Show your helm!

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
new and Old

Before and After, i can claim most all the work, design, except for the really neat wiring, i hired that out. I am detailed, but not that detailed.

Removed 3 large yard trash bags of wiring, many many heavy electronics, replaced every switch with new touch screen, removed analog gauges with new digital.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5159.jpg
    IMG_5159.jpg
    95 KB · Views: 105
  • IMG_5158.jpg
    IMG_5158.jpg
    107.2 KB · Views: 99
  • IMG_3084.jpg
    IMG_3084.jpg
    157.4 KB · Views: 103
  • IMG_3131 2.jpg
    IMG_3131 2.jpg
    124.1 KB · Views: 96
  • IMG_0287.jpg
    IMG_0287.jpg
    119.4 KB · Views: 202
To be honest, the nobeltec 3d look is a bit of a gimmick, except when we are finding ledges for shrimping. I use it a lot with the bathy recorder, finds the best places to get these little critters. ImageUploadedByTrawler Forum1426554554.684628.jpg






Sent from my iPhone using Trawler Forum
 
And another one.

I opted for analogue engine instruments in addition to the standard JD LCD display unit. Laptop is showing camera's, but at times I display radar on it and use the 24" monitor for nav only. I really do like the large screen and Trident.
 

Attachments

  • Helm 2 edit sml.jpg
    Helm 2 edit sml.jpg
    126.5 KB · Views: 110
Very cool. Very minimalist.


Yeah, I'm keeping her original & it works for me cuz I even prefer paper charts over the fancy stuff. Her original compass is 2 degrees off, but since I know that, I compensate.

But I will add that I also have a handheld radio & GPS...just in case I fall overboard or something.

Some of these helm pics are amazing, though. the electronics are awesome & I'm kind of lusting after the full screens...but as a picnic boat, I don't need it & I enjoy everyone's reaction to my original set-up.
 
Thanks for these. I'm in the process of rewiring my '71 Grand Banks and would like to remodel the helm in the process. Marin, I like what you did with yours and am thinking along the same lines. ..moving things down from above so that I can see them through old guy glasses. ?
 
My oldest Granddaughter at the helm (in the slip ) yesterday .
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    121.1 KB · Views: 159
Marty - You caught the essence!

Great helm pict!

 
Marin, I like what you did with yours and am thinking along the same lines. ..moving things down from above so that I can see them through old guy glasses. ��

Thanks, but I had very little to do with it. The electronics console ahead of the engine instruments and power/shifter quadrants was there when we bought the boat. Made of teak, it sits over what on the stock boat is a chart "well" for want of a better term.

We changed out the radio that came with the boat, and more recently installed a newer Icom than the one in the photo. When the original hailer/intercom nearly started a fire, we changed that out, too.

More recently we replaced the fading Signet depth/speed/time/etc display with a new and improved Signet display. We used the Furuno Loran-C unit at the left end of the console as one of our navigation tools, but of course it's no longer usable. We're still trying to figure out something useful to replace it with.

The only physical alteration we made to the console was to make a level platform for the Echotec GPS plotter on the right end of the console. I laminated a couple of sailboat teak winch bases together to make the base. We installed the plotter within weeks of acquiring the boat in 1998. At the time it was state-of-the-art and was the plotter being used by most of the commercial purse seiners and crabbers in our harbor. It's green-screen display and C-MapNT+ charting system are many generations old now, but the thing still works fine so we still use it.

The very clever drop-down mount in the overhead was also made or custom ordered by a previous owner. When we bought the boat it held the CRT display for a Raytheon 2600 radar. A great radar in its day, its day was long gone by the time we bought the boat. But we don't believe in replacing electronics until they either crap out or no longer provide the function(s) we need them to provide. The 2600 did fine for us but when its CRT display began to die we replaced the whole system with a new Furuno NavNet VX2.

It, of course, has an outstanding plotter function in addition to the excellent radar. Unfortunately the drop-down mount is a wee bit too narrow to accomodate the 10" NavNet without making some serious modifications to the mount, so we went with the 7" version.

We always advocate using the largest practical screen on any display but in this case the thing is about a foot or so away from the person driving so the 7" display is fine. And the drop-down mount is simply brilliant, making the display unit disappear entirely when we don't need it. It retracts up into the flying bridge console.

It also made it dead simple to connect the antenna to the display because our boat has the radar antenna mounted on the face of the flying bridge. So the cable run is about three feet long. We don't advocate this as a good position for a radar antenna but it's what came with the boat and having the antenna lower down like this does offer one signal reflection advantage over a higher mount.

Overall, it's a nice setup and even with the two large-ish plotter/radar displays visibility forward is very good. We modified a commercial chart table to fit over the top of the companionway to the forward cabin, so we can have our big chartbooks at the helm, too. These days an iPad with an excellent charting-only application (Navimatics with Active Captain overlaid on it) sits on top of the paper charts but we still like to refer to the paper.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    133.4 KB · Views: 100
Last edited:
Here's our helm upgrade, from when we purchased Pau Hana to a mid-term upgrade (empty dash with the Raymarine unit on the starboard side), and finally to the current configuration.

I removed an old Furuno radar, Robertson autopilot, and EchoTec chartplotter, and installed the following:

Raymarine e-127 MFD
Raymarine P-70R autopilot control unit
SH GX2150 AIS receiver VHF
19" TV/monitor driven by a Mac Mini running OpenCPN nav software

A buddy and I built the enclosure over a weekend, did the finish work, and installed the new upgrade.

What do y'all think?
 

Attachments

  • helm before.jpg
    helm before.jpg
    46.6 KB · Views: 87
  • IMG_1867.jpg
    IMG_1867.jpg
    136.9 KB · Views: 89
  • IMG_1868.jpg
    IMG_1868.jpg
    91.2 KB · Views: 87
  • IMG_1869.jpg
    IMG_1869.jpg
    105.7 KB · Views: 86
  • IMG_1872.jpg
    IMG_1872.jpg
    112.6 KB · Views: 85
  • IMG_1882.jpg
    IMG_1882.jpg
    103.6 KB · Views: 85
  • IMG_1884.jpg
    IMG_1884.jpg
    94.9 KB · Views: 82
  • IMG_1886.jpg
    IMG_1886.jpg
    101 KB · Views: 80
  • IMG_1889.jpg
    IMG_1889.jpg
    163.5 KB · Views: 78
  • IMG_1891.jpg
    IMG_1891.jpg
    141.7 KB · Views: 87
Here's our helm upgrade, from when we purchased Pau Hana to a mid-term upgrade (empty dash with the Raymarine unit on the starboard side), and finally to the current configuration.

I removed an old Furuno radar, Robertson autopilot, and EchoTec chartplotter, and installed the following:

Raymarine e-127 MFD
Raymarine P-70R autopilot control unit
SH GX2150 AIS receiver VHF
19" TV/monitor driven by a Mac Mini running OpenCPN nav software

A buddy and I built the enclosure over a weekend, did the finish work, and installed the new upgrade.

What do y'all think?

Looks GREAT!
 
Greetings,
Mr. PH. Very nice tidy up of your helm. The only thing I would question is the placement of the keyboard in a horizontal position in THAT location where it may collect spills (coffee, soda, water etc.).
 
Went through an upgrade on my electronics. Replaced the dash panels in the process and cleaned up the layout to make it easier to use.

Before:
34rwphf.jpg


And the new Panel:
x40r3c.jpg
 
Nice. Doing the dash in satin black is an eye saver down here in FL. Of course, you already had a heck of a layout to begin with.
 
Thanks, I located the radar so that in the future I will add another Garmin 4212 that will support a HD radar. When I open the panel up for it, they will be balanced. At that time I will probably move the GPI from next to the Garmin radio to the center between the two chart plotters and install a second VHF in its place.
 
Those Bayliner helm stations remind me of something Mr. Sulu would feel comfortable sitting at. It's kinda wonderful.
 
I agree, I love my PH. On our 3218 rarely drove from the inside station. On the 4588 I rarely drive from the bridge. It is so comfortable to operate from the PH even in close quarters.
 
Flybridge Helm
 

Attachments

  • 20150426_124256.jpg
    20150426_124256.jpg
    85 KB · Views: 74
Current helm... Updates a commin.. ;) Had a question...

Updating my older RM to new Garmin. Puzzled about what substrate/panel to use to cover the existing hole while mounting the new MFD's. Both Garmin MFD;s will fit between the outside guages so I will only have to remove the RM plotters, cover the holes and install the new displays.
 

Attachments

  • Flybr.jpg
    Flybr.jpg
    65.2 KB · Views: 75
I recently finished the restoration of my helm. All new gauges and bezel I made. It's pretty basic, everything works.;)
 

Attachments

  • HSHB8569.sm.jpg
    HSHB8569.sm.jpg
    61.5 KB · Views: 59
Island Seeker a paper chart navigator's helm
 

Attachments

  • 054.jpg
    054.jpg
    139.4 KB · Views: 73
Updating my older RM to new Garmin. Puzzled about what substrate/panel to use to cover the existing hole while mounting the new MFD's. Both Garmin MFD;s will fit between the outside guages so I will only have to remove the RM plotters, cover the holes and install the new displays.

I would use a panel of black Starboard with rounded corners. Keep the borders around the instruments smallish and the Starboard will hardly be noticeable.
 
I agree with H Mason

works a treat, and simple to do.

Cheers Chris D Liberty Australia
 
Suggestion: for those of you with outside helm stations and Garmin-type displays, I'd suggest you write on the inside of the cover the name of your boat.

I was walking up a dock one day after a lot of wind the previous day. I spotted a cover on the dock (upwind -- no idea how that happened!) and the name of the sailboat was on the inside. As the owners were away I opened their locker for propane and put it on top of the tank.

At some point they would find it safe and sound. Label yours and you just might get it back some day.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom