J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment INSTRUMENTS PLACE

DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A VENDOR THAT MARKETS A HOUSING FOR WIND,SPEED, DEPTH INSTRUMENTS THAT FITS IN FRONT OF THE COMPANIONWAY HATCH. S2 HAS A NEAT SETUP THAT LOOKS SORT OF LIKE A NAV-POD BUT IT IS CURVED TO MATCH THE DECK CONTOUR. I M CONSIDERING MAKING A MOLD AND PRODUCING A FEW OF THESE. CURRENTLY 2 ARE DESIRED.
MOUNTING INSTRUMENTS ON THE BULKHEAD SEEMS TO ALWAYS BE BLOCKED BY THE TRIMMERS DURING ANY TIME OF EXCITEMENT.

Nexus has an alternate approach for their system - tubular rail that bolts to deck, holding an aluminum extrustion that the displays mount to. Haven't sailed with it - thinking about it. Seems it might catch people and gear. Pyachts sells it. About $100 I think.

A J-30 moored near mine has a molded instrument pod mounted on the sea hood that holds 3-4 instruments. I believe that it was custom made.
I mounted a Nexus Multi display on the mast. It can show any 2 readouts at one time. Works great for racing, because the crew can see it from the rail, and it is still big enough for me to read at the helm. I usually just show heading and boatspeed. I also have bulkhead mounted instruments to show other data that is not as critical on a second to second basis.

Ed Austin
Chinook

I've been planning to put TackTick instruments on the mast. (I stripped the bulkhead mounted instruments and put in opening portlights in their place.) I was planning on either the Sailmaster or a combo of the racemaster and speedmaster. I've given up on wind instruments. I figure they are just another thing to keep eyes in the boat when they should be out.

Anyone have experience with TackTick?

We put a tack-tick on the mast two seasons
back. We went with the combined compass/speedo and have been really happy. Somone had put together a pod for our boat, which mounted across the sprayhood. Known as the "knee-knocker" by most of the crew, it halved the space for crossing the cabin-top on a tack. Pulling the old pod off made my crew distinctly happier.

We ran the cable from the bracket down the sailtrack on the back of the mast, two a simple wiring block, did connectors there (out of the weather) and thence down the bulkhead to our thruhull.

The only downside I can find with the tack-tick is that it can be a touch hard to see with some polarized sunglasses. I've no real problem reading it while driving, but some people have complained that it's hard to see from the rail, or the cockpit, on occasion. (I wear flip-up clip-ons for sunglasses, so I can always just pop them up, if the sun/angle gets difficult.)

- David

I bought #291 with a Tack-tick (racemaster)already on board, it works great....you are right sometimes I can't see it, but I just call for the heading, etc. I also removed my bulkhead mounted (hard on the grinders back)compass (2) and replaced them with dry pockets, works great for crew phonesa and cameras, etc. Took me about an hour to do both, i have pics if anybody wants to see the difference. I then mounted the rtaditional compass on the cockpit floor bulkhead as a back up. It is out of the way an I can read it unobstructed from the stern. I would like to upgrade the wind/speed/depth instruments someday, but no hurry. The only problem I have with the Tack-tick is it is rather hard to read at night...but I'm woriied about keeping my beer cold then, not headers and lifts!

Happy sailing,
Jay

I have an instrument pod and am seriously considering replacing it and installing new instruments on the mast. I would be willing to consider a trade of your companion way cover. Currently the boat is undergoing major repairs and until I know the cost of those repairs (January), I won't commit to a set of instruments. (My boat is moored near Ed Austin's)

Ernie Bivona
Eagle