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View Full Version : Some questions - boat fitout, console design



Dunks
06-07-2005, 06:03 PM
Ok guys I have a few questions I hope you can help me with.

1. The first is the design of my new centre console. The only drama I am having with it is that the boat is cable steer and I am worried that if the steering drum assembly is on too much of an angle then the cables have a chance of coming off. I wanted it to go in the console on an angle of 45 deg as in the diagram of console one, but I am thinking that I may have to build console two so that I can use the 20 deg setting on the steering drum assembly to make it slightly angled but the drum assembly will actually be sitting horizontally underneath.

2. What type of wood do you use for stringers underneath your floor? Do you glass them to the floor? I may have to purely because of the cables and pulleys I will have under the floor for the steering.

3. This is what I am thinking for the cable setup. From the steering drum going to a pulley either side inside of the centre console, then down through the floor to two seperate pulleys again, out to either side to pulleys and then vertically up the side to the lip of the boat and then run it along to the backto another pulley then across to the motor and back to a spring.
I could use double pulleys and run down one side of the boat but I am unsure how to do this.

Any help would be appreciated :-/

chemmy
06-07-2005, 06:54 PM
two looks better because it has a platform for where you can put your beer ;D ;D ;D

CHRIS_aka_GWH
07-07-2005, 02:25 AM
throttle on the side of console or on the face (may be arkward on the speeper face)

Jeremy
07-07-2005, 03:40 AM
ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY DO NOT install pulley-cable steering in your boat. It is old technology and there are a myriad of ways it can break down and fail on you. I had it in my boat for two years and it failed three times.

To give you some examples:
1. pulleys pul out of their mountings - there is alot of pressure on the pulleys.
2. any tiny nicks in the cable will lead to rust and cable failure

There is also alot of spongyness in cable steering from the springs on either side of the OB to tension the cables. Lag in response time from turning the wheel to the boat turning.

Do yourself a BIG favour and get modern single cable steering. Much easier to install (no pulleys) and much more reliable.

This will solve alot of the questions you had above in relation to design of your console. To get some good ideas, I would suggest you spend some time at your local boat ramp and check out some of the other CC's at the ramp. Talk to the owners and find out what they like and dislike about their setups.

Think about...
where are you going to place your battery?
are you going to have a marine radio in the console?
sounder and GPS? How big? Where?
compass?
where will you mount the nav lights?
rod holders on the console?
T-top or bimini?
swtich panel? cigarette lighter socket(s)?
tackle locker?

Alot of things to think about and plan. More work goes intot he planning the better the end result will be.

Did I mention DO NOT install the pulley-cable steering ???

Jeremy

Dunks
07-07-2005, 03:43 AM
I hadn't thought about the throttle :-/ It is currently on the right hand side of the boat and does not suit a centre console. I could turn it on it's side but I am worried about the consequences of getting fwd and rev mixed up as reverse would be pull up and forward would be push down.

I think the right hand side of the console will have to extend up past the top of it at the front to accomodate this as this is the only way I can think to mount my existing one and it is a budget build up so I don't want to buy another throttle.

___
\
\______
\ |<--Proposed extension
Side \___| for throttle
of |
console |

NQCairns
07-07-2005, 04:33 AM
Hi Dunks,
The worm spool is not affected by it's orientation as long as the cable is adjusted correctly. Although that doesn't mean you cannot design its angle to decrease any potential future Murphy's.
If you chase up an old Chrysler lever (wreckers and cheap!)they will mount onto the right side face of the CC, you may need to ensure it pulls/pushes correct for your engine first, probably will.

Many years ago I bought a CC with a cable setup It has done thousands of hours with no problems but has recieved a replacemant cable every 3 years regardless and locktite on all fittings (no screws anywhere!!).
I would try to decrease the number of 90deg or sharper angles the cable runs in the interests of good fitting practice.
Also use one spring for each terminating end at the engine.
You can use any wood for a stringer if it gets encased fibreglass if not encased I will leave the choice up to you. If a stringer job is done properly the wood is largely the form for the glass, the wood can rot away and the glass is the structure (willnot see quality like this from a manufacturer). Some use foam as the form and glass that in. Glue wood in with polyester resin thickened because polyester is what the boat is made out of (epoxy can cause flextural hot spots) typically fix stringers to hull then floor underside to high enough stringers and hull perimeter. cheers nq

Dunks
07-07-2005, 02:00 PM
Jeremy

I will have a look at the cost of the single cable steering but this is a budget build up and my finance minister has given me a very limited budget. The boat I am taking the motor off has all the steering in it and my brother has used it for the last two years without any trouble. I will be ensuring that everything is connected properly and no corners will be cut so that it does not fail me.

NQCairns

Thanks for all the tips. How was the cable setup in your CC? There are going to be a few 90 deg angles in my design so far but I am open to suggestions.

Thanks for info on stringers. That means i can go to a building site and get some scrap framing pine and just glass over it. Hopefully I will come in under budget.

NQCairns
07-07-2005, 03:09 PM
Dunks my setup goes from the spool directly down to floor level within the CC to quality SS rollers (90deg)then travels through PVC to another set of rollers bolted to the side of the hull at floor level (another 90deg) then travels at a slope toward the upper rear corner to another set of rollers (90deg) to a turnbuckle then spring then engine, replicated on the other side.
Personally if my boat didn't come with this setup I wouldn't consider doing a cable pulley setup from scratch, the system works well and is safe if maintained just cannot find a good enough argument to swap for no real advantage. If I were to fit from scratch I would go with push pull. They can be had for around $100 landed with cable from the US.
If you go with Knotty wood make sure you use enough Glass to carry it off. Good quality glass Triax/multi is actually no more expensive (could be cheaper) than only chop strand because of the greatly increased strength per laminate and with less laminates means less resin and also the corresponding time saving [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]. cheers nq

mini696
09-07-2005, 11:20 AM
I am assuming that you will be standing for the majority of driving. If this is correct I would NOT go for the second option. It is too steep, which will make it moe difficult to steer, and see and controls you have set into the console.

Dunks
11-07-2005, 05:38 AM
Not building console anymore. Won a Bermuda centre console , one of those plastic thingies, on Ebay for $150. Didn't think I would win it for only that much ::) So I will see what it looks like before doing anymore. If I don't like it then I will try to sell it again and build another.

Hard to find time to do any work on the boat at the moment with a new bub and working six days a week.