I'm going to put this in my kayak, I just wanna make sure this looks ok.  Please feel free to tell me I'm out of my mind.

What is the purpose of the blue stuff?

I read somewhere that you need to have some kind of frame for the transducer...to hold the epoxy in.  Is this false?

Not only false, but rediculous. AFTER lightly sanding a place in the hull, apply a marble size dab of the proper epoxy (24 hour cure, NOT the 5-minute type), mixed correctly (slowly to avoid bubbles), to the transducer face.

Press and twist it against the prepared hull to assure all air bubbles are gone and the thinnest amout of epoxy is left. Place some weight on the top of the transducer to prevent it from moving for 24 hours.

You would only need the "dam" effect if you were going to test a location for the best position and the "dam" would be some type of soft material (easily removed) and filled with water so the transducer could be put in the puddle of water to see if that location works.

The instructions for that process is in your unit manual for a shoot-thru installation.

Not only false, but rediculous. AFTER lightly sanding a place in the hull, apply a marble size dab of the proper epoxy (24 hour cure, NOT the 5-minute type), mixed correctly (slowly to avoid bubbles), to the transducer face.

Press and twist it against the prepared hull to assure all air bubbles are gone and the thinnest amout of epoxy is left. Place some weight on the top of the transducer to prevent it from moving for 24 hours.

You would only need the "dam" effect if you were going to test a location for the best position and the "dam" would be some type of soft material (easily removed) and filled with water so the transducer could be put in the puddle of water to see if that location works.

The instructions for that process is in you unit manual for a shoot-thru installation.