WHERE to Place Instruments?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Pretty much my mode also. Frankly, I think they should turn the pedestal around 180 degrees for a couple or a single hander!

Guess I'm missing something. For those like me that are a bit slow on the uptake, why is standing in front of the pedestal better than standing behind it?

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Guess I'm missing something. For those like me that are a bit slow on the uptake, why is standing in front of the pedestal better than standing behind it?

You can tack the boat yourself up where the primaries are.... usually forward of the pedestal.
You are out of the weather when it's blowing hard/sea spray.
You wont have wind burned eyes so much.
You can see the instruments that are forward better.
If your instruments are (only) at the pedestal you cant see them unless you are aft.
etc.

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Guess I'm missing something. For those like me that are a bit slow on the uptake, why is standing in front of the pedestal better than standing behind it?

I only steer when I'm in the mood otherwise the autopilot does it all whilst I can push it's buttons and tweak the sails from forwards in the shelter of the sprayhood/dodger out of the way of direct sunlight, spray and wind and directly in front of the radar and chart display which is up on the coachroof starboard side In confined waters and berthing I will of course get behind the wheel for as long as is needed. From forwards I can easily look at all the functions available on the MFD, which is in an adjustable pod on the coachroof, radar, AIS, charts ( with/without radar overlaid as I wish) The single GSM display at the wheel can display windspeed true,or apparent, wind direction, amplified wind direction closehauled, tack angles, boatspeed etc in analog or digital format depending how each of it's scrollable pages are pre-configured. This single head multi display pod can be rotated and tilted to suit the standing or sitting forwards of the wheel position or the behind thewheel position As an extra, the autopilot control head can also be scrolled through multiple pages to display any data available on the full network, including BTW, DTW, TTW COG, SOG,VMG,HDG,LAT, LONG, XTE, depth, water temp. etc This pilot control head is also in a rotatable and tiltable pod on the pedestal guard so it toocan be viewed and operated from anywhere, behind, aside or ahead of the wheel as preferred. The VHF has a Remote access handset plugged in to a cockpit socket by the wheel and all the VHF and it's DSC functions can be controlled from that handset.

All of thebove is a nicety rather than essential, but we installed a complete new system on purchasing our boat, bought used, as the existing stuff was faulty.

[DumnMad]

Originally Posted by PlumBob

OK, so here's the scenario....

I like the idea of being able to glance at the speed and wind from anywhere in the cockpit. (I don't intend to stand at the helm for hours-on-end while on autopilot) so I think I'll leave the 3 instruments on the front wall.

All thoughts appreciated, and Thanks in Advance!

PlumBob

Just as long as you can see them at night from the helm.
You don't always have a choice re where you are stationed. - we just had a trip with the auto pilot down and some 2 weeks at the helm - at one stage during zero visibility, 3 hours shifts at night, with 50 knot winds and big waves on the aft quarter, it was vital to see the wind intrument from the helm and if we had been near land it would have been nice to know we weren't heading towards it.

[Schooner Chandlery]

Our displays are inside the charthouse (like a low pilothouse) but with radar/chartplotter being B&G, we can have iPad on boat wifi and walk around anywhere on deck seeing ais, radar, chart. The autopilot is on a 70ft tether (remote) with main controls in the charthouse, too.

The only thing that is outside is the pimary FLS display and it is mounted on the bridgedeck so anyone in the cockpit can see it. While we were in Alaska last year, the display on the FLS wonked out so we actually ended up using the backup FLS display which is a VGA monitor located down below. We would swing the arm of it over so we could see it through the companionway. In 5 years of sailing, we never needed that FLS until Alaska. There our regular DTS was bouncing around in depth because of glacier silt. The FLS would show us the real bottom depth as well as a cross-section view of the silt which was usually indicating a much shallower depth.

Get your autopilot on a remote of some sort. It it golden. I knew I would like that but my husband was questioning why we needed it until he was steering from the bowsprit in the suddenly foggy channels near Prince Rupert dodging logs. Priceless.

[PlumBob]

Great conversation!

Thanks to all. You have certainly given us some ideas to consider. I suspect a change or two will be required.

Glad I asked!

[Matt Johnson]

Ours was mounted at the helm, but rotatable to be used while sitting behind the dodger. a simple Navpod allowed this.

Matt

[barnakiel]

My fave layout is instruments where you have them now and no screen AP control at the helm. It is nice to have a way to switch off instrument lights from the helm too.

Plotter at the helm is a big no and no in my book - to much light, to close to the eyes - you end up seeing nothing for minutes after you look up the screen (many ignorant skippers will keep the screen on all time which equates full night vision loss).

Still, if you must have a plotter in the cockpit, you are likely to end up with one at the helm. You may try to place it below and out of your sightlines.

I am not clear why you want more instruments, your current setup sounds about perfect.

b.

[Sandero]

I recently got a 7" Zeus and decided that since I am in the cockpit most of the time... it needs to be where I can see it and fiddle with it.

My AP control head is in the port side recessed into the coaming / seat back which I sit on often and can see over the dodger and under it at the dash instruments above the companionway.

I found what appears to be the perfect solution for the 7" Zeus. I attached a 6" long square aluminum bar to the Zeus mounting bracket. The square bar fits precisely into the port winch under the dodger... very rarely used... for reefing lines. I plu the 12v into a blue seas cig type receptacle. I can see it from my port side perch... I can reach it to fiddle with it. It's protected from rain and most sun... and I can rotate it if I decided to sit in the companionway on the bridgedeck. If I sit on the cockpit cushion it's right at eye level! And I just remove it and stow it when we are away... or I can take it with me. I am not interfacing it on a network as I don't have one! But if I did I would have to have a y2k cable in the location to supply the data.

I so rarely use the below decks Ray plotter I barely know how to use it! And as I rarely steer with the helm a pedestal mount would be a waste. Photos to follow next week.

[Sandero]

Here are the pics of the winch mounted zeus.