Guide Point 2: Hull Strakes and Through Hull Fittings
🔧 Second Consideration: Hull Strakes and Through Hull Fittings
Hull Strakes
Boats are designed to have planing strakes or strengthening strakes which help hold the boat in a straight line. These are located under the hull and will stick out much like a triangular section in aluminum or fiberglass. These strakes tear up the water as the boat moves, which creates turbulence, and directly in a straight line after the strake there will be a line of turbulence behind it.
You want to try to avoid installing your transducer behind a strake or it will be trying to read through the aerated water, whereas you want clean water for your transducer.
How to identify clean water zones:
- The best bet is to go for a ride in the boat and look over the back of the boat to see lines of turbulence
- Identify where the water seems to be cleanest
- The transducer should be located where the water isn't white with aeration
- However, this isn't always obvious to see
The rule: Theoretically, do not install behind strakes but in between each strake where the water flow is cleanest.
Through Hull Fittings
Through hull fittings that exceed the hull and sit out into the fast water—like inlets and outlets—will also tear up the water molecules and create turbulence.
Important: You also want to try to install without being in a straight line behind one of these fittings to avoid the turbulent water trail they create.