# Cockpit Speakers?



## docinsand (Aug 30, 2007)

I have a 2000 Catalina 28 and would like to install a stereo system that includes speakers somewhere in the cockpit. 

There doesn't seem to be an ideal spot or easy answer as I think this seemingly simple problem through. The two most likely answers are on the bulkhead on either side of the companionway or underder the sternrail seats.

Bulkhead position

Pros: ear level, facing aft, good separation, 6 ft away from compass, shorter distance from stereo unit, recessed speakers give better sound, protected under dodger.

Cons: need 5 inch cutouts through cabin then liner, back of speakers will stick though head (port) and galley (stbd) and be visable; surface where speaker grill will be mounted is very slightly curved (may be a small gap)

Sternrail Position

Pros: hole would be only big enough for speaker wire to pass through with proper through hull hardware, no liner to drill through in this position, protected under stern rail seats, speakers easily changed when they need replacing, about ear level with good separation, 4 ft away from compass.

Cons: poorer sound from box type speaker, longer distance from stereo, speaker wire must be run from through hull hardware at base of sternrails to speakers under seats (zip ties?), wires exposed to salt water and UV

Has anyone played this game before?


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## SanderO (Jul 12, 2007)

Our speaks are plugged into water proof receptacles at the top of the companionway as sit under the dodger. They are Maximus and sound OK. I don't like loud music in the cockpit as it is offensive to others. This also allows us the upgrade them, and we don't have to make huge holes in the boat to mount them. Of course they are not waterproof either.

It works for us.

jef
sv shiva


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I have my speakers mounted in the aft end of the cockpit, with the wiring run through the cockpit coamings. None of the wiring is exposed to the elements.


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## speciald (Mar 27, 2007)

Niles makes waterproof box speakers that are cheaper than Boze (sp?) and much superior.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

What makes you think box speakers sound worse than bulkhead mounted speakers? I would suggest you listen to some good ones. (Check out Polk, Boston Accoustics and Klipsch models at CircuitCity and BestBuy)
That said, the notion of "good sound" in an open air cockpit of a boat is a fiction...what one would hope for is merely sufficient quality and power to enable the music to be heard without significant distortion. 
It also seems to me that you have a 3rd possible location which would be in the cockpit well sides (where the back of your calves go when seated.) I don't know what the interior of your boat is like, but in many cases, this gives you the option to mount flush speakers without having to cut through cabin liner and/or/ ruin the interior look of the boat. If you go with flush speakers in either location, I would encourage you to look at 6-6.5" models in a coax configuration with plastic or composite cones rather than paper, and butyl rubber cone surrounds rather than foam, and of course, plastic grills rather than metal. 

You didn't ask about radios, so I will assume you have that covered.


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## robfinora (Apr 25, 2001)

*What I did re speakers*

On my Catalina 30 - I bought 4 speakers from West Marine. They are box speakers. I mounted 2 inside the cabin on the forward bulkhead facing aft and 2 in the aft end of the cockpit facing fore. I ran the wiring inside the SS rail which was very difficult to do but looks nice. You need to take the rails off the boat for the job as its difficult to drill out and run the wiring.

The sound is great and in the winter I could just take the speakers off. You can also rotate them around if they interfer with your conversation. I have the stereo mounted in the cabin at the nav table and it came with a wireless remote so I could operate the unit from the helm. The whole set-up cost me about $250 with everything.

Rob


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## capttb (Dec 13, 2003)

I mounted 2 sub-compact Poly-Planar box speakers in the cockpit coamings facing aft, and two large box speakers in the cabin, also facing aft. You can adjust the fader for more from the cabin to increase bass if required. I can have it quite loud in the cockpit and someone standing next to the boat on the dock can barely hear it cause the sound is all directed in toward the cockpit. The cockpit speakers are barely visible, the coaming forms a small echo chamber, probably not the audiophile's choice, but I like it.
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|344|132903|27981|320904&id=860156


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Bose in cockpit*

I have installed 2 pair of Bose in the cabin, and a pair of Bose in the cockpit.
The Bose 151 SE are saltwater proof.
Catalina 27
Romance


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I have speakers mounted under the stern rail seats. They work well with no issues. If I was doing this on another boat I would do the same.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

*Under the stern rail seats..*

NavPod actually makes a set specifically designed to fit under the Catalina stern rail seats but I used a set of Jensen Marine box speakers instead. The Navpod speakers have a 3.5 inch driver and a tweeter and the Jensen's are a 6.5 inch woofer with a tweet mounted in a coaxial configuration. While the Jensens are not a top quality speaker they served me well and had far more bass than the Poly Planar/Navpod speakers that came with the boat from the factory. I routed the wires through the stern rail so they were not visible. Mounting under the stern seat leaves no holes in the boat and will not hurt re-sale!!

Here's a pic of the Jensen's


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## buddabelly (Sep 21, 2007)

*receiver*

I'm looking to put a new sound system in my 30ft Catalina. What kind of receiver did you buy and is it built in or gimbaled? lets see some pictures of your system and how you set them up.

Thanks
Buddabelly


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## jackytdunaway (Sep 11, 2006)

I got some Monster made box outdoor speakers from Radio Shack and mounted them on the aft side of the boxes that my cabin top trave;er sits on. they are out of the way. the sound is directed back to the cockpit and only had to drill mounting holes. I even left one of the 4 mounting holes empty and ran the wire out thru it. Works and sounds great.


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## retclt (Nov 7, 2006)

My speakers are all the way inside the boat mounted on the bulkhead facing back. They don't need to be weatherproof because weather can't get to them. It doesnt' matter if it's Buffet, Led Zeppelin, or Chopin, it all sounds great from the cockpit. We're happy. We don't usually have it on underway anyway.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I just switched out my factory Poly Planners with Polk units and they sound great. I went back into the factory holes. I also put in a new Pioneer deck with Satellite radio and a iPod connection. It is nice to be able to put on a station and get great sounding musing without any commercials. With this you can pick a genre that fits your mood instead of having to shuffle CD's or listen to commercials when you are in the middle of great sail or nice evening.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I have flushmount speakers aft in the cockpit under the helmsman's seat. They sound okay - not exceptional. The thing I like about that location is that the sound does not travel throughout the marina, yet we can hear them quite well.


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## docinsand (Aug 30, 2007)

Thanks for all the great replies...

I plan to listen to some box speakers and hope to find a set to mount under the stern rail seats. I would like to run the wires through the rails if able. Can I assume they are hollow up through the seat? Does anyone have any close up pictures or descriptions of the stern rail seat mounts? I am interested to see exactly where the holes in the stainless steel rails are drilled so as not to weaken the seat support. The installalation on _Acoustic looks to be what I am after.

I have not decided on what stereo to get at this point. This also seems a combersome topic!

My wish list includes: one that interfaces well with an ipod and is satellite ready. I also want a wired remote to mount in the cockpit. By interacting well I mean, charges the iPod when connected so the battery doesn't runout, and display of the iPod on the stereo and the remote if possible. CD's are low priority since I have mine loaded on the iPod and don't want to lug CD's around anymore.

Thanks again for the advice!_


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Clarion has a couple of units that might fit your criteria, although their implementation of the iPod interface is less than ideal IMHO.


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## drynoc (Jul 17, 2001)

I don't understand any of you. One of the first things I did when I got my boat was to remove all the speakers. I go sailing to get away from all that.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

docinsand said:


> Thanks for all the great replies...
> I have not decided on what stereo to get at this point. This also seems a combersome topic!
> My wish list includes: one that interfaces well with an ipod and is satellite ready. I also want a wired remote to mount in the cockpit. By interacting well I mean, charges the iPod when connected so the battery doesn't runout, and display of the iPod on the stereo and the remote if possible. CD's are low priority since I have mine loaded on the iPod and don't want to lug CD's around anymore.


Don't bother with a "marine" grade stereo. I was on board the Catalina 30 I sold 10 years ago and they were still using the automotive grade Pioneer AM/FM/CD player I had installed 11 years prior. You can buy an inexpensive car deck from Wal*Mart for between $79.00 and $200.00 that will be iPod ready!

Do NOT get suckered into a WIRED remote! You don't need to be drilling any more holes! With an iPod and one of these http://www.abtech2.com/iJetBottomDock.htm you won't need a wired remote. The ABT iJet's remote is water resistant and can velcro right to your pedestal. I paid $29.00 for mine from an on-line retailer and it's the best $29.00 investment I've ever made for the boat!

So in short a CD/AM/FM/AUX Input/iPod ready car stereo from Wal*Mart.
An ABT iJet (remote control for the iPod)
An iPod from the Mac Refurb Store (best deal on iPods anywhere!)

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=AA9C1546&nclm=Certified

Now you have your self a killer system for really short money that can be wireless controlled from anywhere on the boat. Did I mention the ABT iJet is RF not IR so you don't need to point it at the iPod. It works through radio waves like Bluetooth does...

The iJet remote control is pictured right next to the Raymarine C-80.


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## Joesaila (May 19, 2007)

Great thread. I have a 30' Morgan OI and would like cockpit speakers. I dreaded the thought of mounting them 'through' the inside of the cockbit. [it would take about a 6 in hole!] but I am curious about the flush speakers that would require a small hole for wires. Does anyone have pictures of those? I also like Halekai36 set up but between my rail mounted skiff's outboard and life lifesaver on the rail it would be a little crowed on my boat.


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## robfinora (Apr 25, 2001)

Doc - I agree with Halekia here. Don't go with a marine grade stereo as it's a waste of money. I spent about $100 on a Kenwood model purchased off www.crutchfield.com. They are very good and have decent prices. Try West marine or here for the marine grade box speakers....you may even get them on overstock and save a few bucks if you shop it. My Kenwood has an auxiliary input which is great for iPod connection and/or satellite radio (I have both and highly recommend them). Most Kenwood stereos come with a wireless remote - again, a great feature I would not do without. I have the unit installed at my nav table below and can access everything with the wireless remote from the helm. If your familiar with a Catalina 30 - my stereo is located under the flip-open table on the nav above the battery box ('78 Catalina style nav/battery set-up). When you open the nav table you can see the stereo but I built a wood frame that protects and covers it.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
 <o></o>
The speaker installation could be tricky. I would recommend a 4-speaker setup with 2 inside the cabin and 2 in the cockpit mounted on rails. Defiantly go with box speakers (marine grade). If you don't like the sound - you can always swap them out for the deck-mounted version later on if you really hate the sound (which I doubt). If you go with deck-mounted speakers you are basically committed to them once you make the cuts in your deck. The SS railing is very difficult to cut holes into for the speaker wires. You should plan on removing the rail and working in a shop if you have one with a drill press. At the very least - a workbench vise. Use a punch to get the hole started then drill away. You will need 2 holes: 1 under the base of the rail mount and a second where the speakers mount (and then a 3rd thu the deck under the rail base). I used a coat hanger to snake the wires thru. Depending on how you plan on mounting the speaker bracket - you may need to drill out a few more holes for that. I just used a large hose-clamp to afix the speaker mount to the ss rail....sounds bad but you really can't see the clamp it once the speakers are in place. You could then cover it with either rigging tape or some type of decorated rope-wrap. I left mine bare as its not very visible at all.<o></o>
 <o></o>
They really blend in nicely in the cockpit and I have gotten so many compliments on both the look and sound of the set-up. I did a ton of research on this prior to taking on this project and this is the best way to go!!
 <o></o>
Good luck and enjoy! - Rob<o></o>


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

BTW, if you are going to mount non-box type speakers in the coamings of your boat's cockpit, it might be wise to have them mounted in such a way that you can close off the openings, such as behind a deckplate of some sort. A lot of water can get in if the boat gets pooped and the speaker gets blown out by the wave. DAMHIK. BTW, in terms of disclosure, currently on my boat, I don't have the cockpit speakers mounted behind deckplates because the space they would vent into drains overboard, not into the bilge or cabin.


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## HatterasJack (Mar 31, 2004)

One thing you might concider before mounting any speaker with a huge Magnet in it is it's proximity to your compass and Fluxgate compass if you have an autopilot!! Most people mount a pair of speakers in the aft portion of the cockpit for seperation between what is in the cabin but usually your fluxgate compass is located near there as well. so check out the sound and compass reaction before you go drilling any holes!!
Good Luck Jack


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## Bill Mc (Apr 10, 2006)

*Overtons*

Two of these will hurt your ears as well as your pocket book. However, you will never be ignored should a fog roll in.

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Rubicon_Tower_Speakers_75_watts&cname=Marine-Speakers&r=view&i=12478&aID=17B

The loud power boaters towing wake boarders play these at 70 mph and can be heard 2 mi away.

Fair Winds


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## christyleigh (Dec 17, 2001)

HatterasJack said:


> One thing you might concider before mounting any speaker with a huge Magnet in it is it's proximity to your compass and Fluxgate compass if you have an autopilot!!


That's why I've always used PolyPlanar Low Mag Interference speakers. I've never done an A-B comparison between them and others (PS might have) but I have moved a playing - small - speaker around my compass before and found no visible problem over 2' away. Hopefully it's not all just advertizing hype but since they make such a big deal about it I figure they must be trying at least.


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Stan, never noticed on your boat's cockpit, where are yours mounted?

I mounted waterproof box-speakers under the aft cowling of the pilothouse roof. They're separated from the aft compass above, by solid fiberglass - with no apparent magnetic interference.


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## christyleigh (Dec 17, 2001)

TB - It sounds like the same place you did. Mine are Small. You can see them here - http://www.stansail.com/Cockpit-Gau...artplotter,Instr, Speakers,Drink Holders.JPG


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## SanderO (Jul 12, 2007)

I hate the look of these massive instrument pods.

I prefer being barefoot or deck shoes to sneakers in the cockpit.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Standard car speakers of the 5.25 or 6.5" variety should have no impact on a compass if they are more than 2' away. Anything labeled (and priced!) as a marine speaker will have shielded magnets anyway. Poly-planers are a good choice for longevity in a marine environment but have rather compromised sound quality compared to the more recognized audio speaker brands at the same price points.


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Stan,
I re-used a pair of Bose speakers I had from an old boat as a temporary measure until I decide what to replace them with. Still searching - since these sound like crap.


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## christyleigh (Dec 17, 2001)

To me the sound outside is trivia. As others have mentioned you have to play them so loud and disturb the rest of the marina, moorage, or anchorage to make them sound good outside that I rarely bother. I have a Large pair in my pilothouse and a Larger pair in my den/storage area that used to be a forward berth - all connected to a fairly sofisticated switching unit for proper impedence no matter which combination I use. My den is my listening room. The solid wood interior of the NC makes great sound proofing and even though my boat lives right below the owners house I can listen at concert level there and disturb no one... even my wife 30' and two closed doors away in the aft berth can stand me listening to music at the volume I like.


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

You're right Stan - I actually rarely switch on the outside speakers . . . except when my daughter comes aboard (or sometimes while sailing) that is. The PO installed Clarion co-axial flush-mount speakers in the headliner, through-out the interior - aft cabin, pilothouse, and galley. They sound terrific.

Edit - Couldn't find a good close-up pic of one, here's one in the galley - very small and thin in profile and deliver crisp sound - but not much bass:


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## docinsand (Aug 30, 2007)

Okay, I'm sold on the iJet! 

I looked at the maine cruising site and saw your iPod. What is the rest of the paraphrenelia attached to it? Idealy, I'd like a holder/bracket for it plus a set up so it is charging rather than running the battery down.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

After a year, our "marine" Pyle took a "pile". Sooooo... the hubby bought a marine Sony that kicked butt.  It still worked, but the screen was flaking out from getting wet. The hubby bought an awesome Sony marine radio that plays MP3 and XM radio on eBay- with marine remote control (which filled an old gauge hole). Yep, sounds kick-butt with our outdoor Bose 151 speakers (you can get them on the cheap at Sams Club) and the remote is right there at your fingertips when you are anchoring! I am all about XM now- awesome system! Very few commercials, too!

Chris 
US 30' Wu-Wei
http://diysailor.com


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

*iPod info..*



docinsand said:


> Okay, I'm sold on the iJet!
> 
> I looked at the maine cruising site and saw your iPod. What is the rest of the paraphrenelia attached to it? Idealy, I'd like a holder/bracket for it plus a set up so it is charging rather than running the battery down.


If you're talking about the picture below that is my 3rd generation iPod with the top port for the remote. In that particular photo I'm using a Griffin Air Click, which sucks by the way, in comparison to the iJet. The cord out of the top is the music signal cable which is plugged into the head phone jack pass through on the air clicks receiver. This cord is then plugged directly into the AUX input on my stereo. The cord on the bottom of the iPod is just the 12V charger which I hard wired into my panel by cutting the cigarette lighter end off of it thus exposing the neg and pos wires.

When using the iJet the receiver plugs into the bottom, of the new version iPods, and it has a pass through for charging or using the "fixed" volume output or "pre-out" with a stereo marked "iPod ready". Make sure your stereo offers a true AUX input either with right/left RCA's or a 3.5mm headphone input. You'll still want to plug into the head phone output on the top of the iPod to utilize the iJet's volume control feature as the output from the bottom iPod port is a "fixed" level.

I use a combination of a Panavise pedestal mount and an ARKON Gripmatic to hold the iPod.

Gripmatic:
http://www.chumbo.com/Info.aspx?id=253260

Panavise:
http://www.panaviseonline.com/search.php?category=41&search=%


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