How Do You Secure Your Laptop ?

[kb79]

in addition to running a nav program, i'd like to have the laptop up and available for other uses underway, but i'm not really sure what the best way is to secure said laptop to the nav station.

seems that with any sort of critical heel or in any larger seaway, i'd be asking for trouble if it wasn't bolted down somehow. on the other hand, it won't be on all the time, and i don't want as a permanent fixture when i pull out those ol' paper charts.

i know all boats are different, but i'm hoping not to have to reinvent the wheel. can you guys share pics or descriptions of how and where you've mounted the nav computer in such a way as it's securely fixtured, but either out of the way or removable?

[captainKJ]

bungee cords

[colemj]

We use a catamaran to secure our laptop (I'm soooooo bad...Sorry)

[cdennyb]

dANG, i WAS GOING TO SAY THAT... LoL

[DeepFrz]

Velcro works, so long as you keep the boat keel side down.

[captjohn360]

i use velcrow straps....jt

[barnakiel]

I have seen a couple of upside- down installations (laptop 3M velcroed to the ceiling) and then you just flip down the screen. Still, if you want to sail like that you have to secure the screen so that it does not move - the electrical connections in the hinges tend to chafe thru.

Some netbooks have the upside down screen facility built in but on older laptops you will need a piece of software to have the LCD display flopped.

b.

[Factor]

I put it on the saloon table and leave it there.

[sailorgal]

We have two Itronix laptops (bought them refurbished on ebay). They have docking stations that we have mounted permanently on the upper helm (on the flybridge) and lower helm. On the flybridge, we just snap the laptop into the docking station when we're running the boat from up there, and snap it off and bring it below when were at our destination.

These laptops are "ruggedized" for military and police work. They have touchscreens and internal GPS with antenna . We have our nav software installed on the. Highly recommended.

Laptop example:
ITRONIX GoBook 2 II IX260 Rugged 1.7/512/40 WiFi LAPTOP - eBay (item 250608111808 end time Jul-30-10 13:24:28 PDT)

Docking Station:
ITRONIX GOBOOK LAPTOP IX250 MOBILE DOCK DOCKING STATION - eBay (item 380173753263 end time Jul-29-10 17:53:17 PDT)

[Healer52]

rubber mesh shelf-liner....has a million uses.

[SaltyMonkey]

I use something like this.

Ergotron 45-248-026 LX Dual Stacking Arm

[matauwhi]

Second Healer52's rubber mesh shelf liner's, been using it for years. Add an eyelet on each side of your nav station (make sure the lid clears the eyelets when you open it). Use bungee's or an adjustable strap across the top of keyboard and attach to the eyelets. You can mount the eyelet on the side of the desk if your lid overhangs a bit. Cheers.

[Curmudgeon]

Heavy duty velcro

[zeehag]

i dont use mine whil ecruising. is in a targus bag attached firmly to a dry place where it wont fly. had one do that once. that was enough.

[svcambria]

3M Dual lock tape -

SJ3540 1" - 3M Dual Lock - Black Type 250 much stronger than hook and loop fasteners sj-3540\

to the nav desk. The computer will be detachable, but it takes a fair amount of force. Never had one go adrift in 15 years.
Paper chart use on the salon table.

Michael