Engine stop start located at chart table not in cockpit?!

[RhysCox]

I am the current owner of a Beneteau 323 I purchased recently. All of the engine controls (Volvo penta 2020) are located at the chart table/nav station bellow deck, not in the cockpit as you would expect. Can anyone explain why the boat may be set up in this way? It appears to be from factory as there is no evidence it was ever mounted in the cockpit near the helm. Not sure weather to leave it as is or move the controls to the helm. Any advice appreciated thanks

 

[DJE]

Surely not all the engine controls at the chart table?

My old Sadler 29 had the engine panel under the companionway but the throttle/gear lever in the cockpit. You just get very quick at nipping below to push the start button or learn to start it early and leave it ticking over. As to why, I think it's just easier for the builders. Keeps the electrics dry though.

 

[Stemar]

My Snapdragon was the same - throttle in the cockpit, the rest below, tucked away well enough to ensure it took a good bit longer than I wanted to leave the tiller for in circumstances where I needed the engine in a hurry. It always struck me as a daft idea.

One of the better mods I made on the boat was to move everything outside. I wasn't bothered about getting rid of the key switch because it wasn't the most secure lock in the world, and the battery isolation switch was below.

 

[Daydream believer]

Seems a poor idea, as one can not keep a check on things, like charging, oil & heat alarms. One of my biggest annoyances on my boat is that every alarm has the same beep. Whether it be he autopilot deciding to cut out, with helm hard over, the AIS warning, the charge alarm, some instrument having a hissy fit. If one can hear it one then has to go round the boat looking for the source.
A control panel below deck may start doing intermittent beeps due to a partial water blockage & one might never hear it in windy weather. Likewise a slipping belt, or poor electrical connection might give the same result. Not being able to see the warning light, would be a bad thing in my view, as one could not differentiate from on deck, if single handing, or if a crew does not like being below to watch the panel.
I do like to set the revs to the most economical & it is handy to see the dial sometimes as I do not always get it right without looking.

 

[Bobc]

Beneteau used to put the start/stop buttons at the chart table. I never had a problem with it personally, and I can only see it being an issue if you are single-handed.

 

[DJE]

It shouldn't be too difficult to run a cable up to the cockpit and put an emergency start button up there somewhere.

Our new boat has the Volvo panel on the steering pedestal which is fine except that the previous owners never had a wheel cover so the panel has been out in the rain for many years and is starting to deteriorate. I have already replaced the main plastic moulding (£65 at Volvo prices) and fitted a cheap after-market tachometer. The alarm module and key switch are both getting unreliable and Volvo replacements are hundreds of pounds, so I'm contemplating fitting an emergency start button myself.

 

[Lightwave395]

Mine has the control panel just inside the companionway, throttle next to the helm. It's not ideal I guess but it does keep the all electronic panel out of the weather and I've got used to it after 17 years

 

[dansaskip]

On my boat the engine panel is above and to the starboard of chart panel. Never had a problem with it's portion in thousands of miles single handing.

 

[Supertramp]

Dual controls and displays inside and outside. I made a shaped acrylic hinged cover for the outside one. Agree with the comment about wanting to keep an eye on revs and warning lights. And about keys being unnessecary. Dual displays allowed me to diagnose a faulty oil pressure guage as the alarms at least for oil and alternator are independent at each panel.

But I dread to think how complicated wiring a second panel is unless there is a ready plug in point on the engine. And I am never sure if both panels need to be on for the engine to operate correctly (alternator) meaning I have two panels and keys to fire up and shut down!

The most important bit is the audible alarm - being able to hear it when away from a panel. Revs I could live without.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

One of my biggest annoyances on my boat is that every alarm has the same beep. Whether it be he autopilot deciding to cut out, with helm hard over, the AIS warning, the charge alarm, some instrument having a hissy fit. If one can hear it one then has to go round the boat looking for the source.

I couldn't agree more. And it's impossible to hear where a high-pitched single note sound is coming from.

Problem is, instrument designers don't think about this, and build in alarms for utterly trivial events, as if their instrument is the only thing in the boat that matters. And they never include a visual indication (so you can identify/find it), or a means of silencing it.

Aircraft have a better arrangement: a central alarm panel, where you can quickly identify and acknowledge (i.e. silence) each alarm. Perhaps boats should have this too.

 

[Daydream believer]

Re stopping the engine. My Volvo MD2020 has a decompression pull lever mounted in the cockpit locker. Not an electronic stop button. I have, a couple of times, cut the engine quickly, because I have had loss of coolant water from the exhaust, caught weed, pots etc & just going in to tickover may not be the preferred option, until I have ascertained the problem. Moving that to the cockpit area should be easy enough.

 

[Poignard]

My engine panel is us

Mine has the control panel just inside the companionway, throttle next to the helm. It's not ideal I guess but it does keep the all electronic panel out of the weather and I've got used to it after 17 years

Same with mine. I can reach inside to turn the key without going below,

Another advantage of having it inside, apart from avoiding corrosion, is that if you need to work on it you can do so in the dry and have the wiring diagram and your tools laid out on the chart table.

 

[Praxinoscope]

My boat has the engine control panel below on the starboard side alongside the main switch panels. The throttle control is in the cockpit.
I have never found this to be a problem and as others have said it does keep it dry.

 

[neil_s]

Engine panel at the chart table, here, too. There is a tantalising spot on the companion-way instrument pod just big enough for the start switch but every time I think about it I remember the tortuous route wires have to go through to get there!

 

[RhysCox]

Thanks for the feedback, the throttle is located at the helm but all other controls at chart table including engine (decompression) cut of lever. It’s nice to know I’m not alone. Now debating wether to move to cockpit before the start of season perhaps find a recess box to retrofit into cockpit well or coaming of just leave as is and see how I get on. Thanks again

 

[Buck Turgidson]

I don't understand the problem. What is the scenario you fear that requires relocation of the start stop controls?

 

[Yealm]

I re-located mine to the cockpit - a hundred times better !

 

[Sandy]

My Gib'Sea has the engine panel just under companionway entrance. Really quite simple, gear in neutral, switch engine on. Gear in neutral, switch engine off then step over to the galley and put the kettle on.

 

[mjcoon]

My Gib'Sea has the engine panel just under companionway entrance. Really quite simple, gear in neutral, switch engine on. Gear in neutral, switch engine off then step over to the galley and put the kettle on.

Did you do a time-and-motion study?

 

[doug748]

It's quite common to have the panel below decks, it keeps it out of the wet and preserves the thing against UV. A lot of stuff in the cockpit or at the wheel ends up trashed. If you are singlehanded it's sometimes nice to have the start near to hand but I would give it a go and see how you get on.

Moving it is quite a task, I would not shift it on the vague suspicion that you may not get on with the set up.
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