Have started rigging already, and have a Humminbird 798 side imaging unit. I'm leary of mounting it on the back, as I'm concerned about the turbulence of the Mirage Drive affecting the sonar returns. When I had it mounted on my Native Ultimate, it would pick up the swirls created by the paddle strokes. However, I don't really want an arm hanging off the side of it either, so I put my thinking cap on, and here is what I have come up with so far: I took a 20 oz Coke bottle, cut the non-contoured middle section out of it, cut it across so it was a strip as opposed to a ring. Then wrapped it around the rear carry handle and marked it to cut it into a shorter strip that just barely overlaps itself.
Took a piece of 3/4" square aluminum tubing bought at Home Depot, cut it to 10" long, drilled holes in it to accommodate a 1 1/8" U-bolt. Wrapped the Coke bottle plastic around the handle, put the U-bolt on it, put the tubing on the U-bolt, and cinched it down with wing nuts and lock washers. Haven't put the transducer on it, but here is a pic:
And one more:
Now, my question is this: how would you all suggest running the transducer wire to the front of the boat? It will involve drilling a hole big enough to get the head-unit end of the wire through the hull somewhere in the back and then again up by the mounting boards, which is where I intend to mount the head-unit itself. Probably about a 1/2" hole. If you drilled it on the back deck of the boat, perhaps around the rudder/drum access hatch, what would you use to then close the hole and make it watertight?