Is there a preferred location for mounting an electric horn?

When investigating what I'd need to make my boat legal on most lakes, I saw I'd need a horn. Now, I know I could have bought a $5 air horn. But I also know the second my twin 3 year old girls found that air horn, I'd be buying another one. And for $10, I could just buy a Wolo replacement car horn.

So, I did that.

Now I have a nifty little push button on my console for it.

That being said, is there a preferred location to mount these on a small boat? Its kinda fugly, so I don't really want it right on the outside of my console.

I was thinking maybe up on the bow, underneath the board I'm bolting my trolling motor to?

Mounted mine under the console.

Just catching up on this old post—sounds like a smart move with the Wolo horn! For mounting, I’d suggest finding a spot that keeps it hidden but still effective. I had a similar issue with my boat and ended up placing the horn under the bow where it’s out of sight but still loud enough.

Xchant1y said:

Just catching up on this old post—sounds like a smart move with the Wolo horn! For mounting, I’d suggest finding a spot that keeps it hidden but still effective. I had a similar issue with my boat and ended up placing the horn under the bow where it’s out of sight but still loud enough.

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Just make sure it’s securely mounted and that the sound isn’t blocked. I also tried a Bosshorn once—super easy to install and surprisingly compact. It’s a good option if you want something a bit more discrete but still powerful.

Well, here's what the books/laws state, praphrasing here. Note IF (there may not be) there's any mounting choice between Port side of the boat and Starboard, the ideal location would be on the PORT. And here's why.

For any boat, the area from 'dead ahead' to around to '4 o'clock' on the Starboard side is the Danger Zone. No matter what you are doing, if any boat enters into that zone, regardless of cource ... then YOU must bear away, as they are the 'stand on' vessel and have the right of way. By having the horn on your left, they'd be more likely to hear it by having it be on 'their side of your boat', even if you had to WARN them or wake them up to action.

But the sober truth really is, regardless of WHO has the right of way, every Capt must do everything/anything in their capability to AVOID a possible collision. In the ColReg diagram below, the red boat must always bear away, slow down, or change course (ideally to the starboard) so that the green boat passes by safely.

At least put it as far forward as my be practical/possible on your rig.