Helm pods

[Salty Dog Sailing]

thank you for admitting me into the group.
Thank you. I am super excited to be a new Ericson Owner.
we recently purchased an 84 Ericson 381 and are bringing the girl home in a week.

I recently have been watching the great videos of Christian Williams on his boat and noticed his very cool Nav setup does Anyone in the group know where you could buy a box set up like that and the extended binnacle surround stainless steel I noticed that his is about a foot to a foot and a half taller than the top of his wheel and that’s definitely not standard on the 84 381? We are doing a bit of a refit with new instruments and new standing rigging before we splash and that’s a great helm setup he has

 

[peaman]

Anyone in the group know where you could buy a box set up like that and the extended binnacle surround stainless steel I noticed that his is about a foot to a foot and a half taller than the top of his wheel and that’s definitely not standard on the 84 381?

I recently did this and will plan to post photos later today. While Christian built his own very handsome pod, I purchased a NavPod unit which is mounted on a new NavPod pedestal guard. There are a great many different size pods, and several variations in the pedestal guards, so you will need to consider your choices carefully, starting with exactly what instruments you intend to mount. More details to follow.

 

[Salty Dog Sailing]

Is your nav pod big enough for a 9 inch garmin plotter in the middle with small wind and depth on the outside edges?? If so what model of navpod ?

 

[Christian Williams]

I made a suitable pod out of foam board and took it to a local plastics shop to copy in white acrylic. $200 total. The acrylic ("Lucite") is still new and shiny after five years.

...

 

[Prairie Schooner]

We were going to install a NavPod GP2050-06 for our new B&G Zeus 9". It was supposed to be sized for 12" guard width, but was almost an inch too small for the stock pedestal guard on our '86 35-3. We returned it.


Scanstrut seems to have a more adjustable system: https://www.scanstrut.com/marine/sail-boat/mount/scanpods/helm/sph-9-w
To gain height I was going to cut the pedestal and put in a couple extenders with extra 1" ss tubing.
at Defender: https://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|7504|2290217|2290219&id=3707196#

We might go with the Scanstrut long term, but we're just going to mount it on a shelf on the pedestal this first season. I'm toying with the notion of making our own pod. Christian's project will be a helpful guide.

 

[Christian Williams]

Not to go on and on, but I have fielded many inquires about this. A "plastics shop", which has confused people, is a common business. Lucite racks and display counters, and now Covid shields at checkout, are made locally by these artisans. Also, vitrines for display of art or books and so on.

These shops have a store of plastic sheets, and often price depends on whether their existing stock (scrap) fit our job. It is possible to drill and cut acrylic ourselves, but the tools and bits are a little different, and these fellows do it right. Plastic is glued together chemically. Long bends are easy to make with a hot-wire gizmo, which heats the plastic along a line and allows the operator to just move it into position and let it cool off. That means few cut seams and a smooth joint appearance.

Such shops are also the source for new hatch and portlights acrylic. They can copy anything you can bring to them.

 

[fool]

+1 Christian and “I Love Lucite” aka Craig’s Plastics on Motor Ave in Los Angeles, CA.

If you can pattern it, they can build it.

 

[peaman]

I recently did this and will plan to post photos later today.

The Navpod I chose was pre-cut for the 9" B&G Zeus chart plotter, with 2 round holes at each end, one of which I had to modify to rectangular for the B&G Triton display. The Navpod pedestal guard is 13" wide, with 1-1/4" tubing. I removed 3-1/2" from the bottom to get the height that I wanted. I would have liked the instruments to be lower, but I settled with this height to minimize how much influence the chart plotter has on the magnetic compass.



At the helm, the small vertical dimension of the Navpod minimizes obstruction of view forward, as well as into the companionway.


Likewise, in my opinion, the view from the interior looks clean and not greatly obstructed.


The feet which came standard with the Navpod have some pretty sharp corners. Because I like to sail barefoot, I rounded the outboard corners on each foot. I could have used feet supplied by Edson which have a smaller base and rounded contours.

On each side, you can see one of the epoxy-filled bolt holes of the original feet. All new holes were drilled oversize, filled, and re-drilled to correct size. There was no wiring passing through the deck under the original guard, instead, it all passed through the pedestal itself, which concerned me out of fear of chafing with the steering gear within. I removed all wiring from the pedestal, except for the wheel pilot motor, and the compass lamp. Wiring for the Navpod passes through both legs of the pedestal guard, and then through the deck, for a total of only 4 wires, thanks to the very elegant NMEA 2000 network concept. Wires are (starboard): NMEA 2000 backbone, SeattleNG backbone; (port): power for chart plotter, cable from radome.


I'm pretty pleased with how it has come together, and I look forward to putting it all to use within a couple weeks, after re-launch. Not shown is a new Edson cockpit table which I hope will be an ideal platform for enjoying cocktails while visiting Nantucket Harbor in a couple months.

 

[goldenstate]

Here is some of my related work. The short answer Is Defender.com or West Marine for parts.

Installing a NavPod instrument enclosure and pedestal guard

sailboatrefit.com

Replacing pedestal guard feet

sailboatrefit.com

Installing a NMEA2000 network on a cruising sailboat

sailboatrefit.com

 

[Salty Dog Sailing]

I made a suitable pod out of foam board and took it to a local plastics shop to copy in white acrylic. $200 total. The acrylic ("Lucite") is still new and shiny after five years.

View attachment 42488...View attachment 42489

You’re awesome Mr. Williams. Thank you for your reply. Can you let me know the name of your local plastics shop? Maybe easier to use yours and pay the shipping to TEXAS. They do really nice work. Did you have your stainless post reconfigured as well??
I am buying a sister to your Thelonious 2. It is an 84 381 that has been on fresh and brackish water in New Bern NC her whole life. We are having her trucked to our sailing home in Seabrook TEXAS. We leave in three days to drive to NC and finalize the deal and per her on a truck transport. My wife and I are inspired by your pacific crossings and love your humor, wit and skill. Your dancing on deck is of course a different matter all together. If you ever decide to go through the canal and explore the gulf waters we would love to meet you!
Below are a few photos of Quintessence

 

[Salty Dog Sailing]

The Navpod I chose was pre-cut for the 9" B&G Zeus chart plotter, with 2 round holes at each end, one of which I had to modify to rectangular for the B&G Triton display. The Navpod pedestal guard is 13" wide, with 1-1/4" tubing. I removed 3-1/2" from the bottom to get the height that I wanted. I would have liked the instruments to be lower, but I settled with this height to minimize how much influence the chart plotter has on the magnetic compass.

View attachment 42490

At the helm, the small vertical dimension of the Navpod minimizes obstruction of view forward, as well as into the companionway.
View attachment 42491

Likewise, in my opinion, the view from the interior looks clean and not greatly obstructed.
View attachment 42492

The feet which came standard with the Navpod have some pretty sharp corners. Because I like to sail barefoot, I rounded the outboard corners on each foot. I could have used feet supplied by Edson which have a smaller base and rounded contours.

On each side, you can see one of the epoxy-filled bolt holes of the original feet. All new holes were drilled oversize, filled, and re-drilled to correct size. There was no wiring passing through the deck under the original guard, instead, it all passed through the pedestal itself, which concerned me out of fear of chafing with the steering gear within. I removed all wiring from the pedestal, except for the wheel pilot motor, and the compass lamp. Wiring for the Navpod passes through both legs of the pedestal guard, and then through the deck, for a total of only 4 wires, thanks to the very elegant NMEA 2000 network concept. Wires are (starboard): NMEA 2000 backbone, SeattleNG backbone; (port): power for chart plotter, cable from radome.
View attachment 42493

I'm pretty pleased with how it has come together, and I look forward to putting it all to use within a couple weeks, after re-launch. Not shown is a new Edson cockpit table which I hope will be an ideal platform for enjoying cocktails while visiting Nantucket Harbor in a couple months.
View attachment 42494

That’s a great looking setup. What model number Nav Pod is that?? Is that a 9 inch B&G?? Perfect fit.
see my post below. This is my current setup. My stainless would have to be extended and canted back at an angle

 

[peaman]

That’s a great looking setup. What model number Nav Pod is that?? Is that a 9 inch B&G?? Perfect fit.
see my post below.

To answer your questions, I had to lookup my purchases, and found I mis-spoke: I have the 7" B&G chart plotter, not the 9". I had originally decided on the 9", but when I went to purchase it, I was able to lay eyes and hands on a 7" display, and decided that was the right one for me, since it is at the helm, so viewing distance will be quite close.

As for the Navpod, I believe this is the one which I have. Note that this is for a 12" pedestal guard (not 13" as I erroneously noted above), and not the 9-1/2" guard which can also be provided by Navpod. Note also that Navpod (and also Edson) have a great variety of pedestal guards, with one, two or no bends, so they may well have exactly what you have in mind.

 

[Pete the Cat]

That’s a great looking setup. What model number Nav Pod is that?? Is that a 9 inch B&G?? Perfect fit.
see my post below. This is my current setup. My stainless would have to be extended and canted back at an angle

Defender sells a new stainless binnacle guard that tilts back. It comes with the foot hardware and new strut plate. I think it is about $500 for the whole thing.

 

[Christian Williams]

Hi Salty Dog,

Your target boat has certain nonstandard elements. The fixed ports are replacements and not as designed, the cabin table is not Ericson and the seating modified, I wonder where the cabin-house winches are, or went. Do you know the story of the boat? For a look at a standard E381, you can page through my blog at the Thelonious Table of Contents link below.

I suggest trying to find a local plastics shop. Worth driving some miles, just to meet the owner, hand over your patterns and discuss needs.

Cheers,
Christian

 

[Mr. Scarlett]

And I thought this was going to be about making Keurig coffee in the cockpit.

 

[Loren Beach]

The boat looks to me like it was sold as a "basic" stock boat when new, and perhaps EY offered choices for housetop winches and the original purchaser passed on them. Irony now, that it can be a real bonus to find a solid boat that one can put new-technology parts on without removing 35 year old stuff and repairing the holes. While always true for instruments, to a lesser extent it holds true for hardware.

Some new ST winches could be purchased at the recent West Marine's 2-fer-1 Lewmar annual sale, for instance. For that boat a couple of new 40ST winches could go on the house top. (Just an example to consider)
From the pix of the fixed ports with the curtains partly covering them I cannot tell if they have the stock trapezoidal shape.
That table certainly does look like it has a newer support system. The design of the table woodwork does look just like standard-Ericson, to me. (Of course I do not know what the stock table set up looks like in that model, having only spent time aboard the 38-200.)

 

[Christian Williams]

The table and seating is radically different from standard 381, including the woodwork.

...

 

[Loren Beach]

The table and seating is radically different from standard 381, including the woodwork.

View attachment 42508...View attachment 42510

I see what you mean. I guess I was focusing too much on the "Ericson style" wood work on the table and legs, which is extremely similar to my O-34.

 

[Christian Williams]

Looks like factory furniture mods, and the sole seems different, too. Or extensive changes by a skilled carpenter.

I wonder if other 38s have this configuration. (I think you're right (Loren) about the fixed ports being as expected).

 

[Salty Dog Sailing]

Here is some of my related work. The short answer Is Defender.com or West Marine for parts.

Installing a NavPod instrument enclosure and pedestal guard

sailboatrefit.com

Replacing pedestal guard feet

sailboatrefit.com

Installing a NMEA2000 network on a cruising sailboat

sailboatrefit.com

Thank you. Very useful.