Helm area layout

If you wear polarized sunglasses, make sure you test power up the displays in their intended positions and see if you can read them. My Lowrance 12 inch display on my current boat is dimmed 50% by the orientation of the screen with my glasses. To view full brightness, I have to cock my head to the side or remove the glasses. Cock my head to the other side and the display nearly goes black. Changing glasses didnt help. Its the way Lowrance made the display! Something I have had to get used to.

That looks like a good perch - where did your get it?

It's an office chair, and works very well

Salon pilot station on our Tolly Tri ...

As you can tell I pilot 99% from fly bridge. I do however start and warm engines at this station before shutting them down to restart from bridge. I like to be standing right over the engines, listening carefully to their awakenings, till fully warm.

Superb example JD...I'm doing something similar with my own helm.

Art said:

As you can tell I pilot 99% from fly bridge. I do however start and warm engines at this station before shutting them down to restart from bridge. I like to be standing right over the engines, listening carefully to their awakenings, till fully warm.

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I like standing in the pilothouse, over my engine, all the time, while operating so to monitor its sounds continually. As that's the only helm, the choice is easy.

markpierce said:

I like standing in the pilothouse, over my engine, all the time, while operating so to monitor its sounds continually. As that's the only helm, the choice is easy.

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That, my friend, Mark (being able to always keep close ear on running engines)... is the one item regarding piloting from bridge that I wish were not the case.

I adore piloting from the bridge! Keeping my engines and everything in engine room in good condition; not piloting from salon is a chance I'll take.

I have thought seriously of (eventually - lol) hooking up a microphone system insde the engine room with volume adjustable speaker and head phone option at bridge helm. Then I could keep better ear on the power source. Heck - I do that and I'd better also set in the same package two camera eyes for a 12 hour auto erase video that also displays real time on a shaded bridge split-screen; so I can keep eyes and ears on engines from both ends. Let cha know when I accomplish that - but, don't hold yer breath! I'll do it some time between swims, BBQ's, cocktails, relaxing and movies aboard as well as cruising around in our tow behind runabout while Tolly hangs on the hook!
Happy Boating Daze! - Art

FF said:

I like to be standing right over the engines, listening carefully to their awakenings, till fully warm.

How do you get the engines FULLY WARM , with out getting underway?

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Art has gassers.

Art has gassers.

Another advantage of gasoline!

Here is something you might think of a Handhold for the helm. To gve you something steady to hang on to in bumpy weather.

FF said:

Art has gassers.

Another advantage of gasoline!

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YUP! -

That said - - > There are good and bad points to each type of fuel propulsion... and... to each model of engine utilized with each fuel. Boating is a BIG bunch of tradeoffs.

Tain’t necessarily the cards you’re dealt, but rather it IS how you play your hand!

Finally back together! Think we are happy with this layout.

Here is our dash before- the VHF is stashed behind the pillar to the right.

Work in progress, and playing with the finish. We just finished the galley in cork, and I think the cork works well here, too.

We'll be putting the Raymarine in the new dash, as well as the VHF, autopilot head, and either an iMac or a computer monitor. More as we get it completed......

That's what I think I'll end up doing - due to the amount of monitors I'll have, I'll ask my wife to build a panel that will allow more flat area above the wheel. Thank you. Tonto.

Greetings,
Mr. T. "I'll ask my wife to build a panel..." WHAT???? You're a good man Mr. T and she sounds like a good lady.

Very nice job, congrats

Thanks, you should see some of the stuff she makes! Look her up at - rustic furniture.net

Good play Peter! Your dash has mix of "old salt" wheel and 21st Century Zen! Cool!

Playing with the layout.....decided to finish in black pleather.

Total $$- $125 and about 6 man hours.....more to come!

More...

And...hard work is finished. Just have to connect the wiring tomorrow and call it good!

Pau Hana said:

And...hard work is finished. Just have to connect the wiring tomorrow and call it good!

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Heck Peter - Nice!!!

It's no longer just 21st Century Zen... Now, it's Super Marine Cool too!

Very nice! I'm liking the pleather .

A very nicely done layout. Having the piloting info just below eye level makes it so easy. After all they don't make bifocals in the lower half for nothing.

I like it.

Moonstruck said:

A very nicely done layout. Having the piloting info just below eye level makes it so easy. After all they don't make bifocals in the lower half for nothing.

I like it.

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Hey, Hey - Don! Get with the 21st Century program! "Progressives", please, not bifocals... like "our" gramps wore! LOL

We've 2wo grand kids and their friend coming to cook din-din tonight for "Nonnie" and me, "Pop Art" to some "Pop Pop" to others! This kid batch ranges from 10 to 13 yrs (we’ve 3ree other grands that are pre birth, 2 yrs and 7 yrs).

Just remember what we thought of our grandparents while tech-race was barely muddling along in mid 20th Century. Then think what these tech savvy kids see in (of) us. Scary! But, Loads O' Fun!!

One BIG lesson we try to provide at each get together is "vocabulary". With the compressed communication venues of today - I find that words with more than about 7ven letters are no longer used by youngsters. 13teen yr old Cooper has suddenly become quite interested in learning more about words and reading – he and I have good lessons together. Those younger could care less... yet!

Visualize:

- Vocabulary becomes not needed beyond a few hundred words – usually spoken/entered in counts of five or less
- Reading is no longer required because video shows all
- Math – who needs that? “Cloud” programs answer any question
- Parallel parking – done by car itself... heck, just push in co-ords and vehicle drives itself too
- Thinking – WHY bother?? Implanted chips in body and brain have all info loaded and ready to use – with a monthly download and reboot that is mandated – by Da GOV!

1931 Aldous Huxley wrote his insightful “Brave New World”... as I see this unfolding; it seems today’s book title could be: “Mental World Control”... “Cloud” video coming soon to everyone’s implanted chip!

I am pleased to have been birthed in mid 20th Century! Many of that (our) age group seem to be able to see and understand times before us, current times upon us, and we can often visualize future possibilities. Whereas it appears too many of those born past approximate year 1990 have little or no care to study or learn from history. Their concepts too often dwell only upon what’s brand new today and, then throw that silly toy away, for what is promised as soon being brand new tomorrow. Each sequence further leading to less and less need for usage of “thinking”.

The developed world is slowly but surely becoming mindlessly hypnotized! I.e. “Mental Evacuation” is being accomplished.

Will be interesting to see where civilization travels during next couple to few decades... One of my favorite quotes: “When You Least Expect It – Expect It!”

Sailor of Fortune said:

Very nice! I'm liking the pleather .

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Thanks. We were toying with the cork idea, but went with the pleather instead- it's easy to work with, and came out very nice. Some cables have to be rerouted and/or lengthened, but that's pretty easy.

I wouldn't have thought about leather or pleather as a covering. Looks pretty nice. Nicer than the black plastic which is so common.

I am planning on doing the same thing. Like the idea of everything in a central location. However, what did you do with the compass?