Bulkhead flat screen mounting

[NiceBeny]

hello all, winter project time. I have a oceanis 390 that I want to bolt a flat screen TV to the starboard bulk head using a moving arm. Can I just drill a starter hole and bolt on the mount? how thick are the bulkheads? 2-3 inches? the mount will be in the head overhead cabinet on the other side, there is a shore power connected outlet in there that the TV will plug into. any experiences with doing this?

 

[Doug4bass]

Well........I had done the same thing to our C385. I had misgivings about using an swing arm mount due to the arm/moment in a seaway, so I mounted it flat to the bulkhead, using a standard flat mount. A nice sturdy setup.
I estimate the plywood bulkhead in the main saloon was about 3/8" thick, a 1/4" gap, then on the head side a 1/4" fiberglass bulkhead. We had to remove the vanity in the head to gain access to the nuts for the tv mount and for the cable run. The tv hdmi cable , antenna coax, and 115 ac power are run in the gap between the bulkhead to the main electrical/ electronics panel. We use a Fusion Av 750 deck.
The ac power cable is run to a dedicated pure sinewave inverter for movies at anchor.
As far as determining the overall bulkhead thickness, i would use a very small drill bit and drill an exploratory hole at the approximate center of the proposed tv mount, being mindful of electric and water lines. If the medicine cabinet is behind the proposed location of the mount, remove it first.

 

[Paul Mermelstein]

To be sure, I would put a backing plate on the opposite side of the bulkhead, like 1/4 inch aluminum or 1/2 inch starboard or marine plywood. Also use large washers.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Good advice already on backing the bracket up. I would use an adjustable arm if you can. Chances are slim it's pointing where you want it when viewing. How are you set for sound? I ran the TV's headphone output to my stereo's aux in.

 

[Davidasailor26]

I estimate the plywood bulkhead in the main saloon was about 3/8" thick, a 1/4" gap, then on the head side a 1/4" fiberglass bulkhead.

Did you bolt through both bulkheads? If so, how did you keep the bolts from compression the gap?

 

[BigEasy]

Nice Beny,
Do a search for "mounting a TV to cabin bulkhead" (February '16). We discussed pros & cons of mounting on a swing arm vs solid mount. I prefer the solid mount because I had seen boats with swing arms that damaged the bulk head during a rough seaway I also posted some photos using barrel nuts to attach the solid mount to the bulkhead.

 

[Gunni]

You missed it by that much...my boat came with said TV and articulating arm mounted to the port bulkhead. It stayed mounted real nice, however the damn thing swung about while underway and beat a dent into my fine African teak bulkhead. Even with bungy straps and other silly stuff, it continued to flop about. So off it came in year two and the whole thing went to recycling. I would not mount a TV on an articulating arm on a sailboat - straight to the bulkhead only.

 

[Doug4bass]

Did you bolt through both bulkheads? If so, how did you keep the bolts from compression the gap?

Well.....thats the horror story. We had routed out the verticle cable run to below the sink/vanity
with a CIRCULAR SAW. That cut allowed me to insert a couple of 1/4 X 2 X 4" wood compression strips, held in place with glue. The bolt pattern was about 4 X 6". Worked. I did use large SS fender washers for the "backing plate". Remember, I didnt use a swing arm mount. Remounted the medicine cabinet and no trace of the installation, except for sawdust from the CIRCULAR SAW.

 

[NiceBeny]

thank you all for your comments, the TV is mounted on a very sturdy swing arm with tie downs, wired through the bulk head to a AC plug inside the head vanity. (to a inverter at another time)