Sometimes I Hate Boat Builders

[CR CRUISER]

I had to do some work on a customer's boat electronics yesterday. It's a 4 year old, 36' cruiser probably in the $400K range new.

So I start looking for access to the backside of the main instrument panel at the lower helm and there isn't one. The only access is through the 2 smallish switch panels that are screwed on. I managed to squeeze my arm in to undo the flush mounted chartplotter but there is no hardware to take off. Then I realized the nightmare that had befallen me.

They glued all of the electronics and instrumentation into the panel with clear silicone!

It took me 2 1/2 hours to get the one chartplotter out without damaging it or the fiberglass dash. Now my only option to reinstall it is just to glue it back in.

Stupid design! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

 

[solar7647]

Re: Sometimes I Hate Boat Builders

They do that crap cause there in ca-hoots with the pro shops so they can charge loads of money to fix, just the the car company's! I am convinced of this, I had an Olds Alero and to change the belt you had to remove a motor mount and tilt the engine! Needless to say I had to take it to the shop to fix and instead of it being a cost of 20 bucks it wAS 180 BUCKS.

 

[OldePharte]

Re: Sometimes I Hate Boat Builders

It isn't just boat builders who do not think about maintenance/repair after completion.

On my boat, the entire top of the console, swings up and everything is available and easy to get to.

 

[seabob4]

Re: Sometimes I Hate Boat Builders

I had to do some work on a customer's boat electronics yesterday. It's a 4 year old, 36' cruiser probably in the $400K range new.

So I start looking for access to the backside of the main instrument panel at the lower helm and there isn't one. The only access is through the 2 smallish switch panels that are screwed on. I managed to squeeze my arm in to undo the flush mounted chartplotter but there is no hardware to take off. Then I realized the nightmare that had befallen me.

They glued all of the electronics and instrumentation into the panel with clear silicone!

It took me 2 1/2 hours to get the one chartplotter out without damaging it or the fiberglass dash. Now my only option to reinstall it is just to glue it back in.

Stupid design! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

In my 4 years at Proline as a Production Engineer, and resting on 15 previous years of actually building boats and maintaining them in my sidework, I wholeheartedly agree with you! Unfortunately, it is not always those who know the "real deal" that call the shots...but when I could, in "better" times, I would sneak in a larger hatch here and there, add a hatch where there wasn't one before, etc., all the while thinking about equipment failures down the road, no fault of the builder...

And BTW, all electronics control heads, be they Garmin, RayMarine, Furuno, whatever, have flush mount kits available that use threaded studs at each corner, the sealant is simply used to keep water from leaking around the unit and getting behind the dash. The sealant would be used on the top and sides of the unit. How was the chartplotter installed (besides being glued in place)?

 

[JoLin]

Re: Sometimes I Hate Boat Builders

On my boat, the entire top of the console, swings up and everything is available and easy to get to.

I've seen that feature on several new boats of different makes and types and it seems like a GREAT idea. Wish it were so on my boat- the fuse block is up under the helm on the starbord side. The access hatch is below the helm on the port side of the dash. It's a looong reach from the hatch to the block. I can see the fuses, or I can reach the fuses. I can't do both at the same time. Awful design.

 

[renagade69]

Re: Sometimes I Hate Boat Builders

Glue is cheap and allot of builders use it.

 

[CR CRUISER]

Re: Sometimes I Hate Boat Builders

And BTW, all electronics control heads, be they Garmin, RayMarine, Furuno, whatever, have flush mount kits available that use threaded studs at each corner, the sealant is simply used to keep water from leaking around the unit and getting behind the dash. The sealant would be used on the top and sides of the unit. How was the chartplotter installed (besides being glued in place)?

THe chartplotter, VHF, autopilot and all of the engine instrumentation were just glued into place. No hardware was used as they couldn't get at the backside to install it. The huge instrument panel was glued into place as well. The only thing that had fasteners was the steering helm. No room anywhere to put in an access panel, even through the head compartment which is in front of the helm position. This was the lower helm position, inside the enclosed cabin so it wasn't a case of trying to waterproof the panel.