passenger seat had an old GPS cut in, so that was ripped out, and I put in something useful, a totally redundant Icom M604 VHF. It has it's own antenna, wiring, and will also be hooked up to a hailer horn, since the Icom can put out Fog tones etc....

[John_Madison CT]

Going to change the name and add Wishbone riggers next. A guy on THT LWalker worked closely with me to get exactly what I wanted. Much cheaper than a local shop too. This his photoshop job:

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[John_Madison CT]

Riggers mounted:








Put a Zodiac up top too:

[Pitou]

Looking good! Lots of nice projects.

[John_Madison CT]

Added Spreader Lights. Replaced the nuts/bolts with stainless. These lights are cheap, about $35 on Ebay. I soaked everything down with Boeshield.


The light brackets for the 1.5" pipe I bought from Birdsall Marine, about $55 each.

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[RobS]

Great setup, those are some high quality brackets no doubt. Did you ever experiment with a shoot through transducer?