Muttley

I have been using an iPad as my primary means of navigation for over 9 years now; it's fast, accurate and user friendly. The charts update and correct themselves, and I also save all the manuals for the equipment on the boat on an iPad. I started with the app iPilot, which I really like and have invested a lot of time on, but recently started using Navionics ‘Boating’ app since it works with Raymarine WiFish (bathymetry is wild). I haven’t run into any problems with overheating, but I keep them in the cabin of my boat. Issues I have found- on sunny, bright days it hard to see the screen (especially with polarized glasses) but being mounted in the cabin I just angle them against and towards the overhead a little and I can see them fine from the aft deck (15ft away- I run 2 slide-in charger docks to hold them while onboard). On cold days, or if your hand is wet, it’s sometimes hard to use the touchscreen. Check out if the iPad or tablet has a built in GPS- 1st one I had did not so I had to run an external Bluetooth antenna, but I picked up a 2nd that does, so the older one is now just for the fish finder, manuals and back up. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

I installed a D2 Eberspacher in my 24' with no issue several years ago, hides up in previously unused space. I've used it on a bunch of overnight trips at anchor during late fall and winter and it keeps the cabin nice and comfortable and uses little power or fuel. You can get gas models too if you want to run from your main gas tank. Eberspacher and Webasto heaters are made for being installed in boats or trucks, so no tinkering needed. I also have a heater core up in the 'V' that runs heat in from the I/O when I'm traveling that works great on cold transits. Heck, I even have an old 1970s gas Eberspacher in my VW Baja that works like a champ still. They are not real cheap, but I have never run into any issues and I dig the almost instant heat.

If you are thinking about going the way of the mobile device with an app (I have been using my iPads for about 5 years), you can go to Sonar Server ( http://sonarserver.com/us/product/sonar-server-nmea0183/ ) and search around to see if your current fish finder is compatible with their adaptor thru your NMEA. It will allow you to use your current system to create up to date bathymetric maps for the mobile device. I believe there are a couple other companies that may be also available- technology is getting cheaper, and it's dang cool.

I wouldn't run either through my hull personally. Aluminum doesn't play nice with dissimilar metals- bronze/copper may be the worse, but stainless steal is not far behind. Make sure you separate them, be it some kind of plastic/rubber sheath or 5200, or you will have electrolysis, and like mentioned above, you won't know until she punches through the hull. Ask anybody you know with SS screws holding anything in their aluminum boat- just bad, keep an eye on her.

Can you post a pic of it with all the grease cleaned off? Is it the spindle that's trashed or the bearing races?