GPS swing out panel

[Davo]

I've been brainstorming a way to build a swing out mount for my fishfinder/gps unt as well as a comm speaker and extra stuff as I decide I need it mounted, not sure if anyone has seen this before as I just Macgyver'ed it up myself with some Lowe's parts and for the first run at building it I would say it was a huge success. 

I was looking through Lowe's for ideas on how to build the hinge mechanism and figured out that I could buy a regular door hinge, pop the hinge pin out and replace it with a 1/4 bolt and with a lockwasher and nut I could actually adjust the tightness that it clamps the hinge together with and have my own friction hinge that would allow the panel to swing out and stay in position and then swing back easily out of the way, requiring no loosening and tightening each time I need to swivel it around.

I also bought a few pieces of unfinished oak for the mock-up, I would have gone with pine board since it was even cheaper but I figured if it turned out good enough I'd at least be more inclined to leave the oak up and the mock-up would look more like the finished project that I could leave up until it bothered me enough to refine later...

Anyways, to the pics.

I cut two panels of 12"x12" oak, then some 1x4 strips and then some pieces of 1x4 for spacers because the inner lip of the companionway will prevent a flush mounted panel from swinging out much, I don't have any progress pics but it's easy to tell what I did.  I used two stainless bolts to mount the system to the bulkhead, and the wiring for my gear I was able to run so that it goes behind the spaced 1x4 strip and turning the panel out and in does not cause the wiring to bind in any way.



Here's a close-up of the hinge, I only did this bolt mod to one hinge on each panel and it provides plenty of grab (I installed panels on each side of the boat)



And in postion, as you can see, the spacer I used is still not thick enough to allow the panel to swing out parallel to the bulkhead due to the inner companionway lip, but it is good enough for now until I am bothered enough with it to get a thicker spacer and longer bolts...



And a shot of the interior with it



I have also since ran an aux cable from the stereo around and out to the white gear holder where I can plug my phone in and control the music from the cockpit.

Here's a shot I took while heeled over with three sails up in 10knots of wind, solo sailing, tiller extension in hand, standing on the rail capturing a shot of the speed I was making (5.2 knots).  It was a fun day.

[rmotley]

2 observations

1. I could never read the electronics from the tiller seat -age related

2. Nice placement of the adult beverage bottle opener - no boat should be without one!

[skip1930]

Rayathon 435 i and Rayathon ST-40 Bi-data. Compus on teak stand off ring and away from electrical influences. Wires for red compus light spun up on electric drill and wired in.

skip.

[Davo]

2 observations

1. I could never read the electronics from the tiller seat -age related

2. Nice placement of the adult beverage bottle opener - no boat should be without one!

I hear you there, it's a little small reading from the back, I sit about mid-cockpit with a tiller extension and it works well enough, however I'll show you what I did have on my Catalina 22, which was definitely easy to read...

My old college roommate works for Lowrance and let me try out their big gun gear, I had to give it back eventually , but that was way too big for the boat (and worth as much if not more), the one I have now is a little small as opposed to way too big, I'm thinking a 5" screen or little larger might be a good compromise.

The bottle opener is a fun little item, although I have never used it yet and it probably is not a good location if the boat is heeled over port side and someone tries opening a beer and spills all over the stereo, ha!  I should look into relocating that...

[SpeakEasy]

Are those hinges stainless?

-Speak