The depth sounder works

The happy snap is of the Bails, on the left Max age 16 with size 16 feet to match, next Theresa looking justifiably weary having just worked all night, then Martin standing on tip toe - he seems to be developing a Napolean complex having been outgrown by Max and Theresa. Lewis, nearly 12, on the right won't be far behind.

As it was blowing over 24 knots the plan was to stay in Fisheries Creek at Ballina. Martin had offered to help me get the depth sounder working.

The issue of where to locate the transducer for a depth sounder has been a live issue on the Farr trailer sailor discussion group for years. I certainly did not want to cut a hole in the bottom of the boat nor is it ideal to fix it to the transom on a sailing boat. Following hints on the website I put an in hull puck transducer just behind the battery under the cockpit. I would have liked to put it forward of the keel but it just wasn't feasible.

Setting it up is a bit like setting up a VCR and Martin and I did it without any teenage help. Then we motored up and down Fisheries Creek to see if it was working correctly. We used the unsophisticated method of checking that when the depth sounder read 1 metre a boat hook over the side touched the bottom at 1 metre.












A couple of weeks ago I drove up to Bribie Island to inspect a Zodiac C240 inflatable advertised in the Trading Post. It turned out to be almost new and well priced, so I snapped it up.

My second project for the day was to establish that it rowed reasonably well. It did as proved by the photos below.