This new Electronics Battery Box will accommodate a large 12v 12Ah sealed battery.  Before drilling holes in a dry box make sure your box will fit through the hatch on your kayak.

Dimensions of the battery

Length 5.94 inches

Width 3.86 inches

Height 3.74 inches

Weight 7.95 lbs

You can find these batteries new on ebay for $20 – $30. The higher amp hour is good for running fish finder chart plotter combos with color screens. These use a higher amount of amps than the black & white units the 7.5 Ah batteries just don’t perform as well for a full day of fishing.

List of Materials:

• 1 Battery as mentioned above $23.00 ebay
• 1 Dry box that will accommodate the size of the battery $23.00 ebay
• 1 Small Cable Gland $1.00
• 1  Wire with inline waterproof connector (4 wire 4 pin) Possible future lighting or other accessories $4.80 Amazon
• 2 inline heat shrink inline wire crimp connectors
• 1 3″ piece of adhesive 1/2″ heat shrink tubing

Tools:

• Drill
• Heat Gun
• Wire Crimps/Strippers
• Drill bits/ Step Drill Bit

Install: 

Using pipe insulation fit the battery to the box. This will hold the battery in place so it doesn’t bounce around. Next drill a pilot hole using a 1/8″ drill bit. This will be the location of the cable penetration. You can pick pretty much any side. I would say avoid the top the bottom and the back. In this install I opted for the front under the handle. Once the pilot hole is drilled use the step drill bit to ream out the hole until the cable gland will thread in.

Once the cable gland is installed slide the cable with the connector through from the exterior. You will now pick 2 wires from the 4 to pair.  Use the two inline heat shrink connectors Crimp and heat the one side to seal. Now slide over the 3 inch piece of adhesive heat shrink tube. Connect the inline fuse wire and the ground wire. Attach the terminal ends and your DIY waterproof electronics battery box is complete.

Waterproof Battery Box Modifications & Upgrades <— Click for updated post!!!!

Creating a semi-permanent install for multiple kayaks is a challenge. Since most of us fish on a budget two separate fish finder units is not feasible. For about 1/4 the price of a new Lowrance Elite 5 HDI unit you may purchase a new Transducer, Power cable, and the neat Lowrance kayak scupper mount kit. This application is only for sit on top kayaks like the Big Rig with round scupper holes. The mount and this particular transducer as of 2014 other Jackson Kayak Models will not work due to the oval scupper shape and being that the bottom of the supper is simply not wide enough to accept the transducer mounted flush.

In the photo to the left shown is the un-boxed scupper mount and the transducer and cable. This transducer has been a challenge to mount to other kayaks until the Big Rig with its enlarged hull scupper clearance as it is Raymarine ready.

To install simply using the bolt washers mount to the bottom of the scupper mount as you would the transom mount. Once this is completed pull the plug end of the transducer wire from the bottom of the scupper through towards the deck. Once all of the cable is pulled then insert the threaded plastic into the scupper. The transducer should face bolted end/cable to the bow. Then slide the gray fitting down the threaded shaft and tighten the thumb nut all the way down until snug. Once fit you may cut the shaft and place the Lowrance cap on top. Done!!

This is the best way to install any transducer out there. You get accurate temperature readings and a completely better signal for clarity rather than the shoot thru hull option.

I prefer to hide all of my wires and cables within the hull of the kayak. Just less mess less things to snag your hooks on and the best way to protect expensive electronics cables. Due to the 1″ diameter colors on the Lowrance HDI plugs we need to drill a 1″ hole to get these cables inside the hull. Now that’s a huge hole. It took a while to find a part to seal this with for a really clean install. I’m not the type that likes to run cables through hatches. West Marine makes a hull pass through that worked perfectly for this application. I have never seen these used on a kayak before but they are excellent. Low profile watertight and clean!

To start use a 1″ boring drill bit. The hull pass through fitting includes a rubber grommet. I used this as a template placing it exactly where the fitting would be placed. Marked the center with a punch and drilled. See drilled hole to the right. Run sonar plug through and using the thru hull cap press firmly with a screwdriver and screws will self tap. The rubber will push out and this when it is tight. Do not over tighten as the screws will strip out the plastic therefore becoming loose.

Do the same steps for the opposite side but this time with the power wire and the transducer plug through 1 hole. This one bring the sonar plug through the hole first. Then snake through from the outside the power wire. The power wire will be then run to your battery location. Mine will be in the stern. The white wire in the photo runs back to the stern for the battery box hook up. I will splice that into the power wire for the unit.

Along with the standard molded in center Gear Track on the Big Rig and paired with a Ram Mounts Electronic Mount for Lowrance this is an excellent system! There are now multiple places to position the unit. The option to slide forward or back or mount to the side Gear tracks however is most comfortable.

If you have any questions about this install or anything else please leave me a comment.

Disclaimer:

Installing hardware may cause damage and/or void manufacturer warranties.  ThePlasticHull.net its authors or any other source of information on this website is in no way responsible for your actions nor any type issues or damage that may occur.  The information provided on this website is a free reference guide only. The authors of all information, sponsors and the owners of the website that host this information are not liable for any problems or issues that arise from the use of this information. Users of this information hereby acknowledge that all use of this information is done by their own free will, at their own sole risk, understanding that destruction of property, injury, or death could occur.

A first for me in the fall season a surf launch into 50 degree waters. As I don’t typically surf a lunch anyway due to the local Raritan Bay being such a productive and vast fishing location this was a bit out of the ordinary. Every fall the Striped Bass migrates south like many other species. The migration can last a month or a few days.

I have fished the mouth of the bay near the tip of Sandy Hook in the fall and been successful there. Unfortunately while the fish were migrating through that area the weather did not hold and or I was at work. So unfortunately I missed the northern Jersey Bass migration but last chance headed out with “The Coordinator”  Matt Williams on Sunday.  After an hour and a half of driving and stopping at two bait and tackle shops for bait/lures we arrived at the beach. An area we have never fished before. After loading up and dressing up in dry gear onto the sand we wheeled our yaks to the breakers.  When you drop in the same way all the time and go to a surf style launch you need to do things different. This includes stowing gear. What to take with and what not to take. 

The entry is the easy part its all about timing. The waves were small at this point in time and entry was very easy. Once i was off the beach I unpacked my rods and placed them in my rod holders tubes behind me realizing I had forgot my rod leashes. I figured i would be stowing them in the rod stagers and have never dropped a rod overboard so it would be fine. I didn’t have to paddle far to the birds maybe a 1/4 mile. There were thousands of birds and hundreds of boats. Dead calm too even though there were so many boats you could only breath in diesel exhaust and burnt 2 cycle oil. It sounded like a constant oil tanker was going by. Incredible. Fish swirling everywhere. My fish finder was marking big fish on the bottom so i started jigging. About 20 minutes of jigging i went to set up my other rod with a live eel.  Low and behold it was gone. I didnt tighten down my rod holder and it work its way horizontal and my rod slid out. First time in the salt and no leashes. Nice.. If you love it leash it.  So that was a big dilemma. I had planned to fish two rods one drifting live eels and the other casting plugs and jigging. Now i was typing every lure on since i couldn’t find anything that would work although i somehow snagged a window pain (sun dial) with the 3.5 oz Spro buck tail jig! So I at least wasn’t completely skunked.   Finally 2 hours later switching to live eels and drifting around where birds were working. Not even a shake down on the eel. Another hour went by and this is around the time o took the photos. It got cloudy again and then a dense fog rolled in. I couldn’t see 30 feet in front of me. 10 minutes went by and i noticed a ground swell starting.

groundswell [ˈgraʊndˌswɛl]

Upppp and Dowwwnnnn. Still calm and no wind at this time but chances of surf landing successfully was quickly diminishing.

Now to find the beach. This was one of these gearing up decisions that I made. Bring the GPS or Not to bring the GPS. Well im glad i brought it. I was paddling as i thought towards the beach i look at my GPS and I was moving parallel.  I changed course and a few minutes later i could see the tops of the breakers but that was it couldn’t see the beach. I could see the waves were now huge. So i stowed my rod tackle and gear. I tried to time it out but the waves were much faster than  anticipated. Cleared the first two now about 20 feet from the beach the third one caught me odd turned the boat then rolled me. Into the water i plunged boat flipping . As I came to the surface due to my PFD floating me I flipped my boat over seeing that i had forgot to buckle my center hatch. So a few lures brand new sinkers went streight to the bottom. I righted my boat gathered some of the floating stuff and swam to shore holding the rope i attached to the front handle of the yak. Matt helped me with the boat as i went back in the surf to gather my fish finder which i had detached and stowed which was floating in the water (surprised) a water bottle 2 bags of storm shads and a pair of gloves. Loss was the new spoon i bought that day & 3 sinkers along with a Spro hard swim-bait and a Spro buck tail. All i had to do was latch the webbing straps that keep the center hatch latched closed.

I was happy that I wasn’t injured in the surf. Anything could happen including getting tangled up in the boat rigging to the boat hitting you in the body or the head as its being carried by a wave.

Lessons learned. Everything lost could and should have been avoided. Rods should always be leashed. Stow gear and tackle before landing and don’t forget to secure the hatch their stowed in. Two piece dry gear will not keep you dry at all. It just gives you time to get out of the water. The gear also wasn’t completely tucked together right as i had to open it to relieve myself out on the water. It wouldn’t hurt to bring spare clothes and a towel with you to keep in your vehicle Especially if its cold out.

The ocean is a dangerous place. Plan what you will be bringing what you need for safety. Always wear your PFD.