Binnacle/pod/plotter ideas...2004 Bavaria 32

[Iain C]

One of the first jobs to do on my new boat is to fit a plotter. Current favourite would seem to be a Raymarine Axiom 7, (however I am open to other ideas). Only issue is where to put it? I'd thought about a dedicated pod....but HOW MUCH????!!!!! Over £300 for a plotter pod seems crazy.

The only sensibly priced one I can find would seem to be the Nasa Clipper Pod at £40, but with the slightly off-horizontal setup of the B32 hand hold, I'm not sure how well it would fit, however I am sure I can persuade it. I've not measured anything up yet, however from a bit of research I have the following dimensions:

ST60 and Nasa instruments are both 110x110, therefore ST60s should fit in a Clipper Pod
Axiom7 is 210x142

So I'm thinking I'll see if I can get both the Axiom and the autopilot control in the current binnacle, and then add a Clipper pod onto the rail above it to hold the two ST60 speed and depth gauges. Looking at the photo below, I should just get away with it. But if anyone has any better ideas, experiences or stories, please let me know!

 

[ashtead]

Personally I would have a look at a few other 32s and 34Bav before doing anything. We had 2 Raymarine displays plus a Garmin 750 plotter on ours in front of wheel which sufficed but have seen pods above wheel but they look rather ugly maybe and vulnerable ? When we replaced our old Raymarine with a new one we went with the Garmin as it was best fit at time but appreciate you might wish to stick with Raymarine . Can you not move one of the units to sit below the other one at the hatch ?

 

[Yngmar]

That moulded binnacle top is not unique to the 32 - the same one was used for every model Bavaria of that era, so there are countless examples to look at for inspiration. Here's ours:

Browse Yachtworld for many more.

 

[Iain C]

Yngmar...sorry but the photo is unclear...your AP and wind instruments are in a separate pod, is that correct? If so, do you know what type that of pod that is?

It looks a very similar setup to what I was proposing above...any issues with the pod being there? Does the wheel cover still fit?

Thanks!

 

[maby]

Do you need the other instruments at all with a modern MFD fitted? You can configure the MFD in many ways including a full instrument set display - you have another instrument display mounted to the port side of the companion way - replace that with a modern full graphic display or even a second small MFD for backup.

 

[Daydream believer]

My raymarine autopilot control sits in one of these which I obtained from an electrical wholesaler. Many sizes available. Waterproof ones also available as well
If that is what you are looking for

 

[prv]

What autopilot do you have? If it's new enough for the Axiom to properly support it then you may well be able to do without a dedicated control head. The autopilot control features in the latest Axiom software (do make sure you update it from whatever the unit sitting on the shelf has) are really good. The calibration and settings stuff is better than on the dedicated controller.

You can also add data boxes to the chart displaying anything on the bus, so you could potentially remove the other two instruments as well, as Maby suggests, though I do appreciate the ergonomic benefit of dedicated displays in that depth, for example, is always instantly available by moving your eyes to a specific place, regardless of what menu you might be temporarily delving into on the plotter. You would also need to keep the instruments connected somewhere, even if not on display, in order to convert the transducer signals into seatalk data (or use Raymarine's converter pods to do the same job or replace the transducers with N2k ones).

If you removed the instruments from the binnacle, would a 9" Axiom fit?

Pete

 

[Yngmar]

Yngmar...sorry but the photo is unclear...your AP and wind instruments are in a separate pod, is that correct? If so, do you know what type that of pod that is?

It looks a very similar setup to what I was proposing above...any issues with the pod being there? Does the wheel cover still fit?

Thanks!

Yep, top two instruments are in a separate pod. No idea what, it was already installed when I got the boat. It's fairly sturdy there, although I discourage crew from holding on to it - there's enough of the rail exposed to both sides for that. Binnacle canvas cover was made much later.

 

[Bobc]

Or replace the depth and speed heads with a tridata head, which will give you room for a plotter.

 

[Iain C]

Got there in the end! Quite pleased with the result for a DIY job.

 

[mcanderson]

Looks nice! A very good job I would say.

When you fitted the seatalk to seatalk ng converter, did you power it? I ask as when I did something similar in my old Beneteau Clipper 323 I didn’t on the advice of Raymarine and it worked fine with enough power from the seatalk system.

 

[Salty Lass]

Really like the way you have done the Bavaria Binnacle cover. We have exactly the same Binnacle and it is the depth of the cables that come with the Axiom Seven that we are having issues with. So how did you do yours?