Rhodan GPS Anchor installed!
 

Got the 120 lbs thrust....7 ft shaft installed on Saturday....what a great addition. Already made a difference on Sunday when I went out. No more worrying about if I get wrapped in the anchor line. So, main reason for getting this was to avoid potential issues when fishing with my daughter on the boat who's only 10 years old. If I make a stupid mistake...get caught in anchor line...etc. Id be in huge trouble over the side potentially. From the safety standpoint for me, it made complete sense. She loves to fish for sea bass...porgies...tog...bottom species like that, as do I. So decided to go with the Rhodan.
It was easier on my boat to get it all set up. I have a space for the 36v battery system beneath the console and under a step. Adding an additional 3 bank charger and 50amp breaker was a piece of cake. From there, running 27 ft of 2awg battery cable to the bow was relatively simple. Using the fish tape and some dacron rope...pulled it up and thru beneath the port gunwale. The starboard already had cable for the windlass there. Once the cable was run, It took some time to figure out the positioning of the mount.
I wanted to originally mount it only on the port side...and not at the angle in the photograph. Due to clearance issues with the shaft and steering box, it became clear I couldn't. So, had to angle it the way I did and plenty of clearance was available. Thankfully my daughter was able to crawl into the bow hatch and help secure the nuts & bolts for me. She earned some ice cream on Saturday for that assistance! They were just beyond my reach with a rachet or wrench.
There is a quick disconnect I purchased drilled thru the bow wall and mounted there. It allows you to remove the wire for cleaning or just taking the entire unit home with you. In the base is the quick disconnect for the mount. Again, allows the unit to be removed with relative ease or lock it into place for security.
In comparison to other work Ive done on this boat, this wasn't a terrible experience. The ease of access to certain areas helped and the straightforward installation of the entire unit was a plus.
One downside is that the unit bounces around if you dont have it secured. I figured out quickly I needed to lash it and protect it. The Ram mount that came with it, too darn long and am working on this with the MFR about exchanging it for a shorter one. Time being...a life preserver strapped to it and the grab rail works well. Like any computer operated item, sometimes it needs a hard reboot. Experienced that on Sunday where the unit wouldn't anchor on the position and I drifted off. Unplugged...replugged...rebooted & reacquired the DGPS signal. She finally held position again.
Sunday conditions near FG were a fast drift east...with undercurrent running west. Not ideal. The thrust held me steady over my spot just to the west of the bank. In that, I was able to jog around...5 ft either way with the press of a button. I was quite happy with my initial test and am looking forward to the rest of this season.