•
Prowler Seat Upgrade
• Fitting a Scotty
Triple Rod Holder
• Fitting Ocean Kayak's
Flush Mounts
• Making
Rocket Launcher Style Rod Holders
• Installing a Fishfinder
v2
• Anchor Trolley System
•
Anchor
Trolley System for 2007 Prowler 13
•
The Crate
• Fixtures and Fittings List
Disclaimer:
Installing
hardware may cause damage and/or void manufacturer warranties. The information
we provide is a free reference guide only. The author of this information,
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not liable for any problems or issues that arise from the use of this
information. Users of this information hereby acknowledge that all use
of this information is done by their own free will, at their own sole
risk, understanding that injury or death could occur.
Having installed the Humminbird Fishfinder 535 on the Project Caper and being very pleased with its performance, we have decided to fit the Humminbird Fishfinder 565 Dual Beam on Project Prowler.
This
will enable us to get a better view of the sea bed when paddling shallow
ground. We have also decided to use a different method to fit the transducer,
making it less permanent and allowing us to compare the difference, if
any, between the two methods.
Positioning
of the Display
Choosing
the area to mount a Fishfinder is always difficult, on the Prowler it
was even harder. We would normally have chosen to fit it in the area where
the second cup holder is placed, but this was not possible.
The alternative
was to mount the display and base at the rear of the flat area used to
hold a tackle box on the Angler version of the Prowler 13. This has actually
worked out quite well, the display is easily accessible from the seated
position and still leaves room for a cutting board when baiting up.
Installing
the Finder
Firstly remove
the elastic tackle box strap and associated fittings, this will give you
a nice flat area to mount the display. With the base pushed against the
back of the recess and centralised across the width, mark and drill the
first hole using a 3/16" drill. Push the first M5 x 25mm counter
sunk bolt through the base and into the newly drilled hole, then drill
the diagonally opposing hole, for a good fit use the base as a guide,
placing the drill bit into the hole to drill, but keeping a tight grip
so that it doesn't move. Push fit the second bolt. This done, drill the
last two holes again using the base as a guide. Using this method of drilling
and bolting should give you a tight fit without any misalignment.
The
next job is to fit the power and transducer cables. On the Humminbird
models the transducer cable incorporates a single plastic plug, draw around
this in the centre of the hole in the base, due to the shape of the plug,
this will need careful cutting and filing to keep the hole as small as
possible, you could of course fit a rubber grommet to give a good seal.
Having already
removed the base to drill and cut the cable hole, use a sharp craft knife
or sandpaper to clean up all the holes.
Add a blob
of Loctite 595 sealant to each of the bolt holes, then bolt the base into
position, using the Prowler's hatch for access.
Pass the
Transducer plug up through the hole and Power
lead down through the cable hole. Using the supplied fittings
position and screw the power and Transducer Cables on the Mount. Push
the Display mount backwards to stretch the cables up through the hole.
Place masking tape on the inside of the hull to cover the cable hole,
now squeeze a large amount of Sealant into the recesses from above ensuring
that the hole is well covered. Allow the sealant to dry for 24 hours and
then carefully remove the masking tape.
Fitting
the transducer
Although
we have had no problems with the Caper's Transducer, it was decided to
mount the Prowlers in a less permanent way, using a swimming noodle, a
noodle connector and a couple of jars of vaseline.
We chose
to fit the transducer underneath the forward cup holder, making it easy
to access from the main hatch.
First job
is to cut off the two plastic brackets on the top of the transducer using
a hacksaw. These were deemed a little high and could cause the transducer
to move out of alignment with the hull.
Placing the
transducer on a flat surface, mark the noodle connector for cutting, we
cut it to a length of 10 cm.
Mark the
front of the noodle connector with a pen, then using a coarse grade glass
paper, shape the bottom of the noodle connector to fit snuggly on the
inside of the hull. Ensure the mark on the front of the noodle connector
aligns with centre of the hull. Rough the area chosen for fitting the
transducer, wipe the area with white spirit until no more colour appears
on the wipe.
Slide the
transducer into the noodle connector from the top and position the front
of the transducer (the pointed end on the Humminbird transducer) using
the mark on the front of the noodle connector as a guide, this needs to
be accurate.
Squeeze
a generous amount of Stormsure adhesive around the bottom of the foam
on the noodle connector, make sure that none comes into contact with the
transducer. Press the noodle connector into position, aligning the mark
on the noodle connector with the centre of the kayak. Use a heavy weight
to hold in position and leave for 24 hours.
Place the
vaseline into a cup of boiling water. Check that the transducer is flat
against the hull. Carefully remove the jar from the boiling water, pour
it's contents into the noodle connector, use a mixing stick to ensure
that the vaseline is surrounding and covering the transducer evenly, taking
care not to move the transducer, repeat the process with the second jar
of vaseline.
Cut a 10
cm section of Noodle and slide into the connector sealing the vaseline
and transducer inside.
Batteries
and tidying up
You will
now need to source your power unit, the battery. A Sealed Lead Acid battery
is ideal for the job, they can be used at any angle and won't leak, they
are available in a variety of sizes, voltage and current ratings to suit
your needs. We chose a 12 volt, 3.3 Ah from Maplin the electrical store,
where we were also able to buy a matching two stage charger. It's worth
noting that the chargers are rated for particular battery capacities,
so if you decide you need more capacity chances are you will also need
to buy a new charger. The 3.3 Ah battery gives a good couple of days fishing
before needing a recharge and isn't too heavy.
We
used an Otterbox in the Caper and but found it difficult to open with
cold hands. So the search was on to find an alternative for the Prowler,
a Klip-It 1 litre airtight box was found in the local hardware shop at
a cost of £2.89, the 3.3 Ah battery fits in beautifully. We added
a little foam to two of the sides to allow a snug fit. The lid is secured
with a large lock tab on either side.
Before fitting
the box drill a small hole at one end of the box, just below the lid to
accommodate the power cable. Sand and clean the hull in a central area
beneath the hatch. Lightly sand the base and edges of the Klip-It box,
glue into position using Stormsure Adhesive.
Place the
battery into the box and leave to dry for 24 hours.
Push the
power cable through the hole in the box, then add an inline fuse holder
with the correct fuse for your finder to the positive (red) cable, crimp
on battery connectors to the black and red leads. Add a small cable tie
to both sides of the cable to hold in place where it fits through the
hole in the box and add a little sealant or glue to ensure a water tight
fit. The electrical fittings are all available from Maplin.
When you
have finished you are left with a lot of power and transducer cable to
tidy, wind it in loops around the noodle connector and tie loops together
with a couple of cable ties.
Connect your
battery and turn onyour display, your ready to go.
Alternatively
the battery and leads can be rolled up in a dry bag and placed inside
the hatch.
