practical
Mounting the instruments
W
hile every installation is
different – and this one is
possibly more involved than
many – it nevertheless gives a good
indication of the points to consider.
A back-up is always a good idea,
so when we removed the existing
magnetic compass we re-mounted
it on the other side of the cockpit.
1
The helm
position in
standard trim- you can see
the navigational
magnetic
compass on the
cabin top above
the console.
2
Above the
engine
instruments
seemed the
most obvious
place for the
new displays.
But on second
thoughts...4
With the
position
finalised the
next step was to
design and
make a simple
plywood
console to
mount them in.5
Mounting
brackets
were removed
from the back so
the instruments
could be set
out on the panel
to decide the
best layout.Installing
NASA Clipper
instruments
Tony Davies installs
depth, speed and
compass instruments
Step
by
step
T
he depth sounder and speed
log are two of the most
fundamental instruments
that any boat with seagoing
pretensions should have.
They’re not difficult to install providing
care is taken and it’s remembered that at
least one of them will require making a
hole in the bottom of the boat – not
something that’s to be undertaken lightly!
The NASA Clipper range is equal in
appearance to anything on the market
and with extremely competitive prices.
And a phone call to the company will
always result in a conversation with a
human being – something that is
becoming increasingly rare.
Here we’re fitting depth, speed and
compass instruments to a classic Coronet
21 motorboat, which had never been fitted
with permanently-installed depth and
speed instruments before as had it spent
much of its life on a river. It was an ideal
candidate for an instrumental make-over
including the Clipper electronic compass!
3
... they
were
maybe too
close to the
helm. Further
forward on the
cabin top was a
much better
option.Time Taken: 2 Days
Skill Level: Intermediate –
you’ll need the confidence to
make a hole in the boat!
Tools Required: drill, bits, hole saw,
jigsaw, screwdrivers, hammer,
wire cutter, crimp tool.
Prices:
Clipper Compass: £194.76
Clipper Depth: £139.96
Clipper Log: £139.96