Although the handheld GPS is very convenient to use, actually
holding it when helming is not convenient, particularly if the conditions are tricky. Of course, these are they very times when having the GPS loose in the
cockpit is rather risky.
Until now we have put the GPS in one of the halyard bags when
it is not in use and had to retrieve it each time it is needed. This caused my constant anxiety that the day
would come when, at a time I forgot to be anxious, it would get entangled in a
line and flipped overboard, even though the lines are stowed in the elastic
either side of the bags rather than in the bag themselves.
For some time I have considered how to keep the GPS safe and
on view all the time, so whoever is navigating only has to glance at it to get
the information they need. I have seen one boat owner use a standard boat mount
next to the companionway but I think the odds are that if we used one it would
be garroted and the GPS catapulted to Davy Jones’ Locker. If not that fate, I or the dogs would catch it
under our feet when stepping into the cockpit.
My first thought was to adapt a holder for a handheld compass
and mount it on a washboard. I did not get round to mounting it because I
hesitated to compromise the integrity of the wood and invite it to rot. It is lucky
that I did because in tests we found that you can’t see the GPS screen if
it is at the level of the first washboard and having the second one always in
place is not an option. A hinged flap that folds back into the cabin, as others
have done, was a possibility but I was reluctant to invade the domestic
snugness of the cabin with boaty things more than already necessary.
Back to the drawing board |
Tuulia identified the sensible place to secure
the GPS.......
............which initiated a new design challenge.
A winch handle holder with the front panel and a hole to allow
fitting cut away. The hose inside causes the
GPS to sit at the correct angle.
|
Although the positioning is a little inconvenient for anyone
using the companionway it is more than made up for by the advantages.
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