Thanks for sharing,.The vetus looks great, its on my list.

HG02 said..

I am so glad Donk put a link up to the vetus unit.3 I live in Melbourne and bought it at marine direct and it was @work by mid day the next day from Sydney $20 freight I'm happy

No way! ..It is well known you can't get anything out of sydney in under a fortnight.

Or is there a suburb of Melbourne called Sydney?

This was TNT economy its the only choice you have with Marine direct and it was delivered to my work address which would have meant TNT would have gone there any way.
So after being shot down by South ace a while ago about the engine panel being inside the cabin and cant be seen while motoring . I have removed the so called engine panel and will be retro fitting it into this water proof compartment with If I can get my hands on it the non conductive material that can be sign written on that Cisco recommended I use I have to find the thread again on sea breeze.
I am also looking at where the throttle control is fitted after what Donk said.
Heres a couple of photos of what I have the water proof compartment came from Road tech marine. It was filled with drsaws which I am in the process of removing . I started cutting the internals out with my multi tool but the Allen key bolt came loose so I broke a few pieces off , Ill do it properly tomorrow






So I will take it down to the boat at the weekend and see which is the best way to fit it vertically or Horizontal
The teak below arrived in the post I may use it for the throttle control base
The compartment will be fitted on the opposite side from the throttle so it can be seen while operating the tiller

Donk107 said..
Hi HG

I wouldn't take too much notice of what I say because to be honest I haven't much idea

Where is your present control lever located

Do you have a photo that shows it

Regards Don

Ill take a photo this weekend I dropped in there and place the compartment box around a few placed and sat where Id use the tiller. . It appeared the throttle may be OK where it is but Ill have a real look and think this weekend

Its directly below the opening storage hatch

Donk107 said..
Why was the original mounted on the timber instead of being screwed directly to the fibreglass

Regards Don

No Idea Donk maybe they had trouble with the original and fitted the Morse not sure . Id be quiet happy if it was nearer the stern out of the way

I have been thinking I could fill it in and try to color match the existing side

Donk107 said..
Is it not possible to mount your engine panel on either side of the hatch under the existing instruments so it is protected by the dodger when your waterproof housing door is open

Regards Don

Would it weaken the that panel thats the only reason I did not use this spot thought it might be to much?

Donk107 said..
Hi HG

Mine lives there

I think that these old girls were bro ably over built so I doubt that strength would be a issue and at least it is in your normal line of sight when motoring

Regards Don

I think you have talked me into it its out of the way and easy to see and I do like the iodeaa of the door on the compantment to keep the weather and sun off the ignition panel

I could just fit the existing panel I have and make a roll up piece of sunbreller when in use



When I made it I should have reduced its overall size to much space between every thing

Donk107 said..
If I was going to use the waterproof box I would mount it with the hinge at the bottom so you could let the lid hang down when motoring and lift it up and lock it shut when you don't need it

It probably isn't a bad idea to have the waterproof enclosure because you won't have to avoid the panel if you want to hose the cockpit area out

Regards Don

I did also think about a couple of magnets one on the inside of the door and another on the bulk head so it would stay open if I fitted it vertically
Sent you a email Donk

Donk107 said..

HG02 said..

Donk107 said..
If I was going to use the waterproof box I would mount it with the hinge at the bottom so you could let the lid hang down when motoring and lift it up and lock it shut when you don't need it

It probably isn't a bad idea to have the waterproof enclosure because you won't have to avoid the panel if you want to hose the cockpit area out

Regards Don

I did also think about a couple of magnets one on the inside of the door and another on the bulk head so it would stay open if I fitted it vertically
Sent you a email Donk

You could swing it upwards and secure it but is there any advantage in doing it that way over just letting it hang down when open

Regards Don

Donk107 said..

HG02 said..

Donk107 said..
If I was going to use the waterproof box I would mount it with the hinge at the bottom so you could let the lid hang down when motoring and lift it up and lock it shut when you don't need it

It probably isn't a bad idea to have the waterproof enclosure because you won't have to avoid the panel if you want to hose the cockpit area out

Regards Don

I did also think about a couple of magnets one on the inside of the door and another on the bulk head so it would stay open if I fitted it vertically
Sent you a email Donk

You could swing it upwards and secure it but is there any advantage in doing it that way over just letting it hang down when open

Regards Don

There are a couple of gages already on there which Id like to remove If I can cut the compartment opening to remove both of these thats what Id like to do

Hi HG

If you wanted to remove the existing box on the rear of the cockpit and patch it if you didn't get a perfect finish you could hide it by fitting a rope bag there for the mizzen sheet and if you wanted a matching one on the other side for personal stuff etc (I like things to be symmetrical)
www.ronstan.com.au/marine5/product.asp?ProdNo=RF3810


Regards Don

This is some thing that Im searching for a gage recess seem hard to find In Oz

Donk107 said..
Hi HG

Why do you not want to use the one you made inside the waterproof housing

At least you can shut the door on yours and keep the elements out

How big is the box compared to the section beside the cabin hatch where you were considering mounting it

Regards Don

Donk
see down at the stern the previous owner fitted a fiberglass box that protrudes out into the cock pit. In this box he fitted a alternative start and engine stop buttons . What I will be is remove that box and make something really nice and as there is not enough room to place my engine gages I will make a another to go on the opposite side with the gages inside it and perhaps make a clear weather proof cove. Ill make them both recessed and trim them . Ill save the storage box I bought for some other purpose . Maybe a sea water hose off system for muddy feet when you come on board.
I sort of got side tracked this weekend refurbished a couple of laptops .One for the boat as they were free

Karsten said..
Those enclosures and mounting boxes look fine and may in the end work out nice and practical, but man I sweat whenever I contemplate getting out a saw, and cutting out a 12-inch piece of perfectly good fibreglass panel from any part of my deck or cockpit.

I may be prepared to drill a few 2-inch holes if there's a good reason, but no way do I cut a shoe-box size hole into nice, thick, flat, strong, factory-made fibreglass panel. Still, I'm a minority and lots of people just grab their jigsaws and cut away.

Im a bit the same Karsten
Im not a big fan of cutting fiberglass in the cockpit either. But I need to do some thing with the stern box to tidy it up I am thinking now that my st 2000 auto pilot might plug in there and replace the old stern fiber glass box with a piece of teak I have here and fit my auto pilot plug on it.
Maybe later I may try to fill the hole with a fiberglass patch and try and color match .