228 Seafarer upgrades questions. MFDs - 2 9s? 1 12" or 16"? Auto-deploy trolling motor and shaft length?

[edz13579]

Hi everyone:
Have a 2001 Seafarer with old Humminbird 858C. Decided to do some major upgrading this year. The boat is used 90% for fishing Gardiners Bay / eastern Long Island sound waters for bass, blues, and fluke. 90% of time in depths of 50' or less. About 20% of time is trolling, the rest is drifting or pulling up to a spot or school. That means 80% of fishing is done from the back of the boat, and the existing 7" is just so hard to see.

I'm strongly leaning towards the Lowrance HDS PRO or Simrad NSS Evo3s because they can display Suzuki engine codes on the MFD. The 3 in 1 active target HD is the transducer I'm leaning towards. Would I need another Airmar thru-hull or in-hull to be able to see at planing speeds? Currently over 10mph the Humminbird goes blank.

Has anyone been able to get 2 9" displays inside the console? I like the idea of being able to lock up the electronics.
For those of you with flush mounts, have you had any issues with water intrusion?
I'm trying to decide if I should go with 9's, which look like they would fit side by side flush mounted, or, getting a 12 (I've seen a picture of one inside the console) or even a 16. It looks like if I cant get 2 9s inside the console, I would need some custom fiberglass work done? Looking for ballpark costs on something like that.

For a trolling motor, the only auto-deploy salt water one I could find was the Ultera? I understand they had troubles when they first came out, but are they better recently? I'm not a fan of walking to the bow on a pitching boat to manually pull up the motor. The conveniences of auto deploy and stow would be wonderful.
For those of you with trolling motors on a Seafarer, what length shaft did you get?
Did you need to go to a 36v system or would a 24v system be more than fine? Some drifts would be in Plum Gut where current can get over 5, but that's not a large percentage of my fishing.
I'd rather not lose my anchor. Has anyone found a clever way of mounting the motor so it doesn't interfere with the anchor and both are usable?

Any advice or pictures would be most appreciated !
Thanks,
Ed

 

[Ky Grady]

I'll give ya my take on the depth finder question.
When I first got my 228, I installed 2 - 7" Lowrance units inside my e-box, they worked ok, but the size was hard to see sometimes and had issues that I never could resolve with them powering up. Got frustrated on one of my fishing trips to SC and went to West Marine and bought a Simrad NSS12 and put it in the box temporarily to finish out the trip. Been very happy with it. After the trip, I proceeded to flush mount it and have been extremely satisfied with it. A 16" would be tight to flush mount without it overhanging. Others may have different setups, but this works for me.

 

[transfib]

I'm a Lake Michigan troller with a 1991 241 Offshore with a hardtop. I've been running a Raymarine E165, 16" display on a gimbled mount. I like the fact I can see the depth, speed, radar, etc. from the back of the boat when setting lines or reeling in a fish.

 

[edz13579]

I'll give ya my take on the depth finder question.
When I first got my 228, I installed 2 - 7" Lowrance units inside my e-box, they worked ok, but the size was hard to see sometimes and had issues that I never could resolve with them powering up. Got frustrated on one of my fishing trips to SC and went to West Marine and bought a Simrad NSS12 and put it in the box temporarily to finish out the trip. Been very happy with it. After the trip, I proceeded to flush mount it and have been extremely satisfied with it. A 16" would be tight to flush mount without it overhanging. Others may have different setups, but this works for me.

View attachment 32681View attachment 32682View attachment 32683

Thank you this is helpful. I think instead of 2 9s I will go with a 12 in the console. Then decide later if I want to flush mount a 16. I'm also exploring getting a nice mount for my iPad so I can have Navionics on that with the higher res and taller screen and use the MFD for everything else.

 

[edz13579]

I'm a Lake Michigan troller with a 1991 241 Offshore with a hardtop. I've been running a Raymarine E165, 16" display on a gimbled mount. I like the fact I can see the depth, speed, radar, etc. from the back of the boat when setting lines or reeling in a fish.

I get it, the 7" I have now just isn't working for me at the back of the boat, where is where 95% of my fishing is done from. I may have a mount on the console and at the back of the boat for my iPad so I can mirror the MFD

 

[Timcan]

Here is my set up with 9 inch displays. I built the box out of king starboard.

 

[edz13579]

Here is my set up with 9 inch displays. I built the box out of king starboard.

That's a nice setup! It's why I'm having such a hard time deciding on 2 9s or a 12. Or maybe a 12 with an iPad used for Nav and then mirrored at back of boat.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I bought my boat back in October of 2021 back in Maryland and then trailered her 3,009 miles out here to the Seattle area where I live. When I initially bought the boat, she came with a basic 7" touchscreen Garmin MFD that crapped out on me the next summer when I tried doing a software/maps update. No matter, the unit had an online manufacturers date of between I believe it was 2010-2013, so it was anywhere from almost 10-12 years old at that point. On top of that, the smaller 7" screen left quite a bit to be desired regardless. Either way, I ended up replacing it with a Garmin 943xsv that I mounted in the electronics box behind the steering wheel, similar to how Ky Grady had his setup originally. I did it this way for a couple of reasons and bought that particular Garmin model for a few reasons. First, I don't mind the look or functionality of the flush mount screens on the outside of the electronics box but at the time it was I believe just a couple of days before the king salmon opener and I didn't want to mess around with buying starboard and flush mounting it beforehand. I wanted to make sure everything was ready to go, not have to drive back and forth into town a couple different times and worrying about having everything ready before the opener. So, I just installed everything similar to how it was before, and I figured if I really hated it, then over the next couple weeks or that winter I could do something different and flush mount it at that point. After having it this way for a couple of seasons, I'm going to stick with my current setup for several reasons. I like that the MFD is "locked" away inside the electronics compartment, which would hopefully deter someone that might want to try and steal it. Though obviously a screwdriver, window punch or just about anything else could be used to break inside.

But the biggest thing I like about it, is that it protects the MFD from all of the elements like the rain, sun and so forth. If you've got the MFD flush mounted, you've only got the plastic cover to be able to keep it out of the elements when you're not using it. And when you're motoring, if you're taking water over the bow or the sides, or if it's raining and you don't have a hardtop, or if the rain is dripping down onto the MFD, it's going to get wet. Comparatively, I can close the lid on the electronics box, which has a foam or rubber gasket around it, and keep it out of the elements of the saltwater/rain while still having it on while I'm fishing/cruising. The reasons for going with the Garmin 943xsv were also more than just a couple. I liked the 9" screen, not too big, not too small. Bigger and a much greater improvement over the small 7" Garmin touchscreen that came with the boat. I liked the price point at I believe it was $1,399 as opposed to the 10" and 12" units that were all around $2,500 and up. I prefer touchscreen only without any knobs, which this one has. In terms of performance, it has traditional, SideVu and Chirp sonar without needing a separate black box. And lastly, it's a big enough screen at least for me in that I can see the depth of the water as well as fish activity while at the stern of the boat. It also does have bluetooth on it, so you can pair up your phone or an iPad to it, which I've used both before. Though, it takes me about a minute or less to put down my downriggers, so if I'm following a course on the scree, it shouldn't change the depth of the water that much. If I'm fishing for king salmon where you're essentially dragging bottom, then I can take 10-15 seconds and adjust the depth on the downriggers. I didn't really need anything crazy fancy or expensive as I typically just troll for salmon and then check crab pots, as well as I don't have radar. So, I couldn't really justify getting a bigger screen, and I have 20/10 vision at this point. Maybe later on over the years I'll switch it out but I imagine I'll get considerable use out of this MFD before that time. I prefer Garmin over the other brands, though not everyone feels the same way that I do. I'd go to your local West Marine, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's or wherever you prefer to look at the different brands of electronics and figure out which one works the best for you. I've tried Lowrance, Simrad and other brands multiple times over the years and keep coming back to buying Garmin products. Just my opinions on the matter of course, good luck.

 

[edz13579]

I bought my boat back in October of 2021 back in Maryland and then trailered her 3,009 miles out here to the Seattle area where I live. When I initially bought the boat, she came with a basic 7" touchscreen Garmin MFD that crapped out on me the next summer when I tried doing a software/maps update. No matter, the unit had an online manufacturers date of between I believe it was 2010-2013, so it was anywhere from almost 10-12 years old at that point. On top of that, the smaller 7" screen left quite a bit to be desired regardless. Either way, I ended up replacing it with a Garmin 943xsv that I mounted in the electronics box behind the steering wheel, similar to how Ky Grady had his setup originally. I did it this way for a couple of reasons and bought that particular Garmin model for a few reasons. First, I don't mind the look or functionality of the flush mount screens on the outside of the electronics box but at the time it was I believe just a couple of days before the king salmon opener and I didn't want to mess around with buying starboard and flush mounting it beforehand. I wanted to make sure everything was ready to go, not have to drive back and forth into town a couple different times and worrying about having everything ready before the opener. So, I just installed everything similar to how it was before, and I figured if I really hated it, then over the next couple weeks or that winter I could do something different and flush mount it at that point. After having it this way for a couple of seasons, I'm going to stick with my current setup for several reasons. I like that the MFD is "locked" away inside the electronics compartment, which would hopefully deter someone that might want to try and steal it. Though obviously a screwdriver, window punch or just about anything else could be used to break inside.

But the biggest thing I like about it, is that it protects the MFD from all of the elements like the rain, sun and so forth. If you've got the MFD flush mounted, you've only got the plastic cover to be able to keep it out of the elements when you're not using it. And when you're motoring, if you're taking water over the bow or the sides, or if it's raining and you don't have a hardtop, or if the rain is dripping down onto the MFD, it's going to get wet. Comparatively, I can close the lid on the electronics box, which has a foam or rubber gasket around it, and keep it out of the elements of the saltwater/rain while still having it on while I'm fishing/cruising. The reasons for going with the Garmin 943xsv were also more than just a couple. I liked the 9" screen, not too big, not too small. Bigger and a much greater improvement over the small 7" Garmin touchscreen that came with the boat. I liked the price point at I believe it was $1,399 as opposed to the 10" and 12" units that were all around $2,500 and up. I prefer touchscreen only without any knobs, which this one has. In terms of performance, it has traditional, SideVu and Chirp sonar without needing a separate black box. And lastly, it's a big enough screen at least for me in that I can see the depth of the water as well as fish activity while at the stern of the boat. It also does have bluetooth on it, so you can pair up your phone or an iPad to it, which I've used both before. Though, it takes me about a minute or less to put down my downriggers, so if I'm following a course on the scree, it shouldn't change the depth of the water that much. If I'm fishing for king salmon where you're essentially dragging bottom, then I can take 10-15 seconds and adjust the depth on the downriggers. I didn't really need anything crazy fancy or expensive as I typically just troll for salmon and then check crab pots, as well as I don't have radar. So, I couldn't really justify getting a bigger screen, and I have 20/10 vision at this point. Maybe later on over the years I'll switch it out but I imagine I'll get considerable use out of this MFD before that time. I prefer Garmin over the other brands, though not everyone feels the same way that I do. I'd go to your local West Marine, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's or wherever you prefer to look at the different brands of electronics and figure out which one works the best for you. I've tried Lowrance, Simrad and other brands multiple times over the years and keep coming back to buying Garmin products. Just my opinions on the matter of course, good luck.

Thank you for your insight. I bought my Seafarer in New Orleans and had it shipped to eastern Long Island. Like yours it has a 10+ year old 7" screen. I fish from the back of the boat primarily and it's a hassle trying to see the 7" screen. The lockable box and weather protection are strongly leaning me towards a 12" in the console, and using an iPad with Navionics while underway (with a puck), and taking the iPad to the stern to mirror the MFD and see what's happening. As well as an easy way to drop a waypoint when I hook up instead of putting the rod in the holder, running to the console, and running back to grab the rod.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Thank you for your insight. I bought my Seafarer in New Orleans and had it shipped to eastern Long Island. Like yours it has a 10+ year old 7" screen. I fish from the back of the boat primarily and it's a hassle trying to see the 7" screen. The lockable box and weather protection are strongly leaning me towards a 12" in the console, and using an iPad with Navionics while underway (with a puck), and taking the iPad to the stern to mirror the MFD and see what's happening. As well as an easy way to drop a waypoint when I hook up instead of putting the rod in the holder, running to the console, and running back to grab the rod.

I've got two iPad's now and have only used them a couple of times on the boat when fishing. The most relevant time would probably be the first time I took the boat out fishing with my uncle. He's in his 70's and has glasses, so having an iPad with a suction cup mount at the stern while he's back there was a pretty good setup. That being said, if you're at the stern and on the driver's side of the vessel, the seat could also possibly block part of the screen anyway. So, if I'm fishing with someone and putting the lines down while they're driving, I'll just ask them how deep we are. If I'm driving and they're putting the lines down then I'll tell them the depth. With silvers though, it's completely different because I'm usually fishing in 100-150' of water and typically only have my gear/downrigger ball down at 50' or less. So, there's a difference of around 50' or more between the bottom and my gear/downrigger ball, and to where I won't have to worry about anything. King salmon fishing though is quite different and as mentioned above, I'm within about 10' of the bottom. Fishing on depth lines helps out quite a bit though, as well as knowing the area, the tides and approximately how deep you are in the first place. With regards to dropping a waypoint, I'm assuming you're actually referring to dropping a marker instead? Or at least that's what they call it on the Garmin devices. When I'm fishing, depending on if I'm by myself or with other people, I'll generally crank the boat to the side that has the fish on, put it in neutral and then net the fish for the other person, or myself if fishing solo. Because I put it in neutral when fighting a fish 9 times out of 10, unless the tide and current is ripping, I don't care too terribly much if the mark is in the exact spot or if it's 50'-75' feet off. Now if I was mooching or jigging then that might be a bit of different story.

 

[Ryhlick]

I have a garmin 1242xvs in my console of my 228 and it is great. I had two 9” screens on another boat and it worked well, but I prefer the 12” screen much more.

 

[SeanC]

I’m looking to flush mount a 16” TZT3. I cut out a template and it should just fit. I would love a 19” but I think it would be too big. I prefer one larger than 2 smaller ones. If you had two 8” units together they will be wider than a16” unit. The 16” unit will be higher than the 8” units so you end up with more screen area with the 16”.

 

[OMER]

riptide ultra 82" shaft
I use it with a Huminbird Solix 12, the Solix is coupled to the Riptide which allows it to be controlled from the screen, it is the same manufacturer.

 

[edz13579]

I’m looking to flush mount a 16” TZT3. I cut out a template and it should just fit. I would love a 19” but I think it would be too big. I prefer one larger than 2 smaller ones. If you had two 8” units together they will be wider than a16” unit. The 16” unit will be higher than the 8” units so you end up with more screen area with the 16”.

Now you have me thinking about a 16" instead of a 12 lol I just dont want to have to do major surgery on the console as I'm tool-challenged

 

[edz13579]

riptide ultra 82" shaft
I use it with a Huminbird Solix 12, the Solix is coupled to the Riptide which allows it to be controlled from the screen, it is the same manufacturer.

A well known marine dealer suggested a 72" shaft. How much below the water line is the 82? I want to make sure I get the right length as returns might not be possible.

 

[OMER]

sorry it's a 72", keyboard typo

 

[edz13579]

sorry it's a 72", keyboard typo

OK great thank you

 

[Seafarer_Bob]

I flush mounted a 10" Garmin 8610XSV, think I have room for a second one but it'll require a little cutting on the sides. Just installed a Garmin Trolling Motor on the bow and probably going all in with Panoptics live scope. If so I'm considering a surface mount MFD so I can rail mount it on the bow when fishing and move it to the console when I'm running.

 

[BRO-CAL]

Get two 10” Garmin screens installed and you will not be disappointed. https://www.greatgrady.com/threads/seafarer-228-electronics.28891/#post-197598

 

[edz13579]

I flush mounted a 10" Garmin 8610XSV, think I have room for a second one but it'll require a little cutting on the sides. Just installed a Garmin Trolling Motor on the bow and probably going all in with Panoptics live scope. If so I'm considering a surface mount MFD so I can rail mount it on the bow when fishing and move it to the console when I'm running.View attachment 32734View attachment 32735

Looks great! Question on fishing from the bow - do you plan to use the foot pedal up there? I find it challenging to fish from the bow as even walking up there is tight, and with a bouncing boat and a rod in one hand makes me nervous. What type of fishing will you do up there?