Ideas needed for GPS/ fishfinder pod

[armchairsailor]

I've finally acquired a fishfinder to go with the old GPS unit that I installed on Cambria last year, but I find that I've got to do a bit of jiggery-pokery to make things work, as it's rather too large (8.75x8") to fit into the existing hole left by the ST80 (currently covered by an old yoghurt pot lid - classy. The photo was taken on a windy day - we were having fun.

The boat is a 28', so the instruments are mounted to one side of the to the companionway into the coachroof, and backed with a little cupboard inside the cabin to keep everything neat and tidy. The cupboard is too small to cover any hole I'd make for the fishfinder, so that's not an option unless I want to have exposed cables. So this led me to think that I should build some sort of box in which to fit both instruments and screw that to the coachroof. To make things work, I'll have to remove the plotter,

To that end, I've made a template, but it looks like I will have to fabricate a box to go onto the coachroof bulkhead and put the instruments into it, probably slightly offset to account for the angles I have to work within. It looks like it'll have to be 5-6" deep to accommodate the wires too.

So, do people have any suggestions for me, in terms of:
- materials
- design
- general advice
- examples

Thanks in advance.

 

[Fantasie 19]

Is there enough room to enlarge the existing hole and fit it?? Then just make the box inside bigger... I'm thinking a box on the outside 5-6" deep is going to be obtrusive... that's just me though... Second thought why does the box on the outside have to have the wires.. make it much shallower and feed the wires/connections inside?

 

[armchairsailor]

Thanks for the thoughts.

I’d have to get a completely new box if I was to enlarge the hole, and I’ve not seen ones that are larger - I’ll keep looking as I agree an external box would be obtrusive.

The reason why it would have to be 6” deep is to account for the cables which aren’t very bendy.

 

[Fantasie 19]

Ahhh.. understood..

Not sure if it helps, but I'm a woodworking numpty, and when I put a switch panel in my boat I wanted something I think is similar to what you are looking for, I went to eBay and did a search on 'wooden box with lid'... there are a plethora, in all shapes and sizes, pine/ply usually... with a couple of coats of preservative/paint, and because it is inside the cabin where weather/strength is not key, it might do the job if you can find the size you want.. if not, best of luck with the project... :encouragement:

 

[salar]

I had an entire new dashboard made by creating a female mould in melamine-faced board, then the pod/dash was made with GRP. You could make/have made a smaller version just for your instruments. This is the end result:



This is the moulding:

 

[rotrax]

I recall some years ago a tip in PBO where a guy made a very pro looking plotter box from a good quality plastic tupperware type box. IIRC, the snap on back was to the rear, giving access to the wiring.

 

[armchairsailor]

The tupperware box would have been ideal, but I don't have a nav pod arrangement, and it would be the size of a large cake tin! I'm mulling over fabricating something or finding a larger false cupboard. Lord only knows how much they cost though...

 

[PCUK]

Make a 6mm ply box, cover it with epoxy. Fill and fair and spray with car aerosols. Exactly what you want at low cost.

 

[SiteSurfer]

Funnily enough, I'm going to design and 3D print a box in PETG for my proposed new plotter as I baulk at the prices for a plastic box over the counter.