Well I've owned by 89 30ft hunter G now for over two years so the thought of cutting holes in her is not quite as scary as when I first bought her. I'm thinking about installing speakers under the aft cockpit seats, port and starboard, by cutting holes and mounting speakers inside the lockers. The speaker grills would face forward. What do you think? Good idea or bad idea?
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We have them
We have a similar set up to what you discribe in our cockpit. It allows us to play the stereo at a much lower volume than if we just had them down below only. The speaker grills will take a beating though. Both from accidental bumps and from the UV of the sun. I figure on replacing them every few years. I expect you already now to you'll need to bed them in place to keep things waterproof. Jeff Morrison H33.5 1993
We have a similar set up to what you discribe in our cockpit. It allows us to play the stereo at a much lower volume than if we just had them down below only. The speaker grills will take a beating though. Both from accidental bumps and from the UV of the sun. I figure on replacing them every few years. I expect you already now to you'll need to bed them in place to keep things waterproof. Jeff Morrison H33.5 1993
Not a problem.
I cut the holes in the coaming, just below the aft jib winches(H37C). Audio is better than if mounted low near the sole. I also keep a lot of junk in the lockers that could damage the speakers or wiring if mounted there. Five years in the weather and no problems so far. I used a Roto-Zip to cut, I think, a 4" hole for a 6" speaker. As in all things on a sailboat the hardest part is running the wire from the nav station. The AM/FM/CD player can be balanced across four speakers just like your car player. So the cockpit speakers become the "backseat" speakers.
I cut the holes in the coaming, just below the aft jib winches(H37C). Audio is better than if mounted low near the sole. I also keep a lot of junk in the lockers that could damage the speakers or wiring if mounted there. Five years in the weather and no problems so far. I used a Roto-Zip to cut, I think, a 4" hole for a 6" speaker. As in all things on a sailboat the hardest part is running the wire from the nav station. The AM/FM/CD player can be balanced across four speakers just like your car player. So the cockpit speakers become the "backseat" speakers.
same here
our 28.5 came with speakers mounted aft comparments facing forward. I replaced them this year with a new higher watt(80) speaker off of e-bay, Company name Boss, they have 6" and 7" very reasonable.Also mounted a new pair for a buddy in 25' Catalina facing each other just aft of the companion way. Both give good sound but I think the aft mounting has better sound.
our 28.5 came with speakers mounted aft comparments facing forward. I replaced them this year with a new higher watt(80) speaker off of e-bay, Company name Boss, they have 6" and 7" very reasonable.Also mounted a new pair for a buddy in 25' Catalina facing each other just aft of the companion way. Both give good sound but I think the aft mounting has better sound.
Semi-waste of time.
While it is true that some more modern speakers have improved in longevity, I've never been satisfied with how well they hold up in cold, heat, sun, salt, constant moisture and wind pressure. Being both a musician and a sailor I will attest that everything acting on an cockpit speaker constitutes the perfect recipe for rapid speaker-cone failure. We solved this issue at Cherubini after my brother built a pair of speaker boxes for our Raider 33. They each housed a 6x9 car speaker, surface-loaded as to facilitate replacement. The boxes were made of 1/2" white-overlay plywood and fitted with square rubber feet at the corners and plain Herreshoff yacht cleats on the top which functioned as handles as well as where to wrap up the cord. RCA phono jacks were fitted inside the cockpit-seat lockers so that the connecting cables could be led out through the lift handles/ hatch scuppers. When needed, the boxes were dug out of the lockers, hooked up, and stood on the cabintop, cockpit seat, wherever. With metal aluminium grilles they took an incredible beating in the locker and getting kicked around the deck. They were cheap and easy to build, repair, or replace-- certainly WAY cheaper than the incredible prices some makers charge for what they call 'seaworthy' speakers-- parts only, exclusive of cutting holes in your fibreglass deck. Think about it. JC 2
While it is true that some more modern speakers have improved in longevity, I've never been satisfied with how well they hold up in cold, heat, sun, salt, constant moisture and wind pressure. Being both a musician and a sailor I will attest that everything acting on an cockpit speaker constitutes the perfect recipe for rapid speaker-cone failure. We solved this issue at Cherubini after my brother built a pair of speaker boxes for our Raider 33. They each housed a 6x9 car speaker, surface-loaded as to facilitate replacement. The boxes were made of 1/2" white-overlay plywood and fitted with square rubber feet at the corners and plain Herreshoff yacht cleats on the top which functioned as handles as well as where to wrap up the cord. RCA phono jacks were fitted inside the cockpit-seat lockers so that the connecting cables could be led out through the lift handles/ hatch scuppers. When needed, the boxes were dug out of the lockers, hooked up, and stood on the cabintop, cockpit seat, wherever. With metal aluminium grilles they took an incredible beating in the locker and getting kicked around the deck. They were cheap and easy to build, repair, or replace-- certainly WAY cheaper than the incredible prices some makers charge for what they call 'seaworthy' speakers-- parts only, exclusive of cutting holes in your fibreglass deck. Think about it. JC 2
9 years and ...
still going strong in a 29.5. Speakers are mounted in the aft lockers facing forward into the cockpit. Wired as the "rear" speakers off the stereo below. No match to the Bose theater system at home, of course, but still really nice while sailing or anchored on the Bay.
still going strong in a 29.5. Speakers are mounted in the aft lockers facing forward into the cockpit. Wired as the "rear" speakers off the stereo below. No match to the Bose theater system at home, of course, but still really nice while sailing or anchored on the Bay.
cockpit speakers
I bought some sony cockpit speakers from west marine and mounted them in my hunter 34 on the sides about 8 inches off of the floor on each side of the wheel. seems to be out of the way and have had no problems with them. That was the first project I did on the boat after I launched her. Had to get some noise out in the cockpit instead of down below. Am in the process of mounting two 10" subs down below. Now thats where the big holes come in, Under the navstation and in the aft stateroom. also have four 6" and two 4 1/2 down below with two amps. Yes very loud. Tim Welsh (Cabo Wabo Port of Conway Ar) On a clear night they say they can hear me in Texas lol.
I bought some sony cockpit speakers from west marine and mounted them in my hunter 34 on the sides about 8 inches off of the floor on each side of the wheel. seems to be out of the way and have had no problems with them. That was the first project I did on the boat after I launched her. Had to get some noise out in the cockpit instead of down below. Am in the process of mounting two 10" subs down below. Now thats where the big holes come in, Under the navstation and in the aft stateroom. also have four 6" and two 4 1/2 down below with two amps. Yes very loud. Tim Welsh (Cabo Wabo Port of Conway Ar) On a clear night they say they can hear me in Texas lol.
Box It
I agree with earlier post, but I'm not the audiophile perfections that much. I just want some music in the cockpit without blasting out the cabin folk. I took three pieces of 5x6 lumber 1" thick. With speaker holes cut in two of them, I put all three togethe with stailess bolts, and mounted the speakers. I mounted the seateak quick attach rail thingys to the wood and viola, I can attach the speakers to the rail for cockpit music, or drop them in the aft lockers for protection (and a muffled sound!)
I agree with earlier post, but I'm not the audiophile perfections that much. I just want some music in the cockpit without blasting out the cabin folk. I took three pieces of 5x6 lumber 1" thick. With speaker holes cut in two of them, I put all three togethe with stailess bolts, and mounted the speakers. I mounted the seateak quick attach rail thingys to the wood and viola, I can attach the speakers to the rail for cockpit music, or drop them in the aft lockers for protection (and a muffled sound!)
*NM*
Andy, you gave Tim credit for being an audio-
phile. TWO sub woofers are only for loud, and noise. With that setup, he is the opposite of an audiophile. I have one 8" sub for my dvd 5-1 sound, below. It has to be kept turned down to minimum or the hull turns into a speaker. The system rocks though. For our cockpit we use a pair of Boss boxes attached to the radar arch on our H34. Now my 69 Camaro, that's kinda loud too. The twin Alpine amps draw 30 amps, cranked up. No sub in the car though.
phile. TWO sub woofers are only for loud, and noise. With that setup, he is the opposite of an audiophile. I have one 8" sub for my dvd 5-1 sound, below. It has to be kept turned down to minimum or the hull turns into a speaker. The system rocks though. For our cockpit we use a pair of Boss boxes attached to the radar arch on our H34. Now my 69 Camaro, that's kinda loud too. The twin Alpine amps draw 30 amps, cranked up. No sub in the car though.
SAFETY
If you need a lot of noise why don't you just get a power boat? But seriously, Practical Sailor has come up with figures if there is a hole in the speaker cones you could get a 1000 gallons a minute inside your boat from a 1 foot high wave! If the speakers are in the cockpit you need to have the inside sealed from possible water intrusion, unless you sail on a flat lake, protected from storms and wind. Maybe I need a power boat?
If you need a lot of noise why don't you just get a power boat? But seriously, Practical Sailor has come up with figures if there is a hole in the speaker cones you could get a 1000 gallons a minute inside your boat from a 1 foot high wave! If the speakers are in the cockpit you need to have the inside sealed from possible water intrusion, unless you sail on a flat lake, protected from storms and wind. Maybe I need a power boat?
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