Rearrange Instrument locations on Pedestal

[Ron M]

I have a B331. Just bought a Raymarine e7 chartplotter. My initial idea was to repair the existing instrument holes with fiberglass patches. After removing the chartplotter and 3 Raymarine ST60+ instruments I'm not sure this is the best idea. Option 2 is to cut out the bulk of the flat surface and install a stock piece of 1/4" fiberglass panel. Any thoughts on the process would be appreciated. Attached is a photo of the instrument console.

 

[galynd]

On my Beneteau 36 cc, I covered mine with a 1/4 inch Starboard. It came out pretty good. No one ever notices. It's also very functional and Starboard is very easy to work with.

 

[suttonski]

I have a Beneteau 361 and I want to install a Garmin 741XS and I will have to do the same thing. I thought of closing the Raymarine Chartplotter opening and the autopilot hole with fiberglass and apply gelcoat. Not a very difficult job but I noticed on Beneteau parts site that I can order a brand new Pedastal cover for $287.15. That might be a better option. Haven't decided yet.
Georges
http://spareparts.beneteauusa.com/controleur.php?action=catasys/frameindex

 

[Ron M]

Starboard

Looks like starboard might be the winner here. Someone else suggested it also. Does the 1/4" thickness provide enough strength? Don't want that surface to flex. For appearance I would prefer 1/4" over the 1/2".

 

[CESLAW]

I used quarter inch starboard to raise the chart plotter enough so the wiring would clear. Cut it to exactly match the base dimensions of the chart plotter. It worked very well. Quarter inch is plenty strong in this application.

 

[Gunni]

Looks like starboard might be the winner here. Someone else suggested it also. Does the 1/4" thickness provide enough strength? Don't want that surface to flex. For appearance I would prefer 1/4" over the 1/2".

Yes, it will be fine. Lay out the job so that the starboard attaches to the pedestal on all edges. I did this for the same reasons as you - move instruments and engine control panel. By covering the entire face of the pedestal with starboard it looks OEM. good luck

 

[Maine Sail]

Looks like starboard might be the winner here. Someone else suggested it also. Does the 1/4" thickness provide enough strength? Don't want that surface to flex. For appearance I would prefer 1/4" over the 1/2".

Ron,

With G10 you can go thinner and it will be stronger. A sealant will also stick to it. G10 can easily be gelcoated or painted to match the rest of the box or you can do a contrasting panel color like matte black. Another alternative is 1/4" polycarbonate painted matte black with Krylon Fusion. Works really, really well and is easy to cut and machine. I am not a huge fan of Starboard due to its lack of strength and lack of ability to have a sealant stick to it.. Will it work? Sure, but I would personally use G10 or polycarbonate first especially where with G10 you could go with 1/8" and have it be plenty strong.. A 12" X 12" X 1/8" piece of G10 runs under $20.00 at Mcmaster Carr..

 

[DougM]

I have a similar issue on my B323. The engine control pod is mounted at deck level under the Starboard seat. Stupid OEM Location. i cannot see any of the gauges, and the ignition key is vulnerable to being kicked and broken off. I would somehow like to relocate the whole works to a more visible location. The wheel pedestal console is full. I looked into the aftermarket instrument pods, and they are ridiculously expensive. Mounting on the bulkhead is not feasible because of damage potential there, and the back would encroach into the head area which includes the shower.

I would need to close out the original location with something strong enough so that it wouldn't break if someone kicked it accidentally and also sealable to prevent water from getting into the lazerette area. Any further suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Ron M]

Thanks for the G10 suggestion. I definitely want sealant/caulk to stick, especially since I plan to fill any gaps around the exposed edges with sealant.