Forward-Looking Sonar Interference

[yachtdaemon]

Hi,
We are currently in Kudat, Borneo and a frind had just arrived in port after hitting a log with his boat. No serious damage fortunately, but the log damaged the transducer fitting on his forward-looking sonar, breaking the plastic surround the fitting screws into. No chance of getting a spare anywhere around here, but the boatyard has offered to machine a brass replacement for him. So, his current question is:

"Will the replacement brass fitting interfere with the sonar in any way?"

Your thoughts on this, please.

Cheers,
Jill

[Alaskaboy]

Jill,
I noticed there wasn't any response to your question. I guess no one knew. Do you have any follow up on the incident? Did he do the brass ring thing? Did the brass ring interfere with the sonar technically?

I've spent couple hours or so this morning looking at forward scanning sonar to understand the different systems. Was your friend using his sonar when the incident happened? Probably sailing along in daylight in the wide open sea not suspecting anything. I'm concerned about containers just below the surface. This is why I'm asking.

Rgds, Clay

[yachtdaemon]

Hi Clay,
Yes, he went ahead with the brass fitting and as far as I know, no problems. He is a singlehander so yes, was sailing happily along when he hit the log - don't think he had the sonar on, as he uses it mainly for badly-charted coral anchorages.

I'll probably get beaten up for this, but I wouldn't be too worried about the container issue - we've sailed the Pacific & SE Asia for 3 years and never seen one. That's not to say they aren't there and aren't a problem, but you have way more chance of getting totalled by a track on the way to work than hitting one. You'd need to be glued to the sonar using a lot of power and then you'd miss a lot of the stuff you go sailing for. Not to mention early demise from heart failure every time you get near a big fish or whale. (Seen lots of them, but they were never a collision issue)

Cheers,
Jill

[Alaskaboy]

Thanks Jill,
What you say makes sense. I guess I'll be getting it just to look for underwater obstructions near shore entering areas at night and in fog. On the ferries here in Alaska, they are always hitting logs and planks. Being as big as they are, and steel hulled, they just run them over.

Clay

Clay