Marine growth on a transducer - Solutions?

[InterMechanico]

Hey everyone.

I have a pretty good amount of growth on my sonar transducer. It is a Garmin unit, the type that hands off the stern at the base of the hull.

Is it possible to use any kind of antifouling paint to reduce growth, or is it just something that needs to be cleaned manually every so often?

Thank you!

Julian

 

[spring fever]

Sorry- No Paint

 

[Trophy]

Read a long time ago to use joy liquid dish soap to clean transducer, always give mine a good wipe down with it every year. Trailer my boat but I felt it couldn’t hurt.

 

[Rain City]

Didn't guys say something about butt cream a while back?

 

[Sotally Tober]

Didn't guys say something about butt cream a while back?

LOL
Was this what you were referring to?

https://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/index.php?threads/baby-butt-cream.81170/

 

[Rain City]

LOL
Was this what you were referring to?

https://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/index.php?threads/baby-butt-cream.81170/

Boom

 

[Sotally Tober]

So would this butt cream applied to the transducer cause crappy performance with the sonar?

 

[Rain City]

So would this butt cream applied to the transducer cause crappy performance with the sonar?

All jokes aside I can't imagine it would.

 

[InterMechanico]

Hahahaha you guys are hilarious!

A quick scrub with dish soap. Got it!

Don't make fun of my amateur tig welding! I dont get much use out of this machine, and it was pouring rain

 

[jim morrow]

the dish soap does a great job of removing any oil film it picks up, and the washcloth gets the algae off.
when out of the water; mask the face of transducer. prime and paint with bottom paint. remove the tape.
the zinc cream won't be able to stay on when going fast, whether on the face or sides.

 

[ziggy]

There are commercial transducer anti fouling paints available, I bought one from West Marine years ago. Not sure how effective they are.

 

[InterMechanico]

The butt cream idea may work really well for my transoms and pod. I have Trilux 2 ablative antifouling paint of Interprotect 2001e. The hull surface itself is spotlessly clean. The areas that don't see any water movement, including the transom and pod, are where all the growth is.

 

[ericl]

Anti-foul paint is what is recommended.

 

[InterMechanico]

Anti-foul paint is what is recommended.

Top and sides only. Thank you Eric

 

[ReelSlim]

Penetan butt cream works well and lasts for a while....in my experience anyways. It contains trace amounts of zinc.

 

[InterMechanico]

Just saying, but working on dry land is pretty porkin great!


I've gotten the trim tab plates welded onto the boat, painted up in epoxy and the tabs mounted and wired in. I used the Bennett Autotrim controller given it is only slightly more than than the manual unit. I've also gotten the stereo head unit installed and you can see the most excellent Grip Tape Artwork in the picture above

 

[Corey_lax]

Do you have some soft rubber on the underside of those hatches? It would probably get annoying if they are bouncing up and down while you're moving.

 

[InterMechanico]

Do you have some soft rubber on the underside of those hatches? It would probably get annoying if they are bouncing up and down while you're moving.

Yep. D shaped epdm weather stripping around the perimeter of each hatch. Its 95 percent weather proof. I may spend a bit more time on that later, but for now its perfect.

 

[ericl]

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/mdr--transducer-antifouling-paint--128225

 

[wolf]

I have never seen that before and was told , maybe wrong but to NEVER paint a transducer?? ill stick to the panatene as it seems to effect nothing and performs well