2021 FSH 252 Sport Thread

[TexAg-00]

Gotcha. So is our only recourse to install radar? It would be nice to be able to keep a distant eye on weather when offshore and there is no cell service. Trying to sort my options.

 

[Zackdadams]

Radar is expensive but an option.
Another option is to just upgrade the Simrad unit to one compatible with SiriusXM.
Either way you're going to be spending about $2,500 to $3,000.

Simrad Halo20 20

Stay safe on the water with the Simrad Halo20 20

www.westmarine.com

The WM-4 is compatible with Simrad NSS evo3, NSS evo3S, NSO evo3, and NSO evo3S.

NSS12 evo3 Multifunction Display with C-MAP® US Enhanced Charts | West Marine

Check out our NSS12 evo3 Multifunction Display with C-MAP® US Enhanced Charts and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

NMEA2000 is easy.
Just a side note, the WM-3 gets horrible reviews everywhere I've researched it.
It was the reason they were discontinued apparently, they break very quickly and are expensive and have no warranty.

 

[Zackdadams]

While I was researching a while back I came across this eBay listing.

Simrad Northstar Navico WM-1 Alternative to WM-2 WM-3 Weather Sirius XM | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Simrad Northstar Navico WM-1 Alternative to WM-2 WM-3 Weather Sirius XM at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

For $260, might be worth giving it a try!

 

[ccwakerider]

Black Taco Shadefin ordered.
Should be here Thursday.
I'll be taking the boat out multiple times this Memorial Day weekend, I'll post a review.
We'll see if it's worth it's $1,400 price tag.

https://tacomarine.com/canvas-shade-boat-shade-t10-3000

Curious if this one this turned out good for you? Debating this one to see if it can be used while under power……?

I have the Yamaha one ordered, but it’s strictly one to be used at anchor only…… and looks cumbersome to put up.

 

[Zackdadams]

I haven't been able to take the boat out yet since I bought the shade.
I'll post a review soon.

 

[MilesPrower]

Gotcha. So is our only recourse to install radar? It would be nice to be able to keep a distant eye on weather when offshore and there is no cell service. Trying to sort my options.

For me, radar is a no-brainer. During prime boating season, thunderstorms are pretty much guaranteed on any given day in the Gulf of Mexico, so having a weather-capable radar opens up WAY more offshore fishing days for me, since I can keep an eye on storms.

I also have a barometer on my NMEA2K network, so I can keep track of pressure and dewpoint.

(And most of the time I'm boating, I'm returning to my dock at night, through lots of marine traffic, so that's another reason why I have radar. I also have an AIS Class B+ transceiver on my NMEA2K network, so I can see sailboats, cruisers, and commercial boats overlaid on my radar and chartplotter screens — and they can see me. Someone I know was rammed by a commercial boat on the Gulf last year, and both he and his son had to be airlifted to a hospital.)

 

[EastonRob]

This is something I've been researching a bit, and I can't find an easy explanation: do you need radar to get AIS overlay on your SIMRAD chart or will a VHF class transponder (NMEA 2K compatible) suffice? AIS on the chart has a "gee whiz" factor, but at some points when I'm in the Chesapeake Bay proper I'd like those container ships to know me (and vice versa). Sorry if that's a stupid question....

 

[MilesPrower]

This is something I've been researching a bit, and I can't find an easy explanation: do you need radar to get AIS overlay on your SIMRAD chart or will a VHF class transponder (NMEA 2K compatible) suffice?

Great question. A few issues are in play here.

Short answer:

No, you don't need radar. An AIS receiver, like a standard VHF radio with AIS reception and NMEA2K networking, is all you need to display AIS targets overlaid on your chart. (And obviously, an AIS transceiver will allow you to broadcast to other AIS receivers.)

Long answer:

Radar coupled with AIS does offer advantages, especially with the recently released Simrad v20.2 software that is now capable of identifying/merging radar and AIS targets that are the same vessel or navigation-aid. Importantly, Class B (vs. Class A or B+) targets may not broadcast their AIS positions frequently enough to be categorized as "dangerous," but radar will give you position updates on every sweep; and Simrad v20.2 software will try to consolidate radar and AIS positions before drawing COG lines and issuing collision warnings.

Moreover, if you have an NMEA2K heading sensor, your Simrad can display the chart (and AIS overlay) in heading-up mode (vs. north-up or COG-up modes), so that the orientation of the chart+AIS corresponds to the direction your boat is pointing.

With that said, the Go12 XSE is way too laggy to be useful in heading-up mode. My primary MFD is an NSS12 evo3s that I mounted directly over the wheel, and the Go12 XSE that came with the boat is my secondary screen, which I use for down and structure-scan.

What's nice is that the Motorguide Xi5 trolling motor also integrates nicely with everything. For example, I can touch an image on the structure-scan plot and tell the trolling motor to navigate to the exact location corresponding to the image I touched. Same with the down-scan — if I touch a grouping of fish, I can command the trolling motor to take me to the spot where the boat pinged those fish.

 

[Zackdadams]

I finally unboxed the Taco Shadefin yesterday, and realized I ordered the one without a mount. Nice.
Was planning on trying it out as I worked on various Audio Upgrades.

So, once that comes in, I'll post a review.
Overall it looks really nice and is much more compact than I expected.

 

[Spg1582]

I plan on installing my ShuttleSlide mount tomorrow. I'll take pictures this time and put together a post on what I bought and how I installed everything. Well, almost everything since I haven't installed my onboard charger yet.

I have a pic why not.

 

[Johncj]

Finally picking up my 252 tomorrow from Cycle Springs in Clearwater! If anyone hasn’t pulled the trigger yet, Curtis has been amazing to work with and is going to be loading the boat with tons of safety gear as a part of the deal. They had 2 252’s and 1 255 on the lot when I went to check it out this past Saturday. Obviously they are all for delivery but they are definitely getting volume. Let me know how I can help anyone out! First mods will be an onboard charger and a head for the girls!

View attachment 166567View attachment 166568

How did you mount your porta pot?

 

[Johncj]

Well considering I hate cold weather and want to hibernate when it drops below 50, at the moment I'm not using the boat but I am still spending money on upgrades LOL.

I'll be posting pictures of the new Sea Dek installation soon.

What's the guy asking? 100k?

 

[Johncj]

What is the pin line in the marine mat?

 

[Zackdadams]

Are you asking what color and finish I ordered my SeaDek in?

If so, 2 Inch Teak / Titanium Gray Over Black - Brushed Laser

 

[Zackdadams]

So I finally used the Taco Shadefin this weekend.
A few thoughts.

First off watch the YouTube video of how to use it.
I did not do this and really struggled to get it set up the first time.
You feel like you're going to break the thing at how much force you have to use to open it and lock it in place.
Second don't buy the fixed rod holder mount, buy the adjustable mount.
The fixed mount works but it's at such an angle that it's only about 5 ft above the deck at the rear of the boat.
I've ordered the adjustable mount.

With all that being said, it is super nice and works great. It was a big hit with the crew.
Plus it folds up into a pretty small form factor which I was able to strap to the side of my center console.

I didn't get any pictures of it deployed, I'll try to upload those next time.

EDIT: Here's the Shadefin deployed with the adjustable mount.

 

[BroadOak]

That's interesting if it's causing enough drag/interference to change the handling of the boat. Where on the boat did the dealer install the transducer?

I bought a Lowrance Active Imaging 3-in-1 Transducer but have yet to install it. I'm working on a solution to mount it as close to the centerline as possible while keeping it tucked under the boat. The downside is it may end up being the low point of the boat in order to not interfere with the sidescan.

I'm 3D printing a two piece mount that bolts together. One piece will mount to the underside of the boat using two existing bolts, while the other piece mounts to the transducer. I'm still tweaking the design of the top piece but hope to have it in the water soon for testing.

It very well may end up being a spectacular failure, but it's been a fun project so far.

Mounting location
View attachment 173676

Test print to check registration, angle, and alignment
View attachment 173677

Bottom part to attach to transducer
View attachment 173678

First print of "final" bottom design attached to transducer
View attachment 173679
View attachment 173680

Ok .. having the same issue as Bosticdon on this.. exact same mountng location on mine by the dealer as in his.. this is frustrating.. the transducer acts as a stationary rudder.. have to fight to keep the boat straight.. How did your design work for you and if Bosticdon reads this.. what have you done to correct this problem?

 

[JASmith]

Ok .. having the same issue as Bosticdon on this.. exact same mountng location on mine by the dealer as in his.. this is frustrating.. the transducer acts as a stationary rudder.. have to fight to keep the boat straight.. How did your design work for you and if Bosticdon reads this.. what have you done to correct this problem?

Yeah, I'd expect with that large of a block it would create uneven resistance moving through the water. There are 2 solutions I see, create something with less drag, or mirror the drag created by the transducer to the other side of the keel with a 'blank' of sorts.

 

[Zackdadams]

Just wanted to share a maintenance project I had to perform on the boat.
My "FSH 252 Sport" emblems fell off a few weeks ago.
It seems the factory double-sided tape failed.
I contacted the dealer, but they weren't able to get any replacements.
So i've decided to repair them myself.

They had warped a little, so I first let them sit in the sun for a week.
I placed them down on a hard surface, and set a piece of glass over them, to flatten them out.
This worked perfectly, and gave me time to collect the needed items for the repair.

The original 3M tape was still there, so I used some Goo Gone to remove this layer.
After a few minutes this peeled away easily.
I soaked the left over adhesive for a few more minutes, and wiped away what I could.



Next I used a small soft bristle brush, soaked in 99% Isopropyl Alcohol.
Finally I wiped down the area with a cloth soaked in Isopropyl, to prepare it for new adhesive.



I wanted to use some soft of marine grade 3M tape, but couldn't find any in stock.
Instead I found this outdoor rated Scotch double-sided tape at Lowes.
It says its "waterproof" and can hold 30lbs. We'll see.



I removed any excess tape left on the backs of the emblems.
I applied strips of the double-sided tape to the emblem backs.
Then using a sharp new razor blade, I cut away the excess.
I peeled away the tape backing, and applied them firmly to the hull.



I think they turned out great!
Only time will tell if they last!

 

[Zackdadams]

My project for next week.

 

[EastonRob]

Nice! I'll be very interested in this.