[C320-list] Nav Station Upgrade Project

[Robert Seastream]

Hm...I had that, with a small 'stool' in the cockpit for stability,  
and custom washboards that would fit on top of the unit.  I would duct  
tape the boards to keep cold (and the cat) in and bugs out.  It did  
bring the cabin down to 70 when it was 90 outside, but eventually  
proved too much hassle to set up and made exit/entry difficult, so I  
abandoned the idea.  Your input suggests perhaps I was overthinking  
it.  Regarding the 'snorkle' idea (which will employ a 4 inch dryer  
vent hose in one of the ports-rest of port blocked off), I'm wondering  
if it'll keep it cool and DRY, since the bottom part of the unit  
(which I think extracts the humid air out of the area) won't be in the  
cabin.  Have to see.

Bob

On Jun 27, 2011, at 10:15 PM, Paul Rickman wrote:

> Bob,
>
> Until you get that figured out: I had a 5K unit that I ran sitting  
> in the
> companion way.
> You have to rig it so that if it falls, it falls to the outside. I  
> never had
> that happen in
> over 10 years.  I put a small throw pillow on each side and then  
> just pulled
> towels
> down to the top. Worked like a charm cause at night it would pull  
> the temps down
> to 60 degrees.
>
> Paul
> Affinity 657
> Baby Bridge Marina
> Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Robert Seastream <robert.seastream at comcast.net>
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Sent: Mon, June 27, 2011 9:38:08 PM
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Nav Station Upgrade Project
>
> I'm still working on marrying the output of a 5K btu home window  
> unit to one of
> the cabin ports via some homebrewed 'snorkle' coupling.
> Bob Seastream
> Intuition # 906
>
> On Jun 27, 2011, at 7:23 PM, Jon Vez wrote:
>
>> So far the *biggest* thing I'm missing is a site like this--hence  
>> I'm hanging
>> on for dear life :)
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
>> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Jeff  
>> Hare
>> Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 4:03 PM
>> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
>> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Nav Station Upgrade Project
>>
>> Warren, *all* boats are for sale or trade. ;-) Heck, ours went on  
>> the market
>> the same time they loaded it on the delivery truck from the dealer.
>>
>> I wonder how much time has to pass before Jon Vez wants to trade  
>> his flashy new
>> C355 for my old C320?
>>
>> The boss said "yes" to a new boat. That was quickly followed by the  
>> word "but",
>> and it went downhill from there. ;-)
>>
>> -jeff
>>
>>
>>
>> Warren Updike <wupdike at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> And all this for a guy planning on selling his boat? At least,  
>> that's what
>> someone recently said. Whas da story?
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Jeff Hare [mailto:Catalina at thehares.com]
>> Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 2:39 PM
>> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
>> Subject: [C320-list] Nav Station Upgrade Project
>>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> A while back I posted questions about useful Nav Station/Storage
>> enhancements. I've finished my design and started the work last  
>> Saturday.
>>
>> I started a Photo Album for this project and will be adding (better  
>> quality)
>> pictures as I go.
>>
>> Primary design goal: It has to look like it came straight from the  
>> factory
>> that way, which means attempting to match grain, color and finish  
>> and style.
>> If it looks like an add-on or aesthetically disconnected, I  
>> failed... :-(
>>
>> My photo album is on the C320 website's Owner's gallery titled:  
>> "Jeff Hare,
>> #809 Woodbine II". Here's the short link to our gallery:
>> http://tinyurl.com/navstation
>>
>> So far, I have :
>> ============
>> * cut & scribed the top to fit
>> * milled and fit the side fiddles
>> * done the layout for the dividers inside so that it fits the  
>> things we want
>> to store there.
>>
>> Next I'll be:
>> ==========
>> * cutting the opening area of the top
>> * installing the rest of the dividers
>> * wiring the charging station components
>> * build the shallow tool drawer that will mount under the nav  
>> station along
>> the back of the sink..
>> * choosing the type of varnish (Target? Others?)
>> * sending it out to a professional finishing shop to get the  
>> coating sprayed
>> on in a dust free booth. (If I do it here, I guarantee it'll end up  
>> with
>> dust and a big dog hair in it somewhere. :)
>> * I'll be contacting Modern Plastics to see about cutting and  
>> bending a
>> smoked polycarbonate splash guard similar to the ones on the MKII,  
>> but
>> softly following the angles on the MK1, which are more abrupt. Once  
>> I find
>> out the details I might have them make a few of them if anyone else
>> expresses interest and the price is reasonable. I'll see about  
>> getting some
>> stainless mounts made by a local machine shop.
>>
>> As for the "modernizing" part of the project, I found this nice  
>> little gizmo
>> (search on Amazon) for $19.95 US : "Multi-Use Vehicle Charger with  
>> Dual USB
>> Ports and Dual 12 Volt Sockets - by Magnadyne". It's a 20amp device,
>> nicely fused with a rugged cord that can be hardwired into the DC  
>> Panel to
>> one of the unused AUX breakers. It provides 2 high power USB charging
>> ports, suitable for IPAD and a pair of 12v accessory sockets. I  
>> also have a
>> "Griffin Technology 1 amp PowerJolt Dual USB Micro" doo-hickey to  
>> plug into
>> one of the 12v sockets give me 2 more below-desk USB charging ports  
>> when
>> needed.
>>
>> Inside the Nav station, I have a divider across the end facing the
>> Electrical Panel that leaves a dedicated 5" wide trough for these  
>> devices
>> and all the charging cords. I'm installing a 2" black desk grommet  
>> in the
>> back corner for the cords to surface out of the desk. There's  
>> plenty of room
>> for a small laptop power brick below (plugged into a small  
>> inverter) with
>> just the power cord visible above. If additional venting is needed,  
>> that is
>> easy to do without it being visible.
>>
>> Cheers!
>> -Jeff
>>
>> PS: Projects on the horizon:
>>
>> 1) a 6" Beckson low profile flat DP61-W deck plate that I'm  
>> installing
>> under the carpet in the aft cabin near where the door hinges for  
>> cleanout
>> access to the bilge under the engine pan.
>>
>> 2) changing the Head Vent and Vent hose. I think it's not doing a  
>> good job.
>> (Peggy says ideally you should have one vent on each side of the  
>> tank to
>> keep airflow through it) I wonder if you could add a second vent  
>> hose on
>> the outboard side of the tank and just add another vent on the side  
>> of the
>> boat right next to the existing one and get the same result?
>>
>> 3) Do some more design work on an interesting idea for a nicely  
>> angled
>> little cabinet above the electrical panel so that I can move VHF  
>> and all the
>> other electronics that are behind the settee next to the electrical  
>> panel
>> and free up another storage area. More on that later after I do a  
>> mock-up
>> with using something other than Teak (aka gold plated lumber). :)
>>
>> Maybe sail the boat next year? :)
>>
>>
>>