A convenient holder created in thin air
Issue 31 : Jul/Aug 2003
While checking out the “goodies” offered for sale at a neighborhood flea market, I came across a used, handheld GPS receiver. The unit came complete with batteries, external power cord, and owner’s manual. After a cursory check of its operation, a little negotiation with the seller, and the exchange of a crisp new Alexander Hamilton, the palm-sized 21st-century technology was all mine.
Now that I owned this little hand-held marvel, I needed to learn how to operate it and to find a convenient and secure place for it on my boat. The learning part was relatively easy. Locating a proper mounting place on the boat was a bit more challenging.
I decided to purchase a readily available GPS mounting bracket. There are several to choose from.
A quick check of the marine catalogs ended that line of thought. The bracket would cost more than twice the price of the GPS. True, not a fortune, but it’s the principle of the thing. Back to the drawing board. I figured I could build a custom bracket for next to nothing. And that’s what I did.
With bulkhead space being a premium, taken up with coiled lines, compass, depth and knot meters, and cupholders, not to mention a backrest for the First Mate’s sunbathing activities, the only available area was the companionway. True, it was visible from all reaches of the cockpit, but there was nothing there . . . at least not yet.
With necessity being the mother of invention, I rooted around my workshop and found a piece of 1⁄4-inch plywood roughly the size of my lower dropboard. A few simple cuts and it slid perfectly down the companionway slides. Out of 1⁄4-inch scraps, I fashioned a simple open-sided boxed shelf, into which I could slide the GPS. The box was glued and assembled with stainless-steel screws and mounted in the center of the dropboard. Four coats of marine spar varnish completed the project.
To use my GPS bracket board, I simply slide it into place, add the GPS and press the “On” button. The centralized location and open side allows access to all the function buttons as well as an unrestricted view of the screen.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
