Engine Control Panel


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Engine Control Panel

	While I was cruising I had a contstant pain in the but when filling in the log... the engine panel was out in the cockpit behind the wheel and cockpit table. When the weather was bad I had to go into the cockpit crawl around the wheel and almost stand on my head to see the gauges and record them in the log book. No fun if it was rough of raining! As you can see in the first photo below the original factory placement edge of the engine control panel is visible and how awquard it is to get to and read! (NOTE: the original owner changed the boat from a tiller to wheel and didn't relocate the engine control panel.)


	So what was my solution... to relocate the entire panel down below at the navigation station. This was not a bad solution as I was able to use the original panel another plus was that all the wiring was in a loom with a connector plug in the middle. It could be easily re-routed forward instead of after from the engine. This also meant that the fuel gauges had to be relocated from the old engine panel to below decks too. I decided to locate the two fuel gauges (main and auxilary tanks) in the top step, an easy wiring job. At the old engine panel location the old teak panel was going to be scrapped and a piece of white starboard to cover the old hole and seal it up. I had a teak box built to match the existing instrument boxes on the bulkhead next to the navigation station. I decided to reuse the original plastic mounting panel the new teak surround with a hinge at the bottom. The hinge will give me the accessability I will need for service etc. The engine "Kill" cable was remounted in the starboard stern lazerette.



	Now I can start and monitor the engine from teh Navigation station whit the ability to monitor its performance and status as well as fill in the log book from the safetey and comfort of the navigation station.