Rhodan on a 226 Seafarer

[RoyC]

Roy, would you happen to have a photo of the Rhodan in the stored position without the cover? I'm curious on how intrusive it is into the walk way, and how you mounted the TM stabilizer.

Hi Koz,

You are most welcome

items : ram ball handlebar (you may be able to use the one provided by Rhodan), Ram medium claw and a ram long arm bar. All items attached below below.

I have one earlier photo which the ball handlebar was mounted at the top of the bow rail connector with the included Rhodan arm. But I have since changed to a longer arm and shifted the ram handlebar to the bottom of the bow rail.

 

[RoyC]

That looks fantastic Roy, you do excellent work! Thank you very much for sharing the photos. I REALLY appreciate it!!

Your photos are SO helpful right now. My TM should be shipping next week. I envision physically mounting it almost identically to what you did. I was thinking of mounting on the starboard side. I like it on the port side, but I was concerned about not being able to access that side of the walk around easily. In my slip I use that side to tie up. Your photos look like it is fairly easy to step over. Now I'm rethinking that.

I just completed the battery installation on mine yesterday! Everything is tested and working. Batteries are centered midship. I mounted the batteries under the deck in the space where the auxiliary gas tank would have gone. The hardest part (mentally) was cutting a BIG hole in my deck. I made a 'table' out of 2" x 3" aluminum tube with a 3/4" thick starboard mounting plate. The job went without and issues and I am happy with how that part came out. The hatch is solid, no spongy feel at all. I will neaten up the wiring and remove the other deck plate (to clean underneath) this week then caulk everything.

Impressive setup on the batteries Koz!. My single fuel tank extends all the way to the cabin, iirc 125 Gal. how many gal is yours?

With the motor stowed, I found that it is not easy for me to walk on the port side, esp out on the water. Maybe safer to mount on the opposite side which u normally berth at.

Another bit on the battery end. i have a IP65 junction box mounted in the anchor locker. The battery tender plug female end is mounted onto the box. In the box, I have connected a Victron bluetooth battery monitor, very easy to monitor battery voltage at TM via phone app.

 

[ROBERTH]

I wonder, maybe this is a crazy question, but can these motors be stored upright instead of layed down? Use the depth color to store it upright, maybe not when running offshore or in rough water, but for sure when docking?

 

[Koz54]

Thank you for the photos and info Roy. I think that I will stick to my original plan to mount it on the starboard side. A friend ditched the Rhodan arm too. I like your setup better, he screwed it into the side of his Parker.

My gas tank is 92 gallons. Whoever bought my boat new did not get the 56 gallon auxiliary tank, but did purchase the fresh water rinse with 10 gallon tank. (I love that feature!)

 

[RoyC]

I wonder, maybe this is a crazy question, but can these motors be stored upright instead of layed down? Use the depth color to store it upright, maybe not when running offshore or in rough water, but for sure when docking?

The collar design is to secure motor when stowed. I won’t want the collar to drop motor when I am doing 40mph.

 

[ROBERTH]

For sure, would not want that to happen! Yikes!

Seems one could be made to secure it though that would be secure. Just thinking outloud......

 

[Koz54]

The collar design is to secure motor when stowed. I won’t want the collar to drop motor when I am doing 40mph.

That's kind of what started me down this rabbit hole. About 3-4 years ago a friend's TM was apparently not properly secured and 'auto deployed' after hitting a small wake doing 30mph or so. Fortunately (for me) I was not aboard that day, but I was privy to the replacement TM with anchoring capabilities the following week. It was my first experience with a TM with anchoring capabilities.

I have been plotting on putting one on my boat since that first day fishing pilings!

 

[Koz54]

I finished the install this past weekend. Was delayed due to wrong motor being shipped to me, but Rhodan made it right. The install was fairly easy, no major issues.
Correction, there is an issue but not with the Rhodan. The issue is my GPS and side scan no longer function. That was self inflicted. Instead of cutting and splicing the GPS puck (easy way) I decided to do it the 'right way' and remove the whole cable to relocate the GPS puck. During reassembly I accidently bent a couple of pins plugging everything back into my unit. One broke off inside!

I drilled the pin out and sliced together a GPS cable but it did not work. Ordered a new GPS puck and 'Y' cable for my transducers. Hopefully it works and I don't have to replace my chart plotter. Only disappointing thing on my shakedown cruise was that I now have a precision GPS anchor, but I don't know exactly where I am!! That will be corrected one way or another very soon.

Anyway I made a odd shaped backing plate to grab as much of the gunnel as possible. I made a part to screw into the starboard side navigation light that I had to relocate. Originally I was going to just cap it off, but I decided to run the power cable through it. Worked well.

 

[Koz54]

a couple more

 

[RoyC]

Nice one! Welcome to the club

How thick was your mounting plate? Mine is 1/2" thick and I was worried initially about it bending under stress but so far working fine.

 

[Koz54]

Thanks Roy!

The mounting plate is from Rhodan, 1/2" thick I believe it was. The backing plate is 1/8" stainless steel (316). Given the area that is holding onto I have no worries as to it's strength. If that thing comes off it will take a fairly big chunk of fiberglass with it. With the backing plate surface area matters more than thickness. I tried to make it as large as reasonable.

 

[Summertop511]

Just ordered minn kota 36v 72”. Taking my windlass and plow anchor off to cover windlass holes with mounting puck. Plan to mount it this way. Order fortress anchor to put in anchor locker. Now deciding to either go with lithium or regular batteries.

 

[RoyC]

Just ordered minn kota 36v 72”. Taking my windlass and plow anchor off to cover windlass holes with mounting puck. Plan to mount it this way. Order fortress anchor to put in anchor locker. Now deciding to either go with lithium or regular batteries.

Looks possible but I suspect that you might need to angle it, blocking part of the walk way. I have kept my anchor winch for safety reasons - in case I loose power.

 

[Koz54]

I don't have a winch, but I kept clear and easy access to my anchor. Like Roy, for safety reasons. If I lose all power I'd like to anchor if need be.

 

[mshoultz66]

That looks fantastic Roy, you do excellent work! Thank you very much for sharing the photos. I REALLY appreciate it!!

Your photos are SO helpful right now. My TM should be shipping next week. I envision physically mounting it almost identically to what you did. I was thinking of mounting on the starboard side. I like it on the port side, but I was concerned about not being able to access that side of the walk around easily. In my slip I use that side to tie up. Your photos look like it is fairly easy to step over. Now I'm rethinking that.

I just completed the battery installation on mine yesterday! Everything is tested and working. Batteries are centered midship. I mounted the batteries under the deck in the space where the auxiliary gas tank would have gone. The hardest part (mentally) was cutting a BIG hole in my deck. I made a 'table' out of 2" x 3" aluminum tube with a 3/4" thick starboard mounting plate. The job went without and issues and I am happy with how that part came out. The hatch is solid, no spongy feel at all. I will neaten up the wiring and remove the other deck plate (to clean underneath) this week then caulk everything.

Hi Koz. I like the table you made. I'm considering doing the same thing. How did you secure the table to the boat?

 

[RoyC]

Been using the Rhodan for a number of trips. I must say it is really a very worthy addition to my little seafarer and a huge time saving investment coupled with a 400w solar panel with 36v mppt charger, my batt has not gone below 39v - as long as the sun is up!

Example, I can easily anchor directly above the edge of a wreck with ease or approach a shallow reef, click anchor lock and boat will auto turn to face the current; and gradually (1.5ft increment) move to my preferred spot with grace, till near the edge of the reef When u r ready to leave, just power on, get a mate to lift the Rhodan and you are quickly on the way.

No more wasting time messing around with anchor nor risk of swinging and bumping into other boats fishing close nearby - a common sight here

 

[Koz54]

Hi Koz. I like the table you made. I'm considering doing the same thing. How did you secure the table to the boat?

Thanks. I used #12 Phillips pan head screws with lock washers. I believe they were 1" long. Sealed with 4200.

 

[Koz54]

Been using the Rhodan for a number of trips. I must say it is really a very worthy addition to my little seafarer and a huge time saving investment coupled with a 400w solar panel with 36v mppt charger, my batt has not gone below 39v - as long as the sun is up!

Example, I can easily anchor directly above the edge of a wreck with ease or approach a shallow reef, click anchor lock and boat will auto turn to face the current; and gradually (1.5ft increment) move to my preferred spot with grace, till near the edge of the reef When u r ready to leave, just power on, get a mate to lift the Rhodan and you are quickly on the way.

No more wasting time messing around with anchor nor risk of swinging and bumping into other boats fishing close nearby - a common sight here

I use shore power and have also run the Rhodan on quite a few trips of up to 8 hours anchor time. Holding in stiff current numerous times. Also used it move around the areas we fished. (Scattered boulder and rock piles) Moved here and there up to 1/4 mile at a clip I'd say. Lowest batteries went was two 'beeps' out of five.

All I can say is WOW I love this thing. As Roy did I deploy the Rhodan a couple hundred feet away and then use it to get me to the EXACT spot I want then press the anchor lock button. From there micro movements and working the boulder fields is as easy as hitting a button.

Just like where Roy, there are sometimes a lot of boats in a little real estate. On one trip there were two boats trying to fish a smallish rock pile. One had his fishing marker buoy deployed perfectly on the pile's center. However that boat and the other one were both 25-40' feet away from the buoy after anchoring. I got close, deployed the Rhodan and putted my way directly over the marker buoy. I knew one of the boats and his jaw was wide open as I pulled in. He asked me to retrieve his marker. I did, toggled over to him and handed it over.

Now the only thing missing the the interface between my Simrad and Rhodan. It will allow the Simrad to operate the Rhodan. Get close, deploy the Rhodan, find waypoint, hit 'Go To' and that's it. That do-hickey is on my Christmas list!!

 

[mshoultz66]

Thanks. I used #12 Phillips pan head screws with lock washers. I believe they were 1" long. Sealed with 4200.

Koz,

Thanks for that tip. Do you have any tips or advice for running the wiring to the bow? Was it difficult from your battery install location? Also, I'm considering a TEMPRESS 13x30 access hatch. Do you think 13" will be wide enough?

Thanks,

Matt . . .

 

[Koz54]

Koz,

Thanks for that tip. Do you have any tips or advice for running the wiring to the bow? Was it difficult from your battery install location? Also, I'm considering a TEMPRESS 13x30 access hatch. Do you think 13" will be wide enough?

Thanks,

Matt . . .

It was actually pretty easy to run the wires. You have to take apart the area underneath the helm then there is easy access to all the wiring. I've had that apart many times! The inspection plate has access to that area and the chase in the compartment the hatch accesses. I cut the PVC chase and ran the wires through it. I could have put a tee in, but I would have had to cut and resplice the wires already running through the chase. I chose not to do that.

From under the helm to the bow I ran them above the rod holders with screw in zip ties.

The hatch I used is 16" wide. My reasoning was that I can lift out any battery fairly easily. At 13" wide you would have to turn the battery to remove it. Not sure if there is enough height to do that easily.