Cockpit Modifications

• Large Screen GPS/Sounder^{*new 06*}

I finally made the move to a replacement GPS/Sounder unit.  Taking advantage of a closeout sale at Boaters World I purchased a Eagle SeaChamp 2000C DF.  This is a single unit with a 7" 640x480 color screen.  It includes a WAAS GPS, a dual frequency 50kHz/200khz depth/temp transducer, and a speed through water transducer.  It's a perfect fit for the Mac.  It even fits under the pedestal cover I have.  The big bright screen is excellent.

I also purchased the Navionics Gold+ region 913 Vancouver Island chart chip on SD card.  This includes Puget Sound and all the waters inside and outside Vancouver Island.  It also has full tides and currents for the entire area.

The water transducers are mounted on the starboard transom (I left the old Lowrance GPS depth and GPS transducers in place). 

The GPS antenna is on the mast crutch/antenna mount along with the VHF antenna and a all around steaming/anchor LED light.  It looks like a real antenna mount now.  They all pivot down out of the way so the mast can still be lowered into the crutch.

^{*07 update*} The GPS is now hooked to the autopilot using the wiring schematic shown at the right.  This lets the NMEA connection and the speed sensor connection share the same port on the back of the GPS.

The new GPS also uses routes/waypoints in a .usr file format on a second SD card.  My favorite PC software Memory Map can export in this format to the SD card.  No longer do I have to mess with the difficult to use OziExplorer software to get the routes into the GPS for the autopilot.

The PPC is still onboard as a backup with it's bluetooth GPS.

 

• Pedestal Power Panel ^{*new 04*}
  
  With a growing number of things at the pedestal I added a 4 switch electrical panel to give me better control over what is sucking power
   
• Handheld VHF ^{*new 04*}
  
  I wanted to be able to monitor the VHF without having the fixed one blaring down below in the cabin. I added a inexpensive handheld, The Uniden Atlantis 250.  This has become the unit we use all the time now.  It sits nicely in the cupholders at the pedestal and has it"s charging base mounted down below.
   
• Cockpit Light ^{*new 04*}
  
  I picked up a 4 LED fixture and mounted it to a small hand formed aluminum handle.  It's wired to some curly cord from radio shack.  It plugs in at the pedestal on separately switched circuit and can be velcroed up to any of the enclosure bows or hand held so you can get the light anywhere you need in the cockpit.
   
• AutoPilot ^{*new 04*}
  
  I installed a Raymarine Sport Pilot Plus autopilot.  This fits perfectly with the look and size of the mac pedestal.  It's easy to install, you just pull the wheel and slide it on in between.  Then you wire it up and install the compass below deck.  I placed the compass low and in the center of the boat in the cavity under the aft dinette seat. 
  
  It has two modes of operation.  In the first you turn the knob and it kicks in holding the boat on the same course it was on when you engaged it.  It second mode is Nav mode.  This utilized the AP NEMA commands from the GPS to correct the course.  I this mode you can select a mark, waypoint, or route in the GPS and the pilot will drive the boat right to that spot.  At each turn it asks for permission to turn by beeping first. 
  
  Having an autopilot has made a huge difference in how enjoyable long passages are.  No longer are you steering for hours on end.  I can actually sit back and enjoy the view, check out things with the binoculars, and pay more attention to the charts than ever before.  It also is a great third hand when you just need to go take care of something for a moment.
   
• Cut Hatch Boards
  
  We quickly found we didn't like the big one piece hatch board so I cut the panel into 3 equal pieces.  I added aluminum strips which keep out any water at the joints and blend in perfectly with the side aluminum panels
  
   

• Rear Hatch Board Storage ^{*new 04*}
  
  We wanted a better place to store the hatch boards.  With our full enclosure we found we were using them less and less yet I still wanted to have them on board for securing the boat at docks.  I added two beveled pieces of wood with a slot in them at the back of the cockpit under the seat back.  This lets the two upper hatch board panels slide in to a secure storage area.  The smallest third panel is velcroed to the bottom one keeping them all secure, out of the way, yet easy to get to when needed.  It also adds a solid wall at the end of the cockpit so nothing goes overboard.
  
  
   

• Elastic Nets
  
  To keep things on board in the back of the cockpit we originally added elastic shockcords across the back.  When I added the mounts that let the hatchboards be stored at the rear I shortened up the shockcord, but still left some as they do a good job of keeping things in the boat when neither of the full rear panels are installed.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
• Hanging Storage ^{*new 04*}
  
  On the bottom of the bimini spreader bar I attached a rod that I bent a zig zag pattern into.  It is held in place with 4 pipe clamps.  This gives a high hanging area out of the way at the back of the cockpit for wet gear when returning from a rainy hike.  The gear can be hung on standard plastic hangers.
   

• Raised Seat ^{*new 03*}
  
  Originally I cut off the factory seat portion of the hinged seat and back.  This was to gain better access and in anticipation of having to stand in the lower well when steering under a low bimini.  At first I made simple replacement seat out of a 2x10.  Around the time we got our enclosure with a high bimini they also came out with the 'M" model of the mac which had a raised helm seat.  Wanting the best of both worlds, I designed and built a reversible helm seat.  You can set it aside when you want an open area behind the pedestal.  Placed flat side up it gives you a continuous cockpit seating area like the original seat.  Place hump up it gives you that extra boost you need to see over the bow when under power.  It also is hollow inside and gives me a place to store stuff like the cockpit light, the shore power cord, the rear canvas panel, the pedestal cover, etc.  The stock seat cushion can be attached to either side.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
• Cockpit table ^{*new 03*}
  
  The cockpit table we have is also from Dowsar Marine in Ontario Canada.  It flips up to be a narrow table for snacks and has panels that fold out and make it a wide table for dining.  I created a custom binocular box / cup holder unit for it from standard parts.
  
  
  
  
  
   
• Transom Arch ^{*new 07*}
  
  Using a used piece of surplus 4"x1"x20' aluminum channel I fabricated a new transom arch. Not only did it need the four upper bends, but it needed just a slight bend in at the bottom on each side to match the transom angle perfectly. Once I had it cut, bent, and braced my neighbor welded it up. I then ground down and polished all the welds and exterior. The whole structure is very light weight, much less that stainless tube arch would be. It has a used look as the channel had some pitting and grooves that could not be removed but it has turned out to be very functional if not perfect cosmeticaly. All in all hard to beat for free.
  
  I already had an access panel on the starboard side that I cut in to install my dinghy motor bracket. I added a matching access panel on the port side. The channel is bolted to the transom with three 3/8 bolts per side and has a full aluminum backing plate on the inside of the transom behind the bolts. The plates are cut from the same channel. I mounted it at a slightly raked back angle to match up well with the angle of the aft panel in my enclosure.
  
  The number one purpose of the arch was to serve as a rear mast carrier that would support the mast in the trailering position above my folded back bimini in it's boot. I didn't want to mess with folding the bimini down for mast lowering and trailering. The old mast crutch was poorly designed and it bound up on the mast when rolling it forward and backward. The old one also sagged and required an extra pipe to support it securely and limit the bouncing. I used the same rubber roller that was in the old factory crutch. The new arch is super strong and allows the mast to roll smoothly back and forth.
  
  It also provides great mounting locations for a bunch of stuff. I moved the lifesling and the life ring to it's outside surfaces. I used the stock ring bracket and attached a cross wise piece of 3/4 tube to strap the lifesling velcro to. This gets them both more inboard than where they were on the aft pulpits so they don't hang out past the boat width and hit things. It also let's me leave them in place during trailering.
  
  The arch now also mounts the VHF antenna, the GPS antenna and the LED anchor light. All these are mounted so they fold down to allow the mast to roll above them.
  
  On the inside of the arch the BBQ grill and the bracket to hold our rod holder mount BBQ table are attached. This puts the BBQ area in a great place to use out the back window of our enclosure. You no longer have to step out onto the transom to grill.
  
  The same stainless rod holder that holds the table also mounts our 400' poly shore tie spool. I just pull the table and drop in the poly spool mounted on it's 1-1/2" dowel. With both the table and the spool removed the rod holder makes a nice handle when boarding from the stern. The rod holder itself can be pulled right out of the bracket to clear the way for loading gear.
  
  Off the back of the arch I installed a mini gin pole. It is a simple 3/4" aluminum tube that slips over a protruding 3" bolt. The outer end has eye straps for the top and the bottom that are through bolted. By attaching the main sheet to the bottom of this I can easily lift the dinghy motor off it's bracket and lower it onto the dinghy transom. The gin pole slides off easily and is stored inside the arch channel. The line does not need to be untied.
  
  In the future, more uses of the arch may include solar panels, TV antenna, Radar antenna, and Kayak carrier (when the sailing mast is left home).
  
  
   
• Lifesling / Life Ring
  
  These are now mounted on the arch.
  
  
  
  
  
   
• Four 6 Gallon Fuel Tanks ^{*new 04*}
  
  Originally we had two 6.5 tanks.  This wasn't enough and made us have to plan around gas stops to much.  I added extra 2 gallons but we were still didn't have enough and pouring from the 2 gallon tank to the 6 gallons resulted in a few spills. 
  
  I had always liked the inexpensive Tempo Value 6 tanks, but they were a bit long to fit side by side in the locker.  After considering about every other more expensive tank, I decided to modify the locker to make the Value 6 tanks fit.  I cut down the front lip and small section along the aft vertical edge using a spiral saw.  A sanding drum on the dremel trimmed everything up nicely and I also lowered the drain area so the lockers will no longer hold water.  The 4 tanks then fit in perfectly.  Using a couple bars and some spare straps I crated a retaining strap that goes across the front of the tanks to keep them in place when heeling.
  
  This system turned out to work great.  Now I have 24 gallons of fuel.  All the filler caps are easy to get to without removing the tanks.  The fuel line connections are right on the end of the tank rather than the top so it is easy to switch the line from one tank to another.  Yet, if necessary, the tanks can be removed and take to shore for gas in a dinghy or put in the truck to fill up with cheaper landside fuel.
   

• Propane Storage Rack ^{*new 04*}
  
  When I did the gas tank mod I no longer could keep fenders and propane in the fuel lockers along with the new tanks.  Using some bent aluminum bar I made a storage rack on the starboard transom that holds two propane cylinders, one with the grill regulator attached.  This keeps the fuel handy to get when starting the BBQ yet out of the way in a safe storage position should any leaks occur.
   

• Fender Storage ^{*new 04*}
  
  We added some cheap mesh bags on the mid pulpits to store fenders.  They are simply cable tied on and each will hold two G4 fenders.  This has worked very well.  It keeps the fenders handy yet out of the way.  This winter we will sew up two custom made sunbrella bags to replace this with more storage space that looks better.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
• Cockpit Lounge Chairs ^{*new 07*}
  
  A pair of 'Go Anywhere Seats" fits just perfect at the aft end of each cockpit seats.  Sitting and napping in the cockpit is now very comfortable.