Depth Sounder

"Ken Corbett" <kcorbett.DeleteThis@nf.sympatico.ca> wrote in
news:qpJ_d.1217$Ln.54859@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca:

> I need to replace my sail boat depth sounder. Just want a
> straightforward how deep is it with ability to set warning at certain
> depth.
>
> Any suggestions on models, prices, where to buy.
>
> Thanks
>
> Ken
>

I'd highly recommend a simple, monochrome CHARTING "fishfinder". They're
quite cheap and do have the depth alarm you're looking for. I like them
much better than the sailboat depth guage with just number readout because
the fishfinder gives you a "history" of what the depth has been for the
last minute or so so you can see a TREND of it getting shallower and how
fast, or is it getting deeper so you can breathe easier, again...(c;

Any depth sounder that will read to 50' is deep enough. But, WAY more
importantly, is to make sure the new one will read accurately in SHALLOW
water, not just start blinking away at you saying it's too shallow for it
to tell you where the bottom is, like many models do. Who cares if the
depth is 3000' or 300'? You want to care more that it's rising and is 3
feet under the keel!

Also make sure you can OFFSET the reading, too. The transducer isn't on
the bottom of the keel, it's forward of it (I hope). So you want to be
able to calibrate in the depth difference offset from the transducer's
location to the bottom of the keel. Use a tape measure to find out what it
REALLY is while you have it hauled out to install the new transducer.
Measure from the keel to the concrete, then from the transducer to the
concrete and simply subtract. Write that by the transducer mount so you
can't lose it later. Offset is very helpful when you're in panic mode in
the uncared for ICW shallows.
 >> Stay informed about: Depth Sounder 

>> Also make sure you can OFFSET the reading, too. . . . you want
to be
able to calibrate in the depth difference offset from the transducer's
location to the bottom of the keel.

Two schools of thought here; the "make it read 0 when the keel touches"
and the "make it read the actual depth, 0 equals no water." The
lattter seems more common, easier to correlate the depth to chart
soundings and what other folks say the depth is. To each his own
though.

>> Any depth sounder that will read to 50' is deep enough. . . .
Who cares if the
depth is 3000' or 300'?

Beg to differ, a good deep-reading depth sounder is a very useful
navigational aide. Can be used to determine how far offshore you are,
pick up undersea canyons which lead to harbors and anchorages,
establish a single LOP, etc.. An example: Consulting a chart reveals
there are no onshore hazards (pinnacles, reefs) outside the 100 fathom
line of a particular shore. Using the depthsounder, one can follow the
100 fathom contour line and be assured of no nasty surprises on a
coastal passage.
 >> Stay informed about: Depth Sounder 

Tailgunner wrote:
> Ken Corbett wrote:
>
>> I need to replace my sail boat depth sounder. Just want a
>> straightforward how deep is it with ability to set warning at certain
>> depth.
>>
>> Any suggestions on models, prices, where to buy.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Ken
>>
> I'm extremely happy with my Garmin 120. It can have alarms set. I see it
> all the time for around $120.

Side note: I would not buy it (or anything else) from West Marine.
 >> Stay informed about: Depth Sounder 

Should have noted its for a 26' sailboat

"Ken Corbett" <kcorbett.RemoveThis@nf.sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:qpJ_d.1217$Ln.54859@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...
>I need to replace my sail boat depth sounder. Just want a straightforward
>how deep is it with ability to set warning at certain depth.
>
> Any suggestions on models, prices, where to buy.
>
> Thanks
>
> Ken
>
 >> Stay informed about: Depth Sounder 

Mark wrote:
>>> Also make sure you can OFFSET the reading, too. . . . you want
> to be
> able to calibrate in the depth difference offset from the transducer's
> location to the bottom of the keel.
>
> Two schools of thought here; the "make it read 0 when the keel
> touches" and the "make it read the actual depth, 0 equals no water."
> The lattter seems more common, easier to correlate the depth to chart
> soundings and what other folks say the depth is. To each his own
> though.
>
>>> Any depth sounder that will read to 50' is deep enough. . . .
> Who cares if the
> depth is 3000' or 300'?
>
> Beg to differ, a good deep-reading depth sounder is a very useful
> navigational aide. Can be used to determine how far offshore you are,
> pick up undersea canyons which lead to harbors and anchorages,
> establish a single LOP, etc.. An example: Consulting a chart reveals
> there are no onshore hazards (pinnacles, reefs) outside the 100 fathom
> line of a particular shore. Using the depthsounder, one can follow
> the 100 fathom contour line and be assured of no nasty surprises on a
> coastal passage.



Looking at the incredibly tortuous depth contours off the West of Scotland
where I sail, I would run out of fuel double-quick if I followed them, and
in a sailboat under sail, forget it! I could not care less once the depth
gets above 10 metres.



--
Satellite photocharts of the UK & Ireland
available, excellent detail and accurate
calibration using Oziexplorer.
Remove *nospam* to reply.
 >> Stay informed about: Depth Sounder 

On Sat, 19 Mar 2005 08:54:24 GMT, "Dennis Pogson"
<dennisnospam_pogson.DeleteThis@ntlworld.com> wrote:

>Mark wrote:
>>>> Also make sure you can OFFSET the reading, too. . . . you want
>> to be
>> able to calibrate in the depth difference offset from the transducer's
>> location to the bottom of the keel.
>>
>> Two schools of thought here; the "make it read 0 when the keel
>> touches" and the "make it read the actual depth, 0 equals no water."
>> The lattter seems more common, easier to correlate the depth to chart
>> soundings and what other folks say the depth is. To each his own
>> though.
>>
>>>> Any depth sounder that will read to 50' is deep enough. . . .
>> Who cares if the
>> depth is 3000' or 300'?
>>
>> Beg to differ, a good deep-reading depth sounder is a very useful
>> navigational aide. Can be used to determine how far offshore you are,
>> pick up undersea canyons which lead to harbors and anchorages,
>> establish a single LOP, etc.. An example: Consulting a chart reveals
>> there are no onshore hazards (pinnacles, reefs) outside the 100 fathom
>> line of a particular shore. Using the depthsounder, one can follow
>> the 100 fathom contour line and be assured of no nasty surprises on a
>> coastal passage.
>
>
>
>Looking at the incredibly tortuous depth contours off the West of Scotland
>where I sail, I would run out of fuel double-quick if I followed them, and
>in a sailboat under sail, forget it! I could not care less once the depth
>gets above 10 metres.


You don't need to follow countours to use depth in navigation. If
something else fails, you can take soundings at regular time
intervals, mark them on a piece of paper to the scale of your chart,
and move the paper parallel to your course until you get a match.


Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a


Let us restore integrity and honor to the White House
 >> Stay informed about: Depth Sounder 

I totally agree with Larry. A fish finder is the way to go and gives
much more info than a straight digital read out. I have a cheap lowrance
on my 40' cutter which does everything you are after and more. One word
of warning: Make sure that the transducer you get with whatever you buy
is a 50 and/or 200kHz variant (which seems now standard and hence more
easily available) and is what you need for your boat (i.e. though hull
and of the right material). The cost of getting a different transducer
can be high as I have found.

Finally, although the lowrance machine (X.65) I have is actually quite
good and works well, Lowance have been a total black hole in terms of
getting help. I don't know if this is normal but I was not impressed.
The cost of the bits where I live in New Zealand was just stupid (*3 the
US cost) and Lowrance will not ship overseas from their US distributor
or web site.

So make sure that you will not get fleeced for spare parts.

Steve

Dennis Pogson wrote:
> Mark wrote:
>
>>>> Also make sure you can OFFSET the reading, too. . . . you want
>>
>>to be
>>able to calibrate in the depth difference offset from the transducer's
>>location to the bottom of the keel.
>>
>>Two schools of thought here; the "make it read 0 when the keel
>>touches" and the "make it read the actual depth, 0 equals no water."
>>The lattter seems more common, easier to correlate the depth to chart
>>soundings and what other folks say the depth is. To each his own
>>though.
>>
>>
>>>> Any depth sounder that will read to 50' is deep enough. . . .
>>
>>Who cares if the
>>depth is 3000' or 300'?
>>
>>Beg to differ, a good deep-reading depth sounder is a very useful
>>navigational aide. Can be used to determine how far offshore you are,
>>pick up undersea canyons which lead to harbors and anchorages,
>>establish a single LOP, etc.. An example: Consulting a chart reveals
>>there are no onshore hazards (pinnacles, reefs) outside the 100 fathom
>>line of a particular shore. Using the depthsounder, one can follow
>>the 100 fathom contour line and be assured of no nasty surprises on a
>>coastal passage.
>
>
>
>
> Looking at the incredibly tortuous depth contours off the West of Scotland
> where I sail, I would run out of fuel double-quick if I followed them, and
> in a sailboat under sail, forget it! I could not care less once the depth
> gets above 10 metres.
>
>
>
> --
> Satellite photocharts of the UK & Ireland
> available, excellent detail and accurate
> calibration using Oziexplorer.
> Remove *nospam* to reply.
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Depth Sounder 

Rodney Myrvaagnes <rodneym.DeleteThis@attglobal.net> wrote in
news:q6gs31hrvcg2mgduj59bhur32712g10sd8@4ax.com:

> Let us restore integrity and honor to the White House
>

Let us leave our politics, that ruined rec.boats, back outside the front
door of rec.boats.electronics so it doesn't infect this newsgroup, too, ok?

Thanks.....
 >> Stay informed about: Depth Sounder 

Larry W4CSC wrote:
> Rodney Myrvaagnes <rodneym.TakeThisOut@attglobal.net> wrote in
> news:q6gs31hrvcg2mgduj59bhur32712g10sd8@4ax.com:
>
>
>>Let us restore integrity and honor to the White House
>>
>
>
> Let us leave our politics, that ruined rec.boats, back outside the front
> door of rec.boats.electronics so it doesn't infect this newsgroup, too, ok?
>
> Thanks.....
>
Great idea the trick of course, is to get the posters to agree.

Rick
 >> Stay informed about: Depth Sounder 

Rick <RickH40.RemoveThis@Hotmail.com> wrote in
news:11416todni2tff3@corp.supernews.com:

>> Let us leave our politics, that ruined rec.boats, back outside the
>> front door of rec.boats.electronics so it doesn't infect this
>> newsgroup, too, ok?
>>
>> Thanks.....
>>
> Great idea the trick of course, is to get the posters to agree.
>
> Rick
>
>

We've installed a special set of bins to leave your politics in outside by
the front door. They look just like Greyhound bus station lockers because
that's where we stole 'em from. Put your quarters into the slot to release
the key so noone will steal your political beliefs, or other nonsense,
while you're inside the newsgroup....(c;

If we collect enough quarters, we'll have a big oyster roast on the dock
before the season ends!...yum yum! BYOB
 >> Stay informed about: Depth Sounder 

"Larry W4CSC" <noone DeleteThis @home.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9620A6FC95078w4csc@63.223.7.253...
> Rodney Myrvaagnes <rodneym DeleteThis @attglobal.net> wrote in
> news:q6gs31hrvcg2mgduj59bhur32712g10sd8@4ax.com:
>
>> Let us restore integrity and honor to the White House
>>
>
> Let us leave our politics, that ruined rec.boats, back outside the front
> door of rec.boats.electronics so it doesn't infect this newsgroup, too,
> ok?
>
> Thanks.....
>
I'll second that.
 >> Stay informed about: Depth Sounder