# Where do you mount your chart plotter?



## Area57 (Jan 2, 2015)

I just got my first chart plotter. It's a Raymarine touch screen. I am trying to decide where to mount the darn thing.

I would like it to be right in front of me on the companionway bulkhead, since that is the easiest place I know of to look at it and use it, but I am reluctant to cut any holes in my boat.

Sure, this plotter may be new technology now, but what happens in five, ten years? I don't know how long they stay working for, but I don't really want a hole that big.

Are there any other options that may be a little unorthodox but you have got to work? 

I have seen a few mounted on swivel arms in the companionway, but that seems like you could forget and break it going in and out, and you also can't shut the hatch to keep water out and still use the plotter, unless I am mistaken.

I'm sure there is a solution, I just have not thought of it. 

The boat is tiller, so no binnacle.


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## the_abuse (Jan 12, 2014)

I glassed in a box 10*12 to the companionway bulk head with a removable face plate but it can only be removed from inside the boat and the chart plotter is flush mounted to a fiberglass plate to the box.


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## justified (Jun 14, 2007)

A friend of mine was faced with the question about a year ago........solution he made a half height companion board and mounted it on it. it is a little awkward to go below since you have to steep over it, but not to bad. His wife doesn't complain.


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## svzephyr44 (Jun 26, 2000)

Where you can see it. This is only a little tongue in cheek. In the United States the charts are, by and large, so good that you can navigate (as the student pilots learning instrument flight rules do) "under the hood." Frequently the unit is not a "chart plotter" it is a multi-function display. Mine also shows the output of the radar. Thus I want mine right in front of me at the helm - particularly if I am trying to get somewhere in the middle of the night. It is also the display for all my AIS targets, shows me depth, course, speed, heading, distance to destination etc. Everything I want to know at the helm.

I see a number of people who have their chart plotters in a place where they have to run back and forth between the chart plotter and the helm. To me this is not a very useful location. Try going into Galveston harbor at night avoiding all the oil platforms and crew boats while running back and forth from the cockpit to the chart plotter. Not my idea of a good time.

Now, I admit that I have dual chart plotters: one a the helm and one at the chart table. The one at the chart table I use for planning and to keep track of things when I am inside the boat. Contrary to what others may do on a 10 - 30 day 24/7 solo ocean crossing I do not live in the cockpit. I live inside the boat and pop my head up every 30 minutes or so to do a visual scan - primarily for the local weather conditions and to verify sail trim. [Yes pundits, I know all about "keeping a proper watch" so don't bother to post your advice unless you have made an offshore passage of at least 1,000 NM solo. Then you might have some cred.]

As far as the mounting goes - how much value will you lose by cutting a big hole? None if you sell the chart plotter with the boat. My experience is that after about 7 to 10 years the new generations of plotters are sufficiently advanced that one might choose to purchase a new one with a new (to them) boat. If you choose to take it with you I honestly don't think a new owner would refuse to purchase the boat because of a hole in the bulkhead. You can always patch it with a nice cover of the same material as the bulkhead.

Fair winds and following seas


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

we mounted ours on a swivel on top of the house. no companionway clutter, and always visible to the skipper.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

I had this same debate last Spring when I aquired a Raymarine CP...

Seems there are two camps, neither wrong...at the helm on the pedastal or under the dodger on the port side.

From what I read and the many people I inquired with about the topic...think about how you will likely use the boat most of the time.

Ultimately I went with at the helm, since I wanted be able to adjust it while at the helm, being mostly a Chesapeake Bay sailor that seems to work best for me. If we sailed offshore more I would have put it under the dodger...also would have been less expensive than mounting it at the helm as I needed to get a new guard and Navpod.

I doubht I would go cutting a hole in my bulkhead for a CP, rather do like jones did or something similar if not at the helm


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## engineer_sailor (Aug 27, 2011)

Just picked up a Lowrance 5M HD so having this debate now. We currently have a Garmin handheld. Our autopilot control head is mounted on the pedestal guard. I've learned to reach blindly and control the AP when handling jib lines near the companionway. Will likely mount new chartplotter on other side of pedestal guard. It has a Ram mount so might set it up to swivel of easy viewing throughout cockpit.

The thought of cutting a large whole in the companionway hurts. I don't think I could do it. Also there are moments when you need all/maximum control and info in one spot and the helm is the natural choice. In a tense moment, do you really want to dash forward to adjust zoom on a chart or hit an AP button. 

I do like companionway mounts of other instruments like wind, speed, compass, etc.

Josh


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## capecodda (Oct 6, 2009)

When you got a binnacle, I think the answer is easy, but the OP has a tiller steered boat. 

If you have a dodger, bljones has a solution we've used successfully in his post. Depending on the boat, when you sit as far forward as you can and still reach the tiller, you are pretty darn close to the companionway, and can reach the buttons. Besides, in the fog and rain, this is where you want to be anyway, with your head in the plotter. 

With a small display, I've also had success with mounting just inside the companionway on the side opposite that I normally sit while steering (depending if you are right tiller handed or left). This depends on if the display and your bulkheads are such that you can mount it away from the companionway passage, but still get a good view.

Even when you've got a binnacle mounted display and a wheel, in bad weather you might rather be sitting snug up against the dodger with the autopilot in your hand, wishing the display was under the dodger rather than stepping back into the weather at the wheel.

Everything is a tradeoff....yea, and I wouldn't cut a big hole in the bulkhead either for electronics that will be obsolete before the boat is. Good luck with figuring this out....I'd get on the boat, sit where I sit, and try it before committing.


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## mbianka (Sep 19, 2014)

I'm a big believer in having the chart plotter at the helm position. 
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: WHAT THE HELM?: Part 2
The bulkhead is to far away (at least for my aging eyes) plus the less I leave the helm the better when underway. Don't really want to have to move just to change the zoom. Though if you usually sail with crew it might not be as much of an issue as they can change it for you (if they are not busy). I usually solo sail and want as much info available at the helm as possible. I'd try an find a place nearby in your side coaming. If you don't want cut a big hole to make it flush make a bump out frame to mount it. You'll need much smaller holes than a flush mount.


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## aloof (Dec 21, 2014)

You are correct, do not cut big holes in the boat.

You want to be able to see it from where you usually are. I am rarely at the helm. I've made thousand mile crossings without ever spending more than a minute way back there. I sit in the companionway, or on the cockpit seat immediately adjacent, or at the nav table. In fair weather I sleep on the cockpit sole, feet forward, and would like to be able to see the plotter and all instruments while there. Presently the plotter is at the nav table. Only when threading some pass or rounding some danger is this a negative as I can just barely see it from the cockpit. Its about 12 feet away. I think I'm going to move it to a bulkhead that is a few feet forward of the companionway. That just happens to work on this boat. Maybe on a long wire so I can move it back to the nav station for intense study. I had an arm holding in the companionway for a while (the PO). That was terrible. It was always in the way. It was a head banger from below. 

My advice, even if you put it on the cabin top next to the companion way (which is a reasonable place) is to mount it temporary, but secure, until you get it just right.


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## the_abuse (Jan 12, 2014)

But mbianka the bulk head is the helm of a tiller boat if you read the op


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

svzephyr44 said:


> I see a number of people who have their chart plotters in a place where they have to run back and forth between the chart plotter and the helm. To me this is not a very useful location. Try going into Galveston harbor at night avoiding all the oil platforms and crew boats while running back and forth from the cockpit to the chart plotter. Not my idea of a good time.


Why are you running back and forth? Hardly ever is the a reason for zooming in and out when running an inlet. Further out you can be close to the plotter, under the dodger, and steer with the autopilot. If you do any passagemaking at all you will be tons (actually tonnes) happier with a watch station under the dodger where you can reach the plotter, radar, and control the autopilot.



bljones said:


> we mounted ours on a swivel on top of the house. no companionway clutter, and always visible to the skipper.


Best place to be.



capecodda said:


> Even when you've got a binnacle mounted display and a wheel, in bad weather you might rather be sitting snug up against the dodger with the autopilot in your hand, wishing the display was under the dodger rather than stepping back into the weather at the wheel.


My point exactly.

For daysailing, weekending, and infrequent jaunts the binnacle is okay, but for passages of any duration and frequency it should be under the dodger, port-side preferred.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

I am absolutely flabbergasted by many of the responses on here.
We have our 10" display chartplotter on the binnacle and could not imagine having it out of reach.
In inclement weather, though it might be nice to snuggle up under the dodger, that is NOT where a watch stander should be sitting. Possibly on a long offshore passage this might seem acceptable, but how many days of offshore ocean sailing do any of us do, in comparison to coastal or interisland sailing?
Interisland in the Caribbean or coastal continental sailing, the person on watch should be at the helm, keeping watch, IMO; that is the job!
Therefore, why would one want the plotter some distance away from the helm, under the dodger?
Entering a bay or harbor, or sailing through a reef strewn area like the Tobago Cays or North Sound, Antigua, I am constantly changing scales (different scales have different information displayed; radar, sat info/accuracy, extended forward view, etc) and checking out the water ahead and to the sides and making adjustments to the chartplotter so I have a clear picture in my head of my next tack or turn, or a fallback course, should there be a wind change. I am not straining my eyes to see the chartplotter (depth markings, obstacles, notes, etc.) rain or shine; it is right there, close at hand. I would not be as comfortable doing any of this under sail, if the chartplotter was out of reach, under the dodger. 
Nobody can obstruct my view of our chartplotter at a critical moment, nor can anybody change settings or views by accident or otherwise.
If I were installing a chartplotter on any boat, it would be at the helm, in a pod or on a mount that made it convenient to the person on the helm.


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## mbianka (Sep 19, 2014)

the_abuse said:


> But mbianka the bulk head is the helm of a tiller boat if you read the op


Doh! You are absolutely right. My mistake. It's been so long since I have had my hands on the tiller of my old Bristol 24 i forgot about the different logistics involved.  That makes mounting somewhere on the companionway bulkhead a preferred location. I would just try and make in convenient enough to be able to change settings on the unit without much moving about. He might want to be able to swivel the unit slightly to see it depending on which tack one might be on. Rather than just have installed flat on the bulkhead.


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## Northeric (May 1, 2014)

Somewhere along the line the original post was forgotten. The boat doesn't have a binnacle and thus is tiller steered. FWIW I fabricated an articulated arm out of Sched 80 PVC threaded fittings that I mount my Garmin on. Cost about $10 and swings into the cabin so it doesn't seem to be in the way and away from thieving eyes. Can be shaded with the companionway hatch and out of the rain if you don't have a dodger. You can also buy articulated arms with ball joints for $100.


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## svzephyr44 (Jun 26, 2000)

SVAuspicious said:


> Why are you running back and forth? Hardly ever is the a reason for zooming in and out when running an inlet. Further out you can be close to the plotter, under the dodger, and steer with the autopilot. If you do any passagemaking at all you will be tons (actually tonnes) happier with a watch station under the dodger where you can reach the plotter, radar, and control the autopilot


Dave and I usually agree so I was surprised by his response to my post. I am old. My eyes were never good at 16, a lot worse at 68. I was careful to make the distinction between a _chart plotter_ and a _multi-function display_ . What is the point of displaying information if the person at the helm can not see it? Why bother to spend the money? Get out the paper charts. Run up to the bow with the lead line. Get out the signal flags to talk to other boats. (How does one signal "can I make a slow pass on your port side" in hoist?) Take the aluminum foil hat off and listen for the radar pulse emissions from the other boats.  I am a belt and suspenders kind of guy so in addition to my multi-function display at the helm I have a backup stand alone multi-function display without chart capability. I can bring up depth, Course, Speed, etc. The kind of data available before the advent of chart plotters. Its there for when (not if) the chart plotter/multi-function display craps out - or when I need to conserve power after several long rainy days.

What really motivated me to respond was Dave's assertion that one could sit under the dodger and steer with the autopilot. I came in Ft. Pierce Inlet a couple of nights ago after a five day solo very tiring transit from Nassau. The wind was doing 20 to 25 knots. The current was 2 -3 knots out of the inlet. The waves were 4 - 5 feet going into the inlet. About as close to the edge as I would go rather than waiting for better conditions. Better conditions were not forecast - rather the opposite - it was going to get worse. Do you think I was going to trust my autopilot buttons to steer?

Oh, yeah. The engine crapped out. Thank you Towboat US. You saved my boat and most likely my life.

It is a tiller boat. That does not change my basic equation - put it where you can see it while steering.

Fair winds and following seas


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## Skipper Jer (Aug 26, 2008)

My boat is equipped with a tiller. I also have a revulsion to cutting holes in the boat. The compass and hopefully soon to be acquired chart plotter will have to be mounted. One idea I've been considered is to build a box in which the items are to be mounted then mount the box to the bulkhead using screws inserted from the cabin side of the bulkhead. Don't know if the chart plotter generates a magnetic field that would interfere with the compass. The downside to this is it pretty much eliminates the ability of using the bulkhead as a back rest.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Interesting to read the various responses as all have great merit. There is clearly times its good to have it under the dodger and others when its best placed at the wheel. Especially when the chart is lousy and you are following the color of the water or avoiding junk in the water. Still nice to have 12" screen in front of you and a paper chart laid out on the nav station table when charting a transit. 
However, the OP is on a tiller boat and apparently has one and only one MFD. Like most its reasonable to assume he will not be sitting low watching the slot but high bracing with his feet in the front of the cockpit. Putting it off to one side makes for poor vision on one tack if mounted on the house. Assuming MFD is E9 size or bigger and his eyes are good under the dodger amidships may actually make best sense IMHO. He can stand in the steps of the companionway looking forward when its icky outside and be warm and dry. Steering with the AP. If out of his gear he can stay in the boat and just slide the hatch open to take a peak. If he is at the tiller he can still see it.
With only one all placements are suboptimal in certain circumstances. Most boats I travel with have two or three MFDs. I've even seen four on a race boat with two helm stations. Now with hotspots and LANs on boats feeding I pads and smartphones you can see the chart on the throne or in your berth.


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## captainmurph (Feb 12, 2009)

My Cal 30 is also tiller steered and I wanted the versatility of clearly seeing when I'm in the cockpit and inside the cabin (out of the weather).

I bought a small TV mount from Amazon (about $15.00) and mounted my Lowrance Elite 5 on a small piece of Star Board and then mounted this to the supplied holes in the mount.

By carefully locating in inside the cabin on the bulkhead on the starboard side, I can use it inside in inclement weather or swing it 180 degrees so it is on the starboard side of the companionway just into the cockpit.

This is a very good system!

Murph

S/V Amalia
1965 Cal 30
Muskegon, MI

Doing the Great Loop in 2015/2016


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## Area57 (Jan 2, 2015)

Some good ideas. Thanks. I guess I'm not the only one looking for that perfect place. 

Do brand new sailboats come with the chartplotters? I could see them being included and a special place built into the boat for them, depending on the size and type of boat.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

Area57 said:


> Some good ideas. Thanks. I guess I'm not the only one looking for that perfect place.
> 
> Do brand new sailboats come with the chartplotters? I could see them being included and a special place built into the boat for them, depending on the size and type of boat.


I believe it is the dealer who normally installs buyer requested added equipment. Some of the newer boats I see have places where a plotter can be placed, but they are often poorly thought out and nearly unusable, such as on the aft facing table support on a two wheeled boat. Way too low and hard to reach.
This may be why the pod industry has come into being.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

capta said:


> I am absolutely flabbergasted by many of the responses on here.
> We have our 10" display chartplotter on the binnacle and could not imagine having it out of reach.
> In inclement weather, though it might be nice to snuggle up under the dodger, that is NOT where a watch stander should be sitting. Possibly on a long offshore passage this might seem acceptable, but how many days of offshore ocean sailing do any of us do, in comparison to coastal or interisland sailing?
> Interisland in the Caribbean or coastal continental sailing, the person on watch should be at the helm, keeping watch, IMO; that is the job!


Why should the watchstander be out in the weather, miserable, when he or she need not be? With an autopilot engaged what is the benefit? I can tell you the downside - tired, wet, distracted watchstanders with deteriorated attention and increased fatigue.

The job is to be rested (i.e. spend off watch getting good rest), alert, and attentive. One need not stand behind the wheel for that.

The calculus changes without an autopilot.



svzephyr44 said:


> Dave and I usually agree so I was surprised by his response to my post. I am old. My eyes were never good at 16, a lot worse at 68.


I'm with you on that. I've worn glasses since I was five or six years old. Now I have to deal with different prescriptions for different ranges. Add spray and/or rain and vision becomes an issue most of the time. My strong preference is for sailing instruments (depth, speed, wind) with the largest available displays over the companionway slide and a chartplotter/MFD to port on the cabin top. Not to digress unduly but my preference for a port side display is because that makes the port side the watch side which keeps the area from which a stand-on vessel may come most readily in view.



svzephyr44 said:


> I was careful to make the distinction between a _chart plotter_ and a _multi-function display_.


A very reasonable point. Most displays less than ten years old allow a choice of individual screens, split screen, or chart/radar overlay. Depending on complexity of an entrance for the relatively limited portion that must be hand-steered I use either a chart, a radar/chart overlay, or a split screen at 3 or 6 mile range (half that number for the radar for equivalent scale). If the electronics allow for an offset to shift more space ahead I'll use the larger scale (shorter range). On my own boat the instruments are about 6 or 7 feet away from my position at the wheel and the plotter about a foot closer. Even my poor old eyes can see the 8" display, and with less adjustment of my glasses to boot. I have yet to convince myself to sustain the power consumption of a 12" display.



svzephyr44 said:


> What is the point...


I usually have some kind of paper charts. I do have a lead line *grin* but I haven't ever used it. I have one of those little electronic flashlight-style ones for the dinghy I really like. For signal flags, other than a 'Q' (and courtesy flags of course) all I have are a 'D' and a 'T' (part of a long ago joke since they signal "I am maneuvering with difficulty; keep clear").

I only wear my tin foil hat inside the 3-mile limit. *grin*



svzephyr44 said:


> What really motivated me to respond was Dave's assertion that one could sit under the dodger and steer with the autopilot. I came in Ft. Pierce Inlet a couple of nights ago after a five day solo very tiring transit from Nassau. The wind was doing 20 to 25 knots. The current was 2 -3 knots out of the inlet. The waves were 4 - 5 feet going into the inlet. About as close to the edge as I would go rather than waiting for better conditions. Better conditions were not forecast - rather the opposite - it was going to get worse. Do you think I was going to trust my autopilot buttons to steer?


I don't. I wouldn't either.

From R2 to the first turning basin is about 4 miles. The sporty bit, even with wind over tide, is perhaps a mile. How much zooming in and out and screen flipping would you really be doing while focused on keeping the boat going in a straight line? I suggest that regardless of the location of the MFD you would do as I do, a review at least 10 or 15 minutes out, perhaps even taking a few reminder notes. You'll know which way you're going to turn at the basin and would likely by back on autopilot even before you get there.



svzephyr44 said:


> Oh, yeah. The engine crapped out. Thank you Towboat US. You saved my boat and most likely my life.


Sorry about the engine. Amen to appreciation to TowboatUS. Unlimited towing insurance truly is one of the best deals in boating, and the towers are often heroes.



outbound said:


> Interesting to read the various responses as all have great merit. There is clearly times its good to have it under the dodger and others when its best placed at the wheel. Especially when the chart is lousy and you are following the color of the water or avoiding junk in the water. Still nice to have 12" screen in front of you and a paper chart laid out on the nav station table when charting a transit.


One of the merits of having proper chart tables that are actually under the dodger. *grin*

In my experience a chartplotter/MFD in reach is going to be fiddled with. Having it in view but out of reach helps the helmsperson keep their head out of the boat instead of buried in the video game.

When planning ahead the bigger the better for both screens and paper.



outbound said:


> Putting it off to one side makes for poor vision on one tack if mounted on the house.


I don't follow. How is one tack not as good for a view toward the cabin top than the other? That isn't something I have run into. Are you thinking of the main sheet getting in the way?

Boats have to get rather large before you can count on space amidships unless the companionway is offset.

The surge toward two, three, or four MFDs seems to have reversed as the integration of laptop navigation has become easier and--as you note--WiFi data distribution has changed things.


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## paul323 (Mar 13, 2010)

A good question, but with so many sizes (and capabilities) of GPS/chartplotters, and boats of so many shapes and sizes, there is no "one size fits all"!

FWIW, my chartplotter is on a swivel arm in the companionway. When underway it swings out into the companionway, clearly visible from the helm. Just above the bottom washboard (my boat also has a bridgedeck so that is plenty high for all but the worst weather). When not in use it swings inside, just above the chart table. Works for me.


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## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

SVAuspicious said:


> Why should the watchstander be out in the weather, miserable, when he or she need not be? With an autopilot engaged what is the benefit? I can tell you the downside - tired, wet, distracted watchstanders with deteriorated attention and increased fatigue.
> 
> The job is to be rested (i.e. spend off watch getting good rest), alert, and attentive. One need not stand behind the wheel for that.


Funny how so many of these discussions wind up highlighting yet another benefit of tillers over wheels...

)

My little tiller-steered tub has a small plotter down below over the nav table, and a 10" plotter/radar display mounted on the bulkhead... Works fine for me...

The V-42 I just ran south had a nice Garmin unit mounted under the dodger as you describe, it was perfect... Of course, those Valiant cockpits are a bit more 'compact' than many today, the distance between the helm and plotter was pretty minimal... But having the plotter at the helm on that trip would have been a real PITA, as the AP was driving virtually the entire trip, and I was usually seated behind the dodger. But all things being equal, I'm with you, and would vote for the plotter under the dodger always...

Many of these plotter/instrument arrays situated at the helm today have gotten just a _BIT_ out of control... The degree to which this Erector Set rendered the cockpit on this Cabo Rico 42 unworkable really had to be seen to be believed...






























SVAuspicious said:


> > Originally Posted by svzephyr44
> >
> > What really motivated me to respond was Dave's assertion that one could sit under the dodger and steer with the autopilot. I came in Ft. Pierce Inlet a couple of nights ago after a five day solo very tiring transit from Nassau. The wind was doing 20 to 25 knots. The current was 2 -3 knots out of the inlet. The waves were 4 - 5 feet going into the inlet. About as close to the edge as I would go rather than waiting for better conditions. Better conditions were not forecast - rather the opposite - it was going to get worse. Do you think I was going to trust my autopilot buttons to steer?
> 
> ...


Yup, perhaps not the best example... Fort Pierce inlet is about as straightforward as they come... Other than in the most severely restricted visibility, with its deep, wide, straight well-marked channel and powerful range lights, one really shouldn't need the assistance of a plotter to find your way in there... Sounds like a situation where once you were at the fairway buoy and had the channel lined up, might have been best to put the cover back on the display, concentrate on the lights ahead, and the seas rolling in astern...

)


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

The pad navigation makes me nervous. To my knowledge none effectively intergrate with the AP. Unless on a Tough Book 31 all are subject to failure from a drop. Even with Life cases some will fail with immersion or constant exposure to salt spray. A boarding sea into the cockpit or thoughtless placement will have some disappear. Running power to them abrogates watertight case.
There is something to be said for old school hard wired systems. One display fails move the chip. Make that one the master and you're back in business.


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## glymroff (Apr 2, 2009)

IMHO it also depends on the size of your boat . On our 28 footer having the plotter mounted under dodger works because its a small cockpit.

On our 37 footer that's way to far from the helm. We have a small Garmin mounted at them helm and use an IPAD w/ Bad Elf, iNax, Garmin, etc. loose or RaM Mount under dodger or at helm. 

This allows for redundancy as well as ease of use. It's pretty cheap these days to pick up an ipad2 used. We're actually thinking of getting a 2nd IPAD so we can have one below as well.

Of course we also always have paper charts


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## TomMaine (Dec 21, 2010)

Area57 said:


> I just got my first chart plotter. It's a Raymarine touch screen. I am trying to decide where to mount the darn thing.
> 
> I would like it to be right in front of me on the companionway bulkhead, since that is the easiest place I know of to look at it and use it, but I am reluctant to cut any holes in my boat.
> 
> ...


I'm with you, don't blow any new holes in your boat. The gizmo will be soon gone, the hole is forever(note the ancient speedo some bonehead thought should go in our cabin)

I'm rarely behind the wheel so I like the CP forward so I can be under the dodger. The wheel is easy to use one handed, sitting between it and the companionway. Same as a tiller. 

This is just a simple board on hinges that comes into the companionway. I can set it at any angle for best visibility. Plus I swing it inside often when I may be navigating or otherwise below while the AP steers. It's inside at night as well. I run the CP 24/7 to keep track of anchor position. Nothing gets wet.

Simple and cheap!

What I haven't figured out is where to keep my ipad(or my nephew) which has become my main CP. I may reconfigure the hinged companionway board. Everything on it is now outdated!


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

SVAuspicious said:


> Why should the watchstander be out in the weather, miserable, when he or she need not be? With an autopilot engaged what is the benefit? I can tell you the downside - tired, wet, distracted watchstanders with deteriorated attention and increased fatigue.
> 
> Well, I don't know. Possibly to stand WATCH? At the helm one should have a pretty unobstructed view all around the boat and easily glance aloft. That is the job of the WATCH stander. Not half asleep, reading or listening to an IPod cuddled up under the Bimini, IMO. Just exactly how would you expect to see another sailing vessel on a dark night bearing down on you, if you are hunkered down under the Bimini? On our sail from Trinidad last month, we encountered two other sailboats at night, yet we saw them at a good distance because the watchstander was on the helm watch standing. We were on a reciprocal course with one and overtaking the other, and both were basically on the same course line as we were, and we passed within a mile of them.
> As for being 'out in the weather, miserable', I believe you were a vocal contributor to the thread on quality foul weather gear, so one would think you had overcome that problem.
> ...


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

Considering that the OP has a tiller steered boat, about half of the comments in this thread are moot (but good info for wheel boat folks). On most boats small enough to have a tiller, you are not very far away from the companionway bulkhead while steering. How about mounting the thing on a swivel, as others have suggested, at the height of the top drop board. Then make a clear lexan board to replace the top drop board. In bad weather, keep the chart plotter inside, but, pushed up against the lexan facing out into the cockpit. Would also be a nice addition to get more light down below while waiting out weather at anchor.


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## ReefMagnet (May 8, 2008)

One boat I owned had the compass, depth and gps mounted in such a way that they could only be used with the companion way hatch open. This was all fine and dandy until in a situation where the hatch needs to be closed. This situation is usually also the same one where the instruments are most needed!

On my Vega 27 (tiller steered) I had a Garmin 152 mounted by a PO on the cabin top on the standard bracket with two bolts and a single cable gland passing through the coach roof. This worked very well (providing no one stands in the way!), and I was able to utilise the two bolts running through the deck to mount the VHF radio under the deck near the companion way.

On the current wheel steered boat, I've mounted the chart plotter (Elite 5) to a Ram mount attached to the binnacle guard which allows angling it for viewing anywhere in the cockpit. IMO this is a perfect solution. I'm about to upgrade to a Zeus Touch 7 which will be mounted the same way although I'm still scratching my head on how to route 4 cables fitted for the most part with big plugs back to the wiring panel. 

Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk 2


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

capta said:


> SVAuspicious said:
> 
> 
> > Why should the watchstander be out in the weather, miserable, when he or she need not be? With an autopilot engaged what is the benefit? I can tell you the downside - tired, wet, distracted watchstanders with deteriorated attention and increased fatigue.
> ...


It appears that we have a fundamental disagreement on what is necessary to stand watch. On most boats the view from under the dodger is as good or better than from the wheel. On most (of course not all) tiller boats you're essentially under the dodger anyway.

I'm going to assume that when you say "bimini" in your post you mean "dodger" or "sprayhood."

Reading, music, or whatever is independent of location and not relevant at all to this issue.

I don't particularly remember the foul weather gear discussion but I may have been vocal. I don't like being cold or wet - it isn't good for the person or for his/her ability to focus.

I recently sailed a boat with a big aluminum dodger with hardly any view in any direction but aft. On that boat I stood my watches standing in the cockpit, well forward of the wheels, where I could see over the cabintop. The owner stood his below with no view aft. *sigh*


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Personally, I like my setup better than any, but I may be a bit prejudice. My Lowrance HDS7 is mounted on a universal ball mount right next to the compass. I can see it perfectly at all times while underway. When I'm not underway, it mounts on a ball mount at the chart table so I can set the anchor alarm and actually hear it going off. It has a built-in antenna that is very sensitive, shoots through the cabin roof with no problems at all, and I plug it into a cigarette lighter adapter at the helm and in the cabin. Best of both worlds and the mount was about $50 from West Marine. Oh, and it is fully dimmable and has a night vision mode too.

Cheers,

Gary


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## Area57 (Jan 2, 2015)

Ok, I am looking more and more at swivel arm options, even though I started out not favoring that approach. I don't have a dodger, if I did, I would mount the plotter under it as some of you have pictured and described, that seems the best solution.

If the holes weren't so big I would cut and mount on the bulkhead. But it's just way too big for me to feel good about. And one quickly becomes five, you know? Pretty soon, I'll have all sorts of screens all over the bulkhead, once you open that gate. I guess the boat originally came pretty electronics free, because there aren't many things currently mounted, or evidence of past mountings. There is a compass port and a small, older speedometer and depth gauge starboard. Still working. It's too bad they aren't the same size as my new MFD. They should standardize the backs of these, then you could have the option to mount one, and when it was time to replace it, safe in the knowledge that it would fit. Because the size you choose for the screen is pretty. Uh based on the size of your boat. I guess your eyesight has something to do with it too, but it's mostly dependent on boat size. So a 10" on a 35' foot boat sounds pretty standard. If they made the backs all the same size when the new 10" came out you could just plug and play. It would be good for the industry.

How weatherproof are these new plotters. Or more specifically what I got is an MFD. I'm just not in the habit of calling them that. Has anyone ever mounted one outside and had it break or fail from bad weather? I guess part of my decision should be based on just how durable they are. 

I have always treated my electronics as if they are fragile. I try to never drop them or get the wet. Whether they are a weather resistant handheld gps or a non I device. I still try my best to keep them safe. I have an otter box for my phone, but I've never tested it. I don't think I've even even got a drop of water on it. So I'm probably overly cautious. Obviously these new MFD's are made for some exposure. I'm sure they are more durable than I give them credit for. 

The problem is you only get one chance to find out how weather proof they are. They are either working or broken. That's a hard lesson to learn.


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## mbianka (Sep 19, 2014)

Area57 said:


> How weatherproof are these new plotters. Or more specifically what I got is an MFD. I'm just not in the habit of calling them that. Has anyone ever mounted one outside and had it break or fail from bad weather? I guess part of my decision should be based on just how durable they are.
> 
> I have always treated my electronics as if they are fragile. I try to never drop them or get the wet. Whether they are a weather resistant handheld gps or a non I device. I still try my best to keep them safe. I have an otter box for my phone, but I've never tested it. I don't think I've even even got a drop of water on it. So I'm probably overly cautious. Obviously these new MFD's are made for some exposure. I'm sure they are more durable than I give them credit for.
> 
> The problem is you only get one chance to find out how weather proof they are. They are either working or broken. That's a hard lesson to learn.


I'm a "if it ain't broke don't fix it sailor". I agree there is no reason to change out the old instruments if they are still working. Personally, I like to have separate instruments and not have all the eggs in one basket. MFD's are convenient but, if you lose the screen (or some important electrical component behind it) you are electronically blind. Having made a good living over the years repairing electronics down to component levels I expect them to fail at some point. So having separate instruments gives me less to worry about should one fail.

As for water issues you unit is is probably an IPX6 or IPX7 standard. IPX7 says it should stand 30 minutes of immersion without failing or showing signs of leakage. The IPX6 is a lessor standard but, the test is still pretty tough:
"_This test sends water at all angles through a 12.5mm nozzle at a rate of 100 liters/min at a pressure of 100kN/m2 for 3 minutes from a distance of 3 meters. Must not fail or show water seepage."_
Though I think it is still best for you to continue to minimize any contact your electronics have with water. The bigger problem you may have if it has a touch screen and droplets of water land on the screen causing it to not be as responsive to ones touch. You could probably help minimize any issues with a small hood over the unit. Just always remember water and electronics don't play well together and you'll be fine.


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## Rusty123 (Sep 28, 2012)

On my 28 foot tiller steered boat, I have my MFD mounted to a Ram mount which swivels out to the cockpit (and my VHF on a second mount). One advantage to this approach is that the MFD can be very easily rotated inside the cabin for other, non underway use (tank monitoring, stereo control, etc.). It also keeps it out of the weather and out of sight when the boat is not in use.

Another idea - most newer MFD's have a companion app for an iPad or other tablet which allows remote viewing and control of your MFD (Garmin Helm, for example). Note that this is completely different than using an iPad for (primary) navigation. I have an iPad mini inside a waterproof case with a neck strap for this purpose. (This is also my backup system if the MFD fails).

Also, It may be possible to build a special companionway board to allow the boards to be replaced with the MFD rotated outward. Would depend on the specific installation though.


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## jhastie (Oct 29, 2014)

Your answer my be in going to Railblaza - Hold Everything... with RAILBLAZA Versatile, easy to use mounting systems and accessories for Leisure and Adventure Sports on and off the water. Download the catalog. I mounted my compass on the stern rail. I also have a tiller. I mounted my depth finder/temp guage/speedo unit on the stern rail next to my chart plotter.


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## rikhall (Feb 7, 2008)

For me, the bottom lines is "Where you can see it and reach it!"










Where you can see may vary from where I can see - lol

Rik


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

jhastie said:


> Your answer my be in going to Railblaza - Hold Everything... with RAILBLAZA Versatile, easy to use mounting systems and accessories for Leisure and Adventure Sports on and off the water. Download the catalog. I mounted my compass on the stern rail. I also have a tiller. I mounted my depth finder/temp guage/speedo unit on the stern rail next to my chart plotter.


I want to thank you for this post. I believe these products may be a solution to dinghy lighting.


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## aloof (Dec 21, 2014)

rikhall said:


> For me, the bottom lines is "Where you can see it and reach it!"


Rik - I agree! But when you reach you touch what could be an electronics yard sale. However, when I reach ... there is nothing on my binnacle to get in the way of fun sailing. That's my rule:


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

aloof said:


> Rik - I agree! But when you reach you touch what could be an electronics yard sale. However, when I reach ... there is nothing on my binnacle to get in the way of fun sailing. That's my rule:


A very fine instrument package. The binnacle shower a great idea. Why didn't I think of that? Good to see someone with their priorities in the right place.:laugher


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Here's a photo of my HDS7, which is an all in one device that is totally waterproof and submersible. Instead of a cluster of instruments, I can monitor everything on a single, split screen. GPS/Plotter, 3G radar, depth, water temperature, speed, and all engine gauges are all monitored on a 7-inch HD display that can be dimmed to just a glow for nighttime sailing, and also changed to a red night display. If it were to fail, I have a complete backup system aboard, but these things are really rugged and were designed for use on bass boats and tournament use, which is much more abuse than it would ever have on a cruising boat.










No, the relatively young girl is not part of a package deal, but I can only wish that were the case.

Cheers,

Gary


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## the_abuse (Jan 12, 2014)

I might have to sell my Raymarine for one of those Lowrance units


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

I've got my two chartplotters mounted on top of my instrument box that holds the VHF radio, depth finder, autopilot, and electronic windex, and anemometer. 

I like having everything near when I'm at the helm. And, I like being able to swivel the smaller chartplotter over so I can see it when I'm sitting on the coaming and steering.


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## rikhall (Feb 7, 2008)

aloof said:


> Rik - I agree! But when you reach you touch what could be an electronics yard sale. However, when I reach ... there is nothing on my binnacle to get in the way of fun sailing. That's my rule:


Sometimes a fun day (or two of sailing) on the coast of Maine is pea soup fog - I do want to be able to see and touch everything in my little electronics yard sale.

Shalom

Rik


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