binnacle wiring General Forum Forums

OK, the first shot is the binnacle without the brass compass cover and the gear shift/throttle body and the top plate (for the binnacle guard) removed

The second picture is what I'm calling the binnacle guard (round top stainless tube bolted to the binnacle with the top plate) and the gear shift/throttle body

The third is looking down the binnacle with the two shifting cables down inside and the compass wire in question hanging out

The fourth picture is looking down at the steering chain and the two shifting cables 

What bugs me is the compass wire is indiscriminately pulled up through the moving chain and the cables. Not very safe or elegant as there's lots of moving parts to chafe the wire.

I'm replacing the binnacle guard with one from Ocean Equipment that's a little higher, slightly thicker and bent at the top to accommodate a Garmin multi function display big enough so my old eyes can see the screen in the dark without glasses (which I don't like wearing when I don't have to.) For right now the swell nav housing will hold a simple Ipad which we've found fine if all you want is charts, until West Marine has one of their "triple points" sale which could be a long time. I was told all electronics sell for the same everywhere so the triple points gives me about 12% off which I'll use to replace my anchoring chain which doesn't fit on the gypsy on the old Seatiger I laboriously bolted to the bowsprit...