- Joined
- Apr 15, 2008
- Messages
- 13,731
- Location
- California Delta
- Vessel Name
- FlyWright
- Vessel Make
- 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Project 1 - Fwd Console Organization
My forward port console is a collection point for everything needing a charge. I have a small 150W inverter to power the laptop and various chargers for laptop, phones, flashlight, handheld radio and tablets while underway or at anchor. The more devices we carry aboard, the worse it gets. I had to do something to contain the mess and make it all safe and manageable.
I found this wine box made of pine hiding in my daughter's closet. It would become the perfect charging and laptop platform with a few improvements. Here's a shot to see if it fit on the console as well as I thought it would.
I brought it home and drilled a few holes in the back and bottom to allow cords to freely pass through. Then I trimmed mahogany veneer to fit (matching the mahogany interior on the Californians) and attached it to all sides. The top, which slides into a groove, lacked a piece of fiddling on the aft edge, so I added one which also serves as a handgrip to aid in sliding the top aft.
Now I can store the inverter, power strip, charger wall warts and USB multi-port in the box with wires exiting the rear of the box. The laptop which is used for OpenCPN navigation now resides on top of the box, safely elevated from spilling coffee cups and the like. (I already lost one laptop to a wayward cup of coffee when waked a couple of years ago.)
You can see in the first picture that the forward console is covered in a hideous linoleum tile that looks ugly and dated. I have been storing this mahogany veneer for years intended for recovering the forward console and overhead panel. I feel better with this experience under my belt and will soon address the recovering of these surfaces in the remaining mahogany veneer.
Project 2 - Kahlenberg Horns
I was fortunate to see TwistedTree's classified for his Kahlenberg K-380 horns he was upgrading on his 6-month old Nordhavn. I purchased them and began pondering how I was going to secure them inside my 34 LRC FB console.
After running the system on my dining room table...and scaring the bejeebers out of my wife...I realized that the vibration from the air compressor needed dampening. I remembered the thread here on TF mentioning the trick of isolating water pump vibrations by mounting the pump on segments of rubber hose. So I fashioned a mounting board out of painted marine-grade plywood and installed the compressor and the air tank. This will make the final installation much easier in the tight confines under my FB console.
Unfortunately, the horns got a bit tweaked in the shipping process, so the project is on hold pending resolution by the UPS insurance folks. TwistedTree has been a great partner in making this all go smoothly and now we wait for the insurance company to pony up the bucks for a new set of trumpets.
I can almost hear those Kahlenbergs blasting through the Delta fog as I feel my way to my favorite fishing hole!!
My forward port console is a collection point for everything needing a charge. I have a small 150W inverter to power the laptop and various chargers for laptop, phones, flashlight, handheld radio and tablets while underway or at anchor. The more devices we carry aboard, the worse it gets. I had to do something to contain the mess and make it all safe and manageable.
I found this wine box made of pine hiding in my daughter's closet. It would become the perfect charging and laptop platform with a few improvements. Here's a shot to see if it fit on the console as well as I thought it would.
I brought it home and drilled a few holes in the back and bottom to allow cords to freely pass through. Then I trimmed mahogany veneer to fit (matching the mahogany interior on the Californians) and attached it to all sides. The top, which slides into a groove, lacked a piece of fiddling on the aft edge, so I added one which also serves as a handgrip to aid in sliding the top aft.
Now I can store the inverter, power strip, charger wall warts and USB multi-port in the box with wires exiting the rear of the box. The laptop which is used for OpenCPN navigation now resides on top of the box, safely elevated from spilling coffee cups and the like. (I already lost one laptop to a wayward cup of coffee when waked a couple of years ago.)
You can see in the first picture that the forward console is covered in a hideous linoleum tile that looks ugly and dated. I have been storing this mahogany veneer for years intended for recovering the forward console and overhead panel. I feel better with this experience under my belt and will soon address the recovering of these surfaces in the remaining mahogany veneer.
Project 2 - Kahlenberg Horns
I was fortunate to see TwistedTree's classified for his Kahlenberg K-380 horns he was upgrading on his 6-month old Nordhavn. I purchased them and began pondering how I was going to secure them inside my 34 LRC FB console.
After running the system on my dining room table...and scaring the bejeebers out of my wife...I realized that the vibration from the air compressor needed dampening. I remembered the thread here on TF mentioning the trick of isolating water pump vibrations by mounting the pump on segments of rubber hose. So I fashioned a mounting board out of painted marine-grade plywood and installed the compressor and the air tank. This will make the final installation much easier in the tight confines under my FB console.
Unfortunately, the horns got a bit tweaked in the shipping process, so the project is on hold pending resolution by the UPS insurance folks. TwistedTree has been a great partner in making this all go smoothly and now we wait for the insurance company to pony up the bucks for a new set of trumpets.
I can almost hear those Kahlenbergs blasting through the Delta fog as I feel my way to my favorite fishing hole!!
