Looking for some advice on how to fix a "rooster tail?"

[Wild Bill Coleman]

I have a 1976 Duskey Center Console powered by an Evinrude 150, but the rooster tail I am getting is from a Hummingbird Depth Finder I installed. The Depthfinder works great while underway and at slow speeds, and, according to the instructions, is installed properly. What would happen if I were to lower the unit, would this affect the depth finder in a negative way? Does anyone think this would curtail the rooster tail? My other idea is to fiberglass a round piece just above the transponder so that the rooster tail hits this and bounces off the transom instead of going up the transom. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[Barracuda Bill]

Re: Looking for some advice on how to fix a "rooster tail?"

I had the same problem. At speed the water would shoot straight up and into the boat. I fixed it by cutting up a juice jug and screwing that around the transducer to a plastic piece I installed to the transom before putting on the new transducer. There is no rooster tail. As you can see in the picture, one side is longer than the other, this has cut down on the interference of prop wash- especially in reverse. The following is a link to a picture of my setup.
http://s943.photobucket.com/albums/ad279/BarracudaBill/?action=view&current=DSC00423a.jpg

 

[ufm82]

Re: Looking for some advice on how to fix a "rooster tail?"

Take the transducer off the transom mount and epoxy it in the bilge area of your boats. It's solid fiberglass and all you need to do is find teh center of the hull, clean it well and apply a blob of two-part epoxy there. Press the transducer into the epoxy making sure you have no bubbles underneath, let it set and then hook everything back up. You'll be amazed- the finder will work just fine, the sensitivity will be fine and no more rooster tail. no more worrying about hitting tree branches or the bunks on the trailer, no fabricated fixes to a mount that has had issues forever and no more water spraying up into your boat.

UFM82

And yes, it DOES work before anyone comes on here and flames me...

 

[Expidia]

Re: Looking for some advice on how to fix a "rooster tail?"

That fix worked for the poster but it sure looks Micky Mouse

Just call Humminbird's customer service. The spray is caused by a design flaw by Humminbird as they left that big space in the middle of these over sized transducer.

It was complained about for years and they kept denying there was any problem.

Too bad they did away with the search function on this forum as it would have quickly shown up the links to this issue and how they finally resolved it.

Many of us came up with unique solutions. It was interesting on how many designs we came up with.

I for one, just wrapped several turns of black electrical tape around the big hole in the middle and the problem was solved and pretty much invisible.

Finally, after 2 years Humminbird came up with a correction. It was a shame to that they dragged their heels. I paid $1000 for my Humminbird 797 C2 SI and was quite ticked off when I saw how many others voiced the exact same complaint.

Their solution is if you call them they will send you for free a simple rubber plug that you loosen the side screw and just pop the plug into the hole from the top!

This plug does not impede the breakaway feature of the transducer if you hit something with it. It still pops up out of the way if your model has that feature.

Until it arrives just try the electrical tape thing. Just use go 3 or 4 times around and take it off when the plug comes.

I still love the unit and it's pop off with no wires bracket feature. But when I bought a similar unit for my daughter's boat a few months ago . . . I had bought mine from the dealer I bought my boat from.

But this time around I was smart enough to search the net and found almost the exact same unit with 95% of the features (the 595 series) for $396 with free shipping and no tax . . . live and learn I guess!

But hey, how was this for a spot on solution to your issue

 

[Barracuda Bill]

Re: Looking for some advice on how to fix a "rooster tail?"

That fix worked for the poster but it sure looks Micky Mouse

If boating is about looks, then I and thousands of others had better quit.
I understand what you are saying. But my fix killed 2 birds with one plastic jug. My transom isn't that wide, so I can't really move the transducer. And now I don't have interference from the prop.

Works for me.

 

[Wild Bill Coleman]

Re: Looking for some advice on how to fix a "rooster tail?"

Hey, Mickey Mouse or not, all of the ideas were great, guys. I appreciate it. You've given me some ideas to play with. Thanks a bunch!

 

[Willyclay]

Re: Looking for some advice on how to fix a "rooster tail?"

I have a bud with a BW15 who could not mount his transducer in the bilge due to the design of the hull. He used 3M 5200 adhesive to hold a small section of 4inch PVC pipe to the transom for a spray deflector. He cut a notch in the PVC for the transducer's cable. Good luck!