New Gear Installations

[AdriftAtSea]

As part of the spring refitting, I finished up the mounting of the TackTick displays that I installed last year.  Last year I upgraded my boat's instruments to TackTick instruments after having some problems with my ST60 Wind instrument.

Since the port side cockpit bulkhead had two holes from the original Raymarine display installation, I either had to patch the holes or do something else with that space, so I could mount the TackTick displays.

I wanted to add a port to the space, since this would give me additional ventilation options for the boat, as well as allow someone to pass coffee or other hot food out to the cockpit when sailing in heavy weather, without opening the companionway.

So, as a compromise, I mounted the TackTick displays to the port. This allows the port to still open, but also leaves the instruments in basically the same position as the Raymarine displays were located.

Here's a photo of the cockpit, where you can see the modified port on the port side.



I also upgraded the Genoa sheets controls on my boat to line-controlled genoa cars.  You can see one of the new Garhauer Genoa car installations in the next photo.  Since these have a four-to-one purchase on them, it should make adjusting the genoa fairlead position a lot simpler.

[Auspicious]

Nice job.

I suspect there will be some sloshing trying to get a coffee cup through the hatch with so little vertical clearance. You are going to have to train your crew to pass up coffee by the half-cup. <grin>

The line-controlled genoa cars are great. I like mine a lot. It's pretty simple to ease the cars back even under load. I suspect you will find, as I have, that you have to unload the sheets to move the cars forward. On a beat I just luff up. On a reach I ease the sheet which unfortunately means grinding it back in again afterwards.

[AdriftAtSea]

I have a small .5 liter thermos that will fit through the hatch... so no spilling. :)

As for the line-controlled cars... we'll see, but even if I have to ease the sheets a bit... it's got to beat using a pin-stop traveler by a long way.

[CapnK]

Looking good, Dan! I've abrass port I've kept around, thinking I might eventually do the same thing with it. The jury is still out, though. ;)

[AdriftAtSea]

Well, bulkhead space on the little boats we all sail is a bit limited.  Having the instruments mounted in a good location and still having room for a port to vent/access the galley is pretty tough, and doubling up on function in the same space made sense to me.  It also keeps the instrument heads a bit more protected than just mounting them on the surface of the bulkhead would have, since they're actually recessed because of the port's design.

[Fortis]

I really like the inset instruments. The idea of being able to fit the locker door back in place when you lock the boat down is pretty cool. the fact that a rope flashing past will not send one of the covers over the side is especially cool.

[AdriftAtSea]

Alex-

There is no "locker" door.  The instruments are mounted to a Beckson 5" x 12" opening port, to the acrylic "glass" of the port.  The fact that the instruments are recessed is a huge bonus, since it does protect them a fair bit—not only from stray lines, but clumsy crew.

Here's a photo of the port, without the instruments mounted to it.



I drilled through the trim ring, since it made the installation a bit easier and stronger IMHO. 

[Fortis]

Hmmm...Interesting. on the one hand my thought is "That's not the way I would have done it"...and on the other hand, it does open up some interesting possibilities. Does the port still open?

Alex.

[AdriftAtSea]

Yes, the port still opens... and I wouldn't have done it this way if I couldn't open the port still. :)