New Switches and Dash Panels, Part 3

Well, after some careful consideration, I settled on a design for the new dash panels. These are new, custom panels from FPMarine.com. My original panels were getting old, and were starting to crack from age and embrittlement. So, along with repairing all the switch indicators, and converting them all to LED, I replaced the panels.

The first thing to do is to remove the old panels from the boat. In actuality, this is a bit tougher than it sounds, due to the extensive amount of wiring. There are roughly a dozen wiring harness connectors that have to be unplugged, and they are a bit difficult to access from under the helm station. I recommend removing both panels (instruments and switches) at the same time, to avoid repeat work. Mark everything as you take it apart - you'll never remember where it all goes when reassembly time comes. Here's a close up of the switch panel, from the back:

I took about 15 pictures like this. I also very carefully drew a schematic of the wiring harness, carefully laying out the connections for each switch. It's a painstaking process, but makes for a trouble free re-assembly. Once you are confident you have it all mapped out, pull the switches one by one, and transfer them to the new panel. You'll then have something like this:

Now, using the pictures and schematic you prepared, reassemble the wiring harness to the switches.the two foil strips are the backlighting for the panel, so be VERY careful when removing it. They are attached with metallic tape, which I replaced as part of this job. Astute readers will notice that I also have one additional switch now on either side of the Tr-Data display. These cutouts were cut and labelled for me by FP Marine. The extra one on the left is labelled "Fog Signal" (for the Fogmate horn controller), and the one on the right is for the new underwater lights I added this year. Here is the almost completed assembly:

The backlighting strips had been folded by the factory to shorten their length, so it was easy to unfold them to gain the extra length needed for the two new switches. Once they were taped down, I finished the job by adding the additional wires for the new switches, by weaving them into the factory harness, and adding yet another multi-pin connector. The entire thing now looks completely original:

The instrument panel was a lot eaier than the switch panel - the pics below show how it came out:

And, here they are, back in the boat. Sorry for the poor quality of the last pic - it was taken at night with a low level and a cheap camera. I'll replace the pic when I take a better one.

Dash Panels and Switches, Part 2

OK, let's convert a switch to LED indication. First, the switch actuator, the part that actually rocks back and forth, has to be removed from the switch body. It just snaps in place, so, to remove it, you have to gently pry up one side, and then the other side, until it releases from the body. Be gentle, it does come off. Set it aside once it is free.

The switch body itself looks like this:

Now, if you look at the body carefully, you will notice that it also comes apart. There is a retention tab on either end of the switch. Gently pry these away from the body, and carefully separate the two halves of the switch:

There is a small rocker assembly in the portion of the switch on the left - this remains unchanged. Just be sure to keep the rocker properly placed on the fulcrum. If you invert the switch, it will fall right out, so be careful. On the right, you can see what we are after. Remove the white plastic roller assembly from the upper body, and put it aside. Inside the body, you will then see the incandescent bulb:

There are two wires that are set into wire guides - pry them out with a small screwdriver or suitable tool, then remove the bulb by carefully releasing it from the retention tabs. You will then have this:

Discard the bulb. Now, you will take the LED and resistor you purchased, and carefully solder them together, as seen in this picture:

This is the replacement assembly for the switch. The LED will fit back into the body just like the incandescent bulb. Be careful to keep the O-ring in place - it seals the bulb to the body, and keeps contaminants out of the switch. Then, route the two wires in exactly the same way the incandescent bulb wires were routed. The resistor just tucks into the body out of the way, and doesn't interfere with the switch at all. You'll wind up with something like this:

A word of caution - LEDs only allow current flow in one direction, so if you install the wires in the wrong direction, the LED will not illuminate, and you'll have to reverse the wires. I recommend that you simulate the install before tucking the wires in place, so you don't waste any time. Once the install is done, simply snap the two halves of the body back together, and then snap the actuator back onto the body. Now, you have a cool running, long lasting switch with indicator! Finished, it will look like this:

Now all you have to do is repeat this 20 or 30 more times, and your boat switches will be done.

Dash Panels and Switches, Part 1

When we first purchased the 340, one of the things I noticed was that many of the switches on the dashboard didn't "indicate" properly. To clarify - many of the rocker switches on the dash have small, built in incandescent indicator lamps. When the switch is turned "on", these lights illuminate, so the operator knows that circuit has been activated. But, over time, a couple problems inevitably manifest:

1 - Since the lights are incandescent, the do eventually burn out, leaving that circuit without a status indication.
2 - Incandescent bulbs generate a substantial amount of heat, and, over time, that heat degrades the plastic of the switch body. Eventually, the switch body may start to crack around the bulb, and the little bulb starts flopping around inside the switch.

So,  what to do? My answer is to replace the  bulbs with LEDs. Light Emitting Diodes solve both problems, since they have a life that is vastly longer than incandescent bulbs, and they generate far less heat. A couple suitable LEDs are here:

http://www.unique-leds.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=1953
http://www.unique-leds.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=1883

The royal blue one (1000 mcd) isn't as bright as the deep blue (2000 mcd), but either one will work quite well. They have basically the same dimensions as the incandescent bulb being replaced, so they snap right into place, and the O-ring seal around the bulb is still effective.

Now, if you look at the specifications for these LEDs, you'll note that the forward voltage is specified as between 3.0 and 3.6 volts (we'll use 3.3 for calculations). As such, a resistor is required in the bulb circuit, to drop the voltage into this range. Assuming worst case for a boat operating at roughly 14.4 volts, we see we have to knock (14.4 volts - 3.3 volts) 11.1 volts out of the bulb circuit for proper operation. Using Ohm's law, and the example of the Royal Blue LED (30 mA forward current), we have 11.1v / 30 mA (1000mA / 1 A) = 370 ohms. So, a roughly 370 ohm resistor needs to be in the circuit with the LED. At this current level, a 1/4 or 1/2 watt resistor is sufficient, and fits in the switch case with ease. These work fine:

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Kamaya/RC1-4394JB/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMuDPtTs5Gda260u%252bQsOF0S4HuXtl3e2gOo%3d

In the next post, I'll show an actual switch conversion - stay tuned!

On Plane...

This post used to be about selling the 340, and moving on to another project. But, after a lot of analysis and soul searching, my wife and I decided to keep the 340. It's a perfect size for us, considering our geographic location and boating style, at this time in our lives. The pic below was taken on one of our final runs in the fall of 2012, just south of West Point, NY.

Final Davit Update

It's been a while since I posted, but that 's what happens in the summer. So many things to do, and I would rather be on the boat than writing about it. But, I did promise to explain the final davit layout, so here it is. Once the boat comes out of the water next week, I'll begin another round of posts, explaining the latest in the restoration.


The davits, as designed, worked extremely well, with one notable exception: in a following sea, or when coming off plane, the stern wave would lift the dinghy off the rails, and push it towards the stern. After watching this occur several times, two possible solutions came to mind. The first, which is what I usually see, is to simply change the strapping arrangement to provide for more downforce - crossing the straps under the dinghy, strapping in an "X" configuration, etc. However, these arrangements all put a lot of stress on the dinghy bottom and davits, and use strap tension to maintain the dinghy position. It works, but it's not good for the dinghy, and places a lot of stress on the strap mounting points.

The other solution was to re-shape or add to the existing davits, to provide a degree of restraint to the dinghy motion. This is the solution I used:

The curved plastic rails are 1" thick HDPE, carefully shaped to match the dinghy, and thru bolted to the davit rails. Now, the dinghy is well secured, and positively located, with very little strap tension. Also, I don't have to cross the straps, so it is very easy to load and unload the dinghy. I can launch in less than 2 minutes, and retrieve almost as quickly. It's done - next project.

Davits.....Part 2

     As the design process unfolded, one of my goals was a very robust and rigid dinghy support system. I did not want something hanging off the back of my boat that would come loose in the first storm. Most of the davit systems I see on smaller boats are retained with 4 screws and a small bracket, mounted right at the trailing edge of the swim platform.

     In place of these thin, stamped brackets, I machined my own pair out of a 3 inch diameter piece of 316 stainless steel bar stock. I cut it into 2 half cylinders, and machined the resulting pieces to through-bolt to the swim platform, from the trailing edge. On top of each bracket, I drilled and tapped a 3/8" - 16 through hole, to secure the trailing edge of the new davit assemblies.

     To mount the forward sections of the davits, I decided that I did not want to penetrate the swim platform in any way. Every penetration is just one more area for water to intrude into coring, and it adds to the maintenance load too, since core penetrations should be re-bedded every 5 years or so. Fortunately, there are several openings in the swim platform already, where the 4 elliptical drains are screwed down. I made up a couple 316 stainless steel backing plates, out of 1" x 1/2" x 12" 316 stainless, and along with some 3.5" long flat head stainless cap screws, screwed the davit arms down. The swim platform is effectively sandwiched between the davit arms and the backing plates, making for a very strong structure that required drilling no holes in the top of the swim platform. The finished davit system looks like this:

This is a mock-up assembly, before final sanding and polishing of the stainless. Once the dinghy enters the picture.....

     One person can load and unload the dinghy, although it is easier with two people. In the next post, I will show the final elements of the davits, and a modification I made, to help keep the dinghy in place.

Davits....Part 1

     My wife and I went on vacation recently, and before we left, we had decided that we wanted to spend more time anchored in less crowded areas, instead of spending each night at a marina. I did considerable research concerning dinghy davit systems, and came to the conclusion that I really didn't like any of them.

     Weaver style davits are a pain, since the dinghy has to be tipped up at a 90 degree angle, so the outboard has to be either removed, or pivoted on Weaver's special transom bracket, which costs more than their davit system. This dinghy placement also reduces rearward visibility, and adds considerable aerodynamic drag. However, it does have the advantage of tipping the dinghy up away from the water, which is an advantage in rough seas.

     Hurley and Nautley make systems that support the dinghy in the horizontal position, which is convenient, as the outboard can be left on the dinghy, and the drag and visibility issues are solved. However, in rough seas, or at certain running angles, this placement can become problematical. I also feel their systems are overpriced, and not as robust as I would like.

     In the end, I decided to fabricate my own system from scratch. The dinghy I picked up is an Achilles LSI 260, with a 4' 9" beam. Since my swim platform is only about 33" long, and I wanted to be able to walk on it when the dinghy was mounted, I knew I would have to extend the davit pivot point beyond the trailing edge of the platform. So, I used 316 stainless steel box tubing, in a 1" x 11/2" x 1/8" size, to get the extra length I needed. In the pictures below, you can see the progression, as the pieces were machined, and then TIG welded into the final assembly:

     These are the arms that will support the dinghy, and act as the pivot point for the plastic cradles. Note that ALL components are machined from 316 stainless steel, and all the nuts, cap screws, and washers are 316 as well.

     The cradles themselves are made from 1" thick HDPE, and are custom contoured to fit the bottom of the Achilles dinghy:

In the next post, I will show how the davits are mounted to the swim platform, and how the dinghy is supported.