Minor Mod...

[brad10281]

I didn't realize drilling holes in your boat was so hard! :smt089

I have a handheld VHF radio that I normally throw in the cupholder when I need it. Now I normally don't boat where I need the VHF but I decided to make a mount for it.

Here's the mount:

The "button" for the belt clip slides in there:

Here's the whole thing:

...and the big picture:

I used my dremel (rotory) tool with the new router attachment I bought. The mount seems to work pretty good, we'll see how it holds up over time.

 

[Quint4]

very cool.

 

[chuck1]

Cool, what did you make the holder out of?

I didn't realize drilling holes in your boat was so hard! :smt089

Yep that 1st drill hole hurts the worst. It get easier from now on.

 

[brad10281]

Cool, what did you make the holder out of?

I'm under the impression that the material is starboard, but not actually ever seeing starboard, I don't know for sure. I got the stuff from my Dad, he uses it for sign making. I asked him what it was called but he couldn't remember. I'm not too crazy about the white color, I might order some starboard in black or ivory and make a new one.

I also used it to make a recessed switch plate for my baitwell. The switch is located right under the port side aft seat so it constantly gets kicked on. Its not as recessed as I would like it but hopefully it'll do the job. If it continues to get kicked on then I'll buy a 3/4" piece of starboard and make another one...I'm currently using 1/2".

 

[Bridog]

Brad, Nice job! Curious however..didn't the VHF come with a clip? Mine did.

 

[brad10281]

It came with a clip and a holder but I wanted it mounted to the boat...not me. The holder is an odd shape and there was no good spot to mount the holder at the helm. My solution uses the smallest possible footprint at the helm for mounting it.

The more I think about it, I probably should have just left it alone. I barely ever use the VHF and now I have two more holes in my boat that were really not necessary. Personally, I think it turned out rather well...but...was there an actual need for it...NOPE!

 

[brad10281]

It came with a clip and a holder but I wanted to mount it to the boat...not me. The holder is an odd shape and there was really no good spot at the helm to mount it. I think my solution takes up the least amount of space at the helm and its not "in the way".

Damn, I knew that was going to happen. I started typing in my original reply and everything disappeared so I re-typed it and now I have double posts.

 

[tmhudson2]

Brad, you may not use that VHF much, but it will be there close at hand if/when you really need it! (But let's hope it isn't for your own emergency, rather answering someone else's call for assistance.)

 

[brad10281]

I bought the VHF last year...or was it in 2006? I took the family out on Lake Michigan for the first time. The first time out was a bit scary getting past the breakwater. I took one over the bow and did a quick 180 and went back into the channel. I then seen some guy in a little aluminum boat going out, I swear his boat was completely vertical when he went out. I said "if he can do it, then I can". This time I got the bow of the boat up and made it out. There were probably 3 footers out there that day and I was basically jumping the waves the whole time...kids loved it, though my wife thought the boat was going to break apart. It was a good experience and I look forward to getting out there again.

The second day was pretty calm and we took about a 13 mile cruise up the coast from Muskegon to White Lake and back...it was sooooo much better than going in circles in the little lakes around my house.