Adding Pedestal Accessories E27

[716Ericson27]

Looking to start adding some accessories to my wheel / binnacle pedestal on my E27. Specifically a Navigation screen and some basics like cup holders / storage while at the helm.....getting tired of spilled beer in the cockpit. From what I am finding online it looks like I need to add a "pedestal guard" which then should allow various accessories to be mounted to it? Thought I would ask here though to see what others have done to update the helm to accommodate the modern sailing luxuries that we now have that were not stock in the 70's

 

[Christian Williams]

Got a picture of your existing pedestal so we can see the starting point?

 

[716Ericson27]

Pedestal Pictures E27

Yes....pictures always do help. Here is what I currently am working with.

 

[Christian Williams]

Will a guard like this allow use of the traveler and sheeting?

Such a guard needs a connection plate to pedestal, which can be made out of Starboard plastic if not purchased.

What is the manufacturer of the pedestal, Edson or YS? If Edson, their catalog may provide some ideas.

If Yacht Specialties (YS), fabrication probably required.

 

[markvone]

Sailing 716,

If you only have a pedestal with wheel you will need to add the guard to attach most typical "stuff" around the wheel. I think almost everything I've seen attaches to the guard. The guard adds a useful handhold near the wheel but it will take up a little more space forward and outboard of the pedestal.

My only concerns with adding a guard would be: 1. are parts available for your model - primarily the plate that supports the guard (you can get the guard made by any stainless fab shop if you can't buy one). Edson is still around, Yacht Specialties (YS) by Merriman is long gone. Some parts will fit both. Consignment shops, Ebay and Craigslist may get you parts too. 2. getting the pedestal apart to add the plate below the engine controls that supports the guard. I could not get the four bolts under my compass loose. These hold the engine control section just above the support plate. I didn't have to get these loose for my pedestal lift job so I gave up before I got really serious. Adding the support plate will require these come out. You can see these four screws and the guard support plate in the first two pictures. You can also see the Edson brackets that the PO used to mount the GPS and radar displays to the guard. These are still available.

Once you have the guard installed there are infinite possibilities for adding "stuff" at the wheel. I would council you to take your time and think out what you want, where it will go and how it will work. Look at a lot of boats and ask people what they like and what works. My boat had a GPS chartplotter on stbd and a radar display on port at the wheel when I bought it 5 years ago. This was pretty advanced for 20 years ago when it was set up by the PO. I just finished removing the radar display (moved to Nav desk inside) from the port side and substituting a new GPS chartplotter/MFD in a Seaview pod in its place. The MFD will display radar in the future when I replace the old Autohelm transmitter dome with a new Furuno radar transmitter that is compatible with my MFD. I was going to avoid the expense of the Seaview pod and just mount the MFD on my bracket but I realized that I wanted to be able to spin the MFD (GPS/chartplotter/radar) display 180 degrees to view it when I sit forward of the wheel. The pod also protects the back of the MFD and the cable connections.

I have another Seaview pod on the stbd side of the wheel with my wind display, autopilot control, stereo remote and VHF RAAM mic. This pod also spins 180 degrees to view from the forward end of the cockpit. I would seriously consider mounting any other instrument displays at the wheel as well. Someone is always sitting in front of my old displays on the cabin bulkhead. My speed/depth/multi displays are mounted port and stbd on a small section of the cockpit coaming that faces aft right near the wheel (a unique feature of the E36RH) so I didn't need to mount them up on a wheel pod. You can see these displays in the lower outboard corners of the two pictures of the displays mounted in the two pods. My MFD also displays speed and depth info if connected to the NEMA 2000 network so that is another option for this info at the wheel without having to mount the speed/depth display there.

I still haven't determined where I will run all the cables from inside out to the pedestal. The old cables ran inside the guard tubes but there are too many now and the connectors are too large. I tried to keep my pods as low as possible to avoid blocking my view while sitting and steering but still visible while standing. Generally, I sit way outboard when sailing so the pods aren't blocking my view at all but I didn't want a large obstruction blocking my view across the boat to windward. I have seen some displays mounted to tall guards directly in front of the wheel that must be impossible to see over. I've lowered the port side pod by about 4 inches since these pictures were taken so both my pods are hardly taller than the top of my compass. I've added temporary white painted plywood extensions to the Edson brackets to mount the two Seaview pods. I will use white Starboard for the final versions and probably widen the final versions to use the empty space near the vertical guard tube for a few drink holders on each side .

Let me know if you have any questions.

Mark

 

[716Ericson27]

Mark and Christian thanks for your responses. After reading your responses and looking at the pictures I do think I will have issues with the traveler and main sheet's current location getting in the way. Most likely why nobody ever outfitted her with one up until this point. As most sailboat projects seem to open up other projects, I think I need to relocate my traveler and main sheet first. Maybe I can finally get a boom vang set up of the list at the same time.

 

[Mark F]

Hi Sailing 716,

You do not have to move your traveler. It is tight but adding a guard is doable. You have to be careful when you install the guard feet to provide room for the mainsheet blocks to clear the guard. Look closely at the pedestal guard feet in this photo and you can see the fitting is notched to keep the base of the guard close to the pedestal.

When I was looking to add a pedestal guard to my boat I asked around and I think Loren had a pedestal guard bracket that he sent me. Loren, If your following this thread (and I'm remembering correctly) do you remember what brand it was?

 

[Emerald]

If you can't find parts locally, give a call to Bacon's in Annapolis. They have had a variety of used pedestal pieces in the past, as I've looked at parts for my YS. Here's their website: http://baconsails.com/

 

[Mark F]

Here is a photo of the modification that I made to keep the base close to the pedestal.

 

[716Ericson27]

I like the modification, and am glad to see that it is possible without opening the can of worms. Going to start checking out the various used and new vendors for the hardware now. I appreciate everyone's input and will update once more progress is made.

 

[Loren Beach]

Hi Mark,
I do not recall sending a bracket of any kind to you. Perhaps it was another site member?

 

[markvone]

Sailing716,

Note that the bracket/plate to support the guard in the Mark F's pictures is a special version for your pedestal. It has shorter "arms" to keep the guard closer to the pedestal. My bracket has arms ~ 6 inches long pushing my guard further away from my pedestal and also giving me more space between the wheel and the front of the guard. My base is ~ 10 inches in diameter and I have 13 inches between the wheel and the guard, plenty of room for my pods. Even with a smaller space, a GPS and some of the small pods will fit without overhanging the main traveler in front of the guard.

Next time I'm in Annapolis I'll stop in Bacons andl snoop around for that version of the bracket.

Mark

 

[Mark F]

Hmm... Somehow I had it in my head that I got the guard plate from Loren.

Here is a link to the plate I used (look at the last post). It doesn't fit perfectly but it's close and it keeps the guard close to the pedestal.

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?4857-compass-size

 

[Kevin A Wright]

I like the modification, and am glad to see that it is possible without opening the can of worms. Going to start checking out the various used and new vendors for the hardware now. I appreciate everyone's input and will update once more progress is made.

I can confirm it can be done with only a little finessing on an E27, I did it on my old 1977 E27 with the same cockpit design and the aft traveler. I had slightly different style of foot mount which didn't require notching the pedestal, but I did end up mounting it with a few degrees of 'forward rake" so the feet cleared the traveler enough. Mounted a Navpod on top with Autopilot on the left, GPS in the middle and Fishfinder/sounder on the right.

With the T cockpit you will find having that rail makes a great handhold when stepping in and out of the rear cockpit well in heavy seas. Worth the price of admission right there, but having your instruments at hand is close second.


Kevin Wright
E35 Hydrotherapy

 

[716Ericson27]

Sailing716,

Note that the bracket/plate to support the guard in the Mark F's pictures is a special version for your pedestal. It has shorter "arms" to keep the guard closer to the pedestal. My bracket has arms ~ 6 inches long pushing my guard further away from my pedestal and also giving me more space between the wheel and the front of the guard. My base is ~ 10 inches in diameter and I have 13 inches between the wheel and the guard, plenty of room for my pods. Even with a smaller space, a GPS and some of the small pods will fit without overhanging the main traveler in front of the guard.

Next time I'm in Annapolis I'll stop in Bacons andl snoop around for that version of the bracket.

Mark

If your snooping around finds anything please let me know

 

[716Ericson27]

I can confirm it can be done with only a little finessing on an E27, I did it on my old 1977 E27 with the same cockpit design and the aft traveler. I had slightly different style of foot mount which didn't require notching the pedestal, but I did end up mounting it with a few degrees of 'forward rake" so the feet cleared the traveler enough. Mounted a Navpod on top with Autopilot on the left, GPS in the middle and Fishfinder/sounder on the right.

With the T cockpit you will find having that rail makes a great handhold when stepping in and out of the rear cockpit well in heavy seas. Worth the price of admission right there, but having your instruments at hand is close second.


Kevin Wright
E35 Hydrotherapy
View attachment 20997

Thanks for the confirmation. This all certainly makes me feel more confident in figuring it out. I'm hoping to start acquiring all the hardware soon and tackling the job whenever our first real thaw happens here in Buffalo. Been cold, wet, and snowy here as of lately.

 

[716Ericson27]

Instead of Pedestal Guard

After much thought and consideration I ended up finding another way around mounting my new GPS unit on my binnacle pedestal other then installing a pedestal guard. I found some extra G10 board in my boat supply reserves. It was just the right size to fabricate a mount that would hold both the GPS unit and also have room for a cup holder! Still need to figure out a material to use as a "pocket" for the cup holder. Pictures for your viewing pleasure. (Excuse the dirty cockpit, spring cleaning has not commenced yet)

 

[alcodiesel]

I think this explains why I have a pedestal guard but no plate connecting the guard to the pedestal. It came without a guard. The one on my boat is very nicely made and is no way in the way of the traveler. I will attach pic tomorrow. The guard is solid but would be more so if it became one with the pedestal.
Make an attachment plate out of starboard huh? Check Bacon? I can do that. thanks fellas.

 

[Valhalla]

Looks good

Hi Chris,

That turned out pretty good, gives me some ideas, I may need to get some of that G10 stuff to mess about with.

For the cup holder, maybe bend a couple of stainless rods that screw under the base in Y shape at the bottom (like a bicycle water bottle holder). Or get some mesh and make a cup for the cups.

Cheers
Shane

 

[Christian Williams]

Nice work, Chris. Lacking a shed full of G10, it could also be done in King StarBoard (plastic) or similar.

You also demonstrated how we can create any pedestal guard mount we like, simply by designing a plate with lateral wings to support the custom tubing. Tubing bent to simple specs is only about $100 (at Railmakers, Costa Mesa, CA).