Is Garmin SideVu a Valuable Tool on a C-Dory 22?

G

GoNavy83

New member
I'm comparing electronics in case I do decide to purchase a new C-Dory 22. If I'm reading the Garmin website correctly, If I purchase the GCV 10 Sounder (list $599.99) to go with the GPSMap 840xs Chartplotter and a 12-pin Garmin transducer, I will get SideVu capability. If the sounder is not purchased, I will get just DownVu, not SideVu.

How valuable is SideVu on a boat this size?


Thanks,
Sam
 
And I just read a blog that said to get SideVu, one or more additional transducers are required. Now I'm thinking this is not worth it on a 22' boat.
 
It depends on the type of fishing you do. The side view is for structure to the sides of the boat--Down view gives a more "graphic" view of the area in a cone under the boat. Both are good to down about 150 to 200 feet--in some areas, more. I have never used them. We don't fish in structure often--or if we do, it will be where we drift bait or cast bait well off to the side. If you are a die hard bass fisherman--it would be helpful. Read some of the review articles on side view and down view. I have followed the Hummingbird Forum for a number of years--also on" The Hull Truth" electronics section there is good information.
 
A question on the "side view" system.

Would it be possible to turn that 90 degrees and have a "front" view? :?: :idea:

I like to poke around in the shallows and if that could see ahead 100 feet, with some degree of depth designation /distance recognition it could save a prop or two or maybe some gel coat. Sort of a forward looking sonar :roll:

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
hardee":2fxufqqs said:
A question on the "side view" system.

Would it be possible to turn that 90 degrees and have a "front" view? :?: :idea:

I like to poke around in the shallows and if that could see ahead 100 feet, with some degree of depth designation /distance recognition it could save a prop or two or maybe some gel coat. Sort of a forward looking sonar :roll:

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
Click to expand...

There are some forward scanning sonars--the cheap ones so far are somewhat limited to about 3 to 6 x the depth of the water. Echo pilot and Interphase (was purchased by Garmin about 2 years ago) are the most common types. I have used them both, and are ok at very slow speeds, especially if looking for rocks or snags--not so good in sandy bottoms, like the ICW. Furuno has been working with phased arrays for many years, there are new units just coming to the market by several manufactures which may be better.

There is the $13,000 Furuno CH270 Searchlight SONAR which has a range of 2500 feet and has a dome which protrudes below the hull, and scans like a radar--retracts when you come up to speed. This is the cheapest of the rotating sonars. Furuno makes much bigger units, and Westmar also did in the past.

$24,000 WMB160F WASSP Furuno multi scan, but more for bottom, sort of like down and bottom scan, with wide beams, and far more sophisticated than the down scan and side scans. I don't know if this technology will move forward in the recreational boat market--but rumors.

Here is a comparison of the Furuno "searchlight" and FarSounder ($60,000 phased array) by Steve Dashew:
http://setsail.com/two-different-sonar-models-to-try/

Now as to the side scan--no it will not work facing forward--unless you are drifting sideways. It sends ultrasonic beams off to the side, and then a "map" is developed as you move along, so you see what went by-rather than what is ahead. I keep hoping that shortly we will see an economical forward looking sonar….
 
Thanks Bob, Some of those sound pretty spectacular, especially if you had one and then a C-dory for an accessory :wink:

Something with a little forward "Peek" would be nice, only need a couple hundred feet. Guess maybe a remote for the cruise control might come first.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon
 
i have Lowrance StructureScan. I find it pretty revealing in shallow water. I found this great area in BC that I was pulling King salmon out of ... Forgot to turn on the StructureScan to see it ... will do that this summer
 
Kushtaka, As I recollect, your application was in silty rivers, and involving fish wheels. It will be most interesting to see how the Hummingbird 360 works of you (not cheap--I believe about $1500 for the 360 unit, which is normally mounted on a transom, has to be lowered below the outboard lower unit and prop--and max speed it can be used in about 7 knots. Then you also have to buy a Hummingbird unit which starts at about $1,000 for the screen, and side scan etc. Best for fish finding at trolling motor speeds--which may be ideal for your application, but wonder how it would be for navigation-rather than fishing, at 5 knots? The complete 360 scan takes about 48 seconds (not sure if sector scans are faster--like 12 seconds for 90 degrees, or if it has to do the complete 360?

We are going to be very interested in what you find (and maybe it can be put on a boat to see how it works in a lake etc where there are ledges/snags/rocks in front of the boat?
 
I just found a photo of the Simrad forward looking sonar--susposed to be able to look ahead at 8 x the depth of water: i.e. 100 feet look ahead 800 feet:

forwardscan_lg.jpg


This looks as if it will not be flush with the bottom of the hull and can be manually retracted, perhaps even if you come up to planing speed? The transducer looks not unlike the old paddle wheel speed transducers that you had to take out to clean. Not much about how it works and how well it works! Simrad has good technologies, so it will be interesting how well this 10 degree beam forward looking sonar works.
 
I'm not home right now but just before I left I saw a flyer ( I think Cabela's) that had the 360 for ~$1000. I took a quick look, because I'm interested in seeing what's up front before my transom mounted finders says I just went from 80 feet to 8 feet.

FWIW, I just asked down at Rodgers Marine (Ptld) about turning a side looking 90 degrees to see for and aft, or just taking a standard unit and mounting it pointed forward instead of down. According to them, neither would have very usable results.

Harvey
SleepyC
 
It wasn't cheap. Bass Pro shops had the best price, shipped to my little corner, but it goes fed-ex two day air, which means it'll get to anchorage in two days, and then I'll get it a month later. Never send anything fedex to bush alaska.

About $2500 all in. My application will largely be stationary, from a wheel that sways and surges in the river, but is anchored and largely not moving. We'll get the bottom picture for a site and know where the underwater hazards to our rotating baskets are, and should then be able to set our wheel in an ideal position. This sonar application is to supplement, and hopefully replace standing on the fishwheel and probing the bottom with a piece of rebar to create a mental image.

I'm excited though. I'll certainly be taking the setup out for trolling up salmon, but I'll be very excited to see what it can do chasing halibut, rockfish, and lings down deep.

Full report forthcoming.
 
You know, this thread got a little bit hijacked, and I actually had a consideration for the OP.

Sonar applications have less to do with the size and type of boat you have, and more to do with where you will go (mostly) and what you will be doing (mostly).

I don't think the C-Dory has a particular sonar that is good or bad for it, per se. As long as you're not talking about enormous piles of hardware and transducers. Even the larger 10" screens are slim enough to be at home on a CD22.

So I would ask, are you simply looking to know the depth, to avoid submerged hazards/avoid collisions, or do you plan to fish with it?

If you plan to fish, are you bottom fishing, drifting, trolling, casting? The I would argue that there is absolutely nothing about a CD22 that would preclude it from benefitting from side view sonar, if the intended application called for it. In fact, I think the benefits of side view might be greater in shallower water, which may be places smaller boats are more commonly found. The sonar setups on some 18' bass boats would put some serious offshore rigs to shame.

So, maybe if you fill us in on your intended application, we can give you better advice.
 
Back
Top