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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Location of GPS/Chartplotter etc

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EAbrams
Navigator

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USA
130 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/22/2009 : 16:51:58

I was just reading a post on GPS recommendations and a response got me wondering. I'm debating where to position my new Garmin 545S.

Bear in mind this is my NEWBIE mentality here.

More than a few of us use a swing arm to mount these rather large GPS' in the companionway which requires the hatch boards to be off.

I'm thinking that when you might need the chartplotter the most is when the visability and waves are such that I would want the hatch boards secure to prevent water from entering the cabin. I'm talking getting caught in a sudden squall. Something I have not had the pleasure to do yet.

If the hatch boards were put in place then the GPS would be pushed back into the cabin and therefor useless.

Any thoughts?

Ed & Michele
Spirit #5644
1987 Catalina 25 WK/SR
Peconic Bay, Long Island NY &
Oriental, NC

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 06/22/2009 : 18:42:17

I mounted my depth finder on the backside (inside) of the lower hatch board. All I have to do is spin the board around and I'm ready to go!

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 06/22/2009 : 19:06:27

Ed,
This probably won't answer your question, but maybe it'll give you some ideas. I am still looking for a good place to mount our Garmin GPSMap 276. Since I didn't know where I was going to mount it when I wired it, I purposely made the power/data cord extra long so I can literally go almost anywhere on the boat with it. I've tried to use a suction cup mounting on the inside of the footwell, but it keeps popping off. If I set it on the cushions it's a fair bet that our lab will have knocked it off within minutes with over enthusiastic tail wagging or simply plopping down on top of it. I've tried it inside the coaming pockets, but it's too hard to see there. I've got a rail mount for it, but hesitate to put it that far up in the cockpit, it's too easy to pop out of it's cradle, and I don't trust the cable to keep it inside the cockpit in that event.

I plan to polish the inside of the footwell where I originally wanted to put it, maybe that way it'll stay in place with a smoother surface to hang on to.

In the mean time, I can bring the GPS into the cabin with me so I can keep an eye on anchor drag, program new waypoints, review courses, etc.

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JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2009 : 07:15:26

The swinging bracket is the most practical. If you were caught in a squall and couldn't anchor or reach a safe harbor, you could take the GPS off the bracket, close the hatchboards, and motor along with the thing in your lap.

Without a wheel our little boats have no space devoted to the luxuries of a fully equipped bridge. Those few C-25/250's with a wheel and a pedestal have a good spot to mount the GPS.

For foggy conditions I would want the GPS closer than on the bulkhead. A swinging arm on the coaming would be an alternative spot for driving in pea soup fog, but there's the problem of the rigging and the crew getting in the way. If there's no crew and you're motoring, that could work.

I have a little GPSMAP76 and I made a mount on the tiller that was great last winter motoring in fog one time. But I would not recommend that location for routine use, because of the risk of having the main sheet flip it off into the briny deep in the event of an accidental jibe.

Yours needs a nice teak mount somewhere:

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windsong
Captain

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USA
318 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2009 : 08:23:14

I added a pedestal guard and Navpod, which accommodates the chartplotter, autopilot and a 12V female socket. Admittedly, this was a pricey solution, but I knew I wanted a chartplotter and an autopilot, so for me this was the right way to go. Because there was some extra space on the pod, I also added the 12V socket, which is proving useful in all kinds of ways. As John pointed out, this set up was possible because I have wheel steering.

Edited by - windsong on 06/23/2009 08:34:43

cat25
Navigator

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USA
140 Posts

Response Posted - 07/14/2009 : 02:37:46

I mounted my garmin 540 on a ram swing arm on the starboard side of the main hatch. The mount allows me to swing it outside or inside the cockpit hatch. I can also mount it on a ball mount outside the hatch in inclimate weather. Make sure the wires are long enough to go over the hatch boards through the avaible space.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 07/14/2009 : 06:53:24

Like Micheal we have our chartplotter mounted on the steering pedestal where it is easy to see and operate.

For tiller steering I wonder if a location aft of the coaming boxes would work. It would place the unit close by the helmsman. Maybe mount on the coaming itself or on a stanchion. Make it portable so the unit can be removed.

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 07/14/2009 : 11:10:53

I have mine on a swing arm mounted such that in bad weather I can remove the second board and the plotter can be seen between the top and bottom boards.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 07/15/2009 : 08:36:04

Keep your swinging arm and make replacement hatch boards out of a piece of 1/2" plexiglass. Maybe you'll need only one or two sections. That should allow you to close the hatch in bad weather and still see the GPS.
The other option, more expensive, is to get a handheld Garmin Map76 and keep it in the coaming pocket or your foulie coat pocket.
I have a Garmin 76 (no map function) that I have mounted on the bulkhead with velcro, but as a lake sailor, I use it mostly for compass and speed. Can't get lost on our lake.

Edited by - dmpilc on 07/15/2009 08:41:32

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.