J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Instrument Mounting for Swing Out into Companionway

In Rhapsody, I fabricated some custom wooden hinged fixtures that are spring loaded and swing open into the companionway to see the GPS. When not used, they are rotated flush against the inside bulkhead out of the way. The problem is the hinges wear and need to be replaced every couple of years. What have others done for a professional looking mount, and if you have something that works well, please post pictures & links for the mounts.

Here is what Vic has for Vee Jay.

I can get some pictures this weekend, but I use one of the RAM mounts for my Garmin 276C, not unlike the picture above but smaller.

Its fine for cruising or motoring around, but always in the way when racing - constant complaints from crew (when they are not kicking it off the mount completely).

I'm convinced that if I could figure out a way to mount stuff under the companionway sliding hatch, this would work very well. Sliding the hatch forward would put things totally out of the way.

Just don't know how to deal with the cabling.

That mount on Vee Jay 526 was original from Daisy Cutter ... what kicked it up is mounting the radio under the GPS and then using stainless seizing wire to attach the mike clip to the arm. I like Bill's spring position idea ... maybe a bungie cord to absorb the shock when people kick it during racing ... but in cruising/daysail mode it is fine and the GPS/sounder can be seen through the plastic hatch boards in squalls.

This also sort of came about as we now cross connect the new radios to the GPS for the digital distress button ... Someday, I think we will see one unit -- for radio, gps, sounder. No reason why not.

I still have to remind my people that the distress button has to be held down for three seconds.

I vote against anything hung from the sliding hatch ... I've seen crew who consistantly bash their heads on the vee berth doorway ... don't see it with a visor on. and we have to make sure the hatch is either all open or all close ... or they would do the same on a half open hatch ... nevermind about something hanging there.

When I owned #507, just last year, I had a SS swing out arm fabricated for a Raymarine C80. The weight of the C80 seemed to preclude a RAM mount; I also was not sure if the RAM mount would really hold up when extended under the pounding possible by waves, etc. I paid $200. I thru bolted this to the cabin top and used a SS stanchion mount for the backing plate on cabin top which also fited the bolt holes for the mount base. It worked like a charm. If anyone wants pictures shoot me an email at mark-s-wolf@hotmail.com.

I don't remember the brand of the mount, but here is what the one looks like on Rauzer II; Works great for cruising, deliveries and long distance racing, but never out there for buoy racing where stuff happens too fast and getting the thing ripped off the bulkhead is a concern. One other thing, when the unit is parked inside the cabin, it is close enough to the back of the compass, that it throws off that compass about 10-15 degrees.