Center Console Design

[Thano1]

I have a 24' boat and cannot find a console that fits my needs or budget. I am thinking of building myself either out of marine plywood with fiberglass or out of aluminium. I would be doing the work myself (It is just a box really) but would like to know if there are any plans available and has anyone done this before?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thano

[dereksireci]

Go to a boat show with a camera and a tape measure. Sit at the helm of several boats in your size range and make note of the console features you need. Storage, chart table, electronics space, controls, footrest, compass size, overall height....Make note especially of angles as well.
The advantage you have is that your console need not release from a single mold. Some builders use split molds to build their consoles but it costs a lot more to make the parts. I especially like the console on the 20' Edgewater. It's built from a split mold is very ergonomically designed. Don't be worried about the plywood. That's what most builder use to make the console tooling, from what I've seen.

djs

[Thano1]

Thanks for th Reply DJS, I was thinking that would be the case. Any construction tips you can share? The edgewater 20' cc is nice but man is that a far drive!


T

[JR-Shine]

We have all the supplies you would need to built it (We are just up the road in Vero). You could use plywood or foam core.

We have a few stock console designs we can give you. If you want to get real fancy, I wouldn’t mind spending a little time designing one in CAD. I would like to have another console plan that’s a little more interesting.

Joel
Boatbuildercentral.com

[free willie]

Originally Posted by Thano1

I have a 24' boat and cannot find a console that fits my needs or budget. I am thinking of building myself either out of marine plywood with fiberglass or out of aluminium. I would be doing the work myself (It is just a box really) but would like to know if there are any plans available and has anyone done this before?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thano

Thano, I am in the same "boat" as you. I bought a custom designed boat from a guy and want to put in my own console. Have you had any luck and would you mind sharing your ideas?

Thanks

Free Willie

[free willie]

Originally Posted by JR-Shine

We have all the supplies you would need to built it (We are just up the road in Vero). You could use plywood or foam core.

We have a few stock console designs we can give you. If you want to get real fancy, I wouldn’t mind spending a little time designing one in CAD. I would like to have another console plan that’s a little more interesting.

Joel
Boatbuildercentral.com

Joel, I am also looking for a real basic and simple center console. I searched your sight but didn't see anything specific. Would you be so kind as to contact me with info on how see what you have available? Thanks

Will G
wdgunnels@charter.net

[JohnnyO]

I have designed and am currently building a custom center-console for a 28ft Lafitte Skiff.... This is my personal boat.

I am making it 100% out of old growth cedar which i've cut into 2" x 1" strips.

The floor is also being built out of this same material.

I will be posting pictures as soon as I can get some taken.

Is there anyone on this site that would take a scanned hand-drawn photo of my design and put it into a useful format for the group ? It may give these other guys some ideas ?

JohnnyO

[designer4life]

send me some pictures! i use pro-engineer where i work and it seemes to work very nicely for me!

on a personal level with designing a console. i have designed a few consoles and please keep in mind who is driving! i have got caught up in designing a console to fit me because it is my boat however other people drive too! my girlfriend is 9in shorter than i am and she has a very hard time reaching everything and handling the boat. in turn i built a riser for her to stand on. i designed it so that i could remove it when i jump into the seat however it has become sort of a burden juggling yet another thing that shouldn't be a concern.

[Village_Idiot]

I had a custom boat built that I had designed with all of the add-ons, including console. My considerations were to design the console rather narrow to provide more walk-around room in the boat, design it with a raised floor (twelve inches) to provide better visibility for the driver (at the expense of speed, wind resistance, slightly higher CoG, etc., but still well worth it), storage inside the console, storage bin built onto front of console with snap-on seat cushion to provide extra seat, captain's seat is large cushion on platform that can be raised/lowered by one-inch increments from seating position to standing position (to serve as leaning post), storage under captain's seat, wheel, controls and gauges on inclined part of console (around 30 degrees from horizontal, IIRC), grab rail around windshield, slots for removable T-top, etc. Entire console is made of aluminum. I also had waterproof momentary switches installed on the floor of the console to operate the hydraulic jackplate - very handy to adjust motor height with foot while keeping hands on wheel and throttle. Optionally, you could install the fuel tank under the console since it was raised twelve inches.

[tunnels]

Originally Posted by Thano1

I have a 24' boat and cannot find a console that fits my needs or budget. I am thinking of building myself either out of marine plywood with fiberglass or out of aluminium. I would be doing the work myself (It is just a box really) but would like to know if there are any plans available and has anyone done this before?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thano

Best to make a mock up from stiff cardboard and tape it together , Then you are able to simply cut and reshape where and how you like , Its about that time you will realise theres more to it than being just a box believe me to get everything in thee right place and functional takes time and the things you want may not suit other people . Have fun and take you time , dont forget to stand and sit at it to get the wheel possition right , dont forget a comfortable place to put your feet when you are sitting !!!

[rasorinc]

click on products and then skiffs http://www.jeffersonfiberglass.com/photo11.html

[MarboMan]

These guys have alot to choose from...

http://www.themarineconnection.net/Consoles.html

[designer4life]

i really like the idea of putting the jackplate switch near your feet and adjusting it that way! That has really sparked my interested and i just might do that on my next boat which i am working on right now. The console i got for the new boat i am working on right now is a little high so i think i am going to put the platform in! but i am only going to make it 4 to 6 in height.

but to the subject of the console! making a mock up console out of cardboard is great! and if you like the set up that much you why not resin and cloth it to boot and you have the start of making your exact console! its easy to work with and also adjust. if you frame it with 1x3 and let the cardboard and resin set up and then put your layers of glass on and let it all set up, you then can just pick up the console and the frame will fall out works like a dream and you get the exact thing you want!

[tunnels]

Originally Posted by designer4life

i really like the idea of putting the jackplate switch near your feet and adjusting it that way! That has really sparked my interested and i just might do that on my next boat which i am working on right now. The console i got for the new boat i am working on right now is a little high so i think i am going to put the platform in! but i am only going to make it 4 to 6 in height.

but to the subject of the console! making a mock up console out of cardboard is great! and if you like the set up that much you why not resin and cloth it to boot and you have the start of making your exact console! its easy to work with and also adjust. if you frame it with 1x3 and let the cardboard and resin set up and then put your layers of glass on and let it all set up, you then can just pick up the console and the frame will fall out works like a dream and you get the exact thing you want!

Usually by the time you have done just a rough mock up ideas come flooding into your mind as to where things should be . 3 really important things are wheel possition ! the throttle /gear shift and the ease of being able to see the tacho and trim gauge and the speedometer . All of these need to be comfortable and easy to see and operate sitting or standing and as before foot room when sitting . A lot of peole forget that one .
One layer of a 450 gram cloth with a 5 mm medium density pvc foam core attached to the inside is easy to bend cut and work with if you feel comfortable about working with glass paneling !. good to hold its shape , easy to cut and or add to if need be .