Instrument Panel, Cape Dory 30 sail
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Dave Stump
Instrument Panel, Cape Dory 30 sail
The instrument panel for the diesel on Hanalei is tired! It's cracked around the decompression lever and generally in poor shape. Does anyone know where I can get a replacement? How hard is it to change? Any comments or advice would be appreciated. I'm also thinking of replacing it with a stainless steel one, but don't know how hard it would be to fabricate. Oh, it is identified as the "delux" panel in the CD owners manual.
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John
Re: Instrument Panel, Cape Dory 30 sail
Dave you did not mention what brand engine is in your 30. Ours is a Volvo. I think you have several options. First I would try and obtain just a blank panel ( no gauges, indicator lights etc. ) from the engine manufacturer. If they don't make a blank panel available you might find a used one at a repair shop, paint it with dulled polyurethane and you are set. Just swap the components, hook it up and finito, you're done and sailing. Next choice make one out of teak ( ours is ) and design it so it has a flanged face so it can be mounted into the same opening as the original panel. Ours is varnished, looks real nice. Then have a Sunbrella snap-on cover made for it to protect it when its not in use. I wouldn't go the stainless route for a couple of reasons. Primary one being cost. Secondary one being corrosion potential under the gauge bezel flanges etc. due to high moisture and lack of air( equals = rust ). That results as a loss of passivity on the surface of the stainless. Even so on 316 series. I might consider aluminum undercoated with zinc chromate primer and top coated with multiple coats of polyurethane. Lexan or Acrylic are other options as well.Dave Stump wrote: The instrument panel for the diesel on Hanalei is tired! It's cracked around the decompression lever and generally in poor shape. Does anyone know where I can get a replacement? How hard is it to change? Any comments or advice would be appreciated. I'm also thinking of replacing it with a stainless steel one, but don't know how hard it would be to fabricate. Oh, it is identified as the "delux" panel in the CD owners manual.