Project Cobra

[jakew009]

Originally Posted by GuyC

Good work.

I hope the cable tie bases remain stuck! I'm always a bit dubious about gluing that type of plastic with Sika.

On the screen gaskets, I made up my own using a sheet of 3mm closed cell neoprene foam. The gaskets that came with my screen were thin and in several pieces and I decided it would be a potential leak path. I am sure though that Garmin (in my instance) had considered this when they designed the gasket but I took a belt and braces approach.

They are still holding so far and the one I tried to pull off I physically couldn’t. Hopefully they will last...

I’ve sorted the gaskets for most stuff but am stuck on the Mercury throttle control. There’s no attempt by Mercury to seal it so going to have to come up with something, maybe a box behind it in the dash.

[jakew009]

Not had any time to do stuff again.

The worlds most expensive Ethernet switch. Couldn’t find a cheap one on eBay either. Needed it to connect the two Axiom displays to the remote keypad.



The original crappy crimp connections



Much better



Quite why we need to buy expensive DeviceNet and SeatalkNG connections for the NMEA2k network when Raymarine price you can make perfectly good N2k connections with terminal blocks when it suits them...



I don’t know how I ended up with so many things to connect to the network. Most items actually had DeviceNet connectors rather than the Raymarine SeatalkNG proprietary connectors, but the Raymarine stuff is cheaper and easier to get hold of, so I standardised on that.



Mad up a panel for the switches down by drivers knee. I figured none of these would be needed very often so they are ok down here out the way.







The original Cobra switches location was replaced with a remote keypad for the two Axiom displays where it is easy to reach just below the throttles from either side.

[jakew009]

Started terminating power feeds to the fuse box. In total there will be 3 fuse boxes, 2 x 12 way ones for all the main circuits and a 6 way one for circuits that bypass the isolator switch (bilge pump, GPS tracker etc).




Really pleased with how the keypad turned out. It’s the slightly older model which was £100 from Coastal Rides.



Why don’t Raymarime make a 100mm cable for joining these blocks together? Why don’t they make a 6 or 8 way NMEA bus bar?



Why couldn’t the marine electronics industry standardise on one sort of connector? For someone new to marine electronics but not new to electronics, this whole thing has been an exercise of frustration. So much over priced, badly designed crap. And so much shoddy workmanship. At least I am nearing the end...

[Maximus]

Looks like it's coming along nicely
Maiden Voyage??

[jakew009]

Originally Posted by Maximus

Looks like it's coming along nicely
Maiden Voyage??

I think I have everything to finish it now so shouldn't take much longer, anyone want to come along for the maiden voyage and show me how to drive it

Been playing around with the hydraulic connections for the autopilot this afternoon, Raymarine kit £300 quid, hydraulic megastore less than 50

Need to power up all the electronics and see if they work.

[Waterman]

Great project to follow[emoji1303]
By the looks of it you are certainly making the savings sourcing and installing yourself.

[Jeff]

Amazing job ,,,, one suggestion is to relocate the fuel filler from low down on the front of the console to high up on the side >>>> its a b to fill so low down with blow-back & if high on the side, (and the vent pipe!) then it is simple to fill at the fuel station ,, no clambering into the boat, and less chance of an air lock and flooding the deck with fuel .....

[jakew009]

Originally Posted by Jeff

Amazing job ,,,, one suggestion is to relocate the fuel filler from low down on the front of the console to high up on the side >>>> its a b to fill so low down with blow-back & if high on the side, (and the vent pipe!) then it is simple to fill at the fuel station ,, no clambering into the boat, and less chance of an air lock and flooding the deck with fuel .....

Interesting idea I hadn’t planned on moving it but it wouldn’t be terribly difficult. I’ve already bought a short bit of 50mm pipe but could easily get a longer bit.

I’m not convinced I’d be able to reach over the tubes standing on the ground though to reach it.

Have you had prior experience of it air locking and fuel rushing back out the filler?

This is where I wish it was diesel and I could fill it from the 8000 litre farm tank

[jakew009]

Originally Posted by Waterman

Great project to follow[emoji1303]
By the looks of it you are certainly making the savings sourcing and installing yourself.

I will do a breakdown of the cost at the end but yes I’ve tried to buy economically.

The boat cost 21k and I budgeted 9k to do all the work but that includes the fake teek flooring, some upholstery work and replacing the engine lower leg housing.

Needed 6 spark plug coils. Mercury price 95 quid each, uk aftermarket 50 quid, Amazon.com Delphi coils for some crappy Honda Accord car 15 USD each. That’s better

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by jakew009

I think I have everything to finish it now so shouldn't take much longer, anyone want to come along for the maiden voyage and show me how to drive it



Been playing around with the hydraulic connections for the autopilot this afternoon, Raymarine kit £300 quid, hydraulic megastore less than 50



Need to power up all the electronics and see if they work.

My last RIB was all Raymarine kit; never again. The wiring was a nightmare. NMEA 0183, N2K, seatalk, seatalk NG etc etc.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by jakew009

I think I have everything to finish it now so shouldn't take much longer, anyone want to come along for the maiden voyage and show me how to drive it

Been playing around with the hydraulic connections for the autopilot this afternoon, Raymarine kit £300 quid, hydraulic megastore less than 50

Need to power up all the electronics and see if they work.

Hoping to do a Lundy run when I return from Scotland trip in Sept if you're interested?
Drop me a PM

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by jakew009

Interesting idea I hadn’t planned on moving it but it wouldn’t be terribly difficult. I’ve already bought a short bit of 50mm pipe but could easily get a longer bit.

I’m not convinced I’d be able to reach over the tubes standing on the ground though to reach it.

Have you had prior experience of it air locking and fuel rushing back out the filler?

This is where I wish it was diesel and I could fill it from the 8000 litre farm tank

Yes Jake ,,, my previous 5.5m Cobra (& my old dive clubs 6.0m) both had the filler where yours is. Its a real pain to fill and more often than not, it overflows whilst filling.
On my new one (in 2006 lol) I had Dave P fit it high on the starboard side,, I can easily reach it from the ground to fill. ,,, 6'2" tall may help lol. It also stops the petrol station guys stopping you to check you aren't filling plastic cans on the deck ,,,,
Well worth doing for the sake of an extra bit of pipe,,, especially given all the work you are doing.... don't forget to move the breather pipe higher too ... i fitted a Barton whistle in line (as recommended on this forum somewhere in the dim distant past) ,,, another aid to prevent overfilling https://www.whitstablemarine.co.uk/p...e-fuel-whistle
The other point was the crappy plastic flick up filler cap they used (in Bridgend at least) to fit was quite easily caught, causing it to open ,,,, presenting a nice opportunity for sea water over the bows to get into the tank ,,,, Osculati make some rather nice shiny stainless ones with a great seal ,,,

[jakew009]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

My last RIB was all Raymarine kit; never again. The wiring was a nightmare. NMEA 0183, N2K, seatalk, seatalk NG etc etc.

I really only have Raynet (ethernet) and SeatalkNG/N2k. Raymarine actually seem to fit the standard compliant DeviceNet connectors on everything now, but then only sell SeatalkNG wires.

NMEA0183 should have been consigned to the history books in the stone ages

[jakew009]

Originally Posted by Maximus

Hoping to do a Lundy run when I return from Scotland trip in Sept if you're interested?
Drop me a PM

Absolutely Appledore launch?

[jakew009]

All that expense of buying tinned cable and Mercury use this to make their wiring harnesses



Took over the living room and got tye other half to peel back the dymo labels





Going for the minimal look on the switching front

[willk]

Originally Posted by jakew009

most of the Raymarine gear came from Hudson Marine in the Rayamrine sale who were brilliant to deal with.

Great thread. I've used Hudson a couple of times and I've found them to be exceptional!

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by jakew009

Absolutely Appledore launch?

Could do...but a longer and nicer run along the wild North Devon Coast is from Watchet...??? 60ish nm if memory serves.
Should be able to get some accommodation if you fancy a Two dayer and stop over?
..Not that I'm being over forward you understand!!
Either or route suits me.

Drop me a PM and we can swap details

[charliee]

I've never had an issue filling my cobra, I just sit on the sun deck and what the dials spin and leave with a heavier boat and an empty wallet, no spills as you can hear the fuel in the pipe. For the sake of filling the old hole I would not bother, its just creating work IMHO. Otherwise its looking great and I love console hatch installation, out of interest does the back cushion still fit into the suicide seat?

[Jeff]

I think Jake is more than capable of filling a 2" hole given all the work he has done lol .... regardless it is a better solution by far when filling up at a petrol station on a trailer as opposed to on water ,,, jmho of course [emoji6]

Jake ,,, this is the muts https://www.floatyourboat.co.uk/quick-lock-deck-filler

[jakew009]

Originally Posted by charliee

I've never had an issue filling my cobra, I just sit on the sun deck and what the dials spin and leave with a heavier boat and an empty wallet, no spills as you can hear the fuel in the pipe. For the sake of filling the old hole I would not bother, its just creating work IMHO. Otherwise its looking great and I love console hatch installation, out of interest does the back cushion still fit into the suicide seat?

The console hatch is transformational, I literally cannot comprehend trying to do a neat wiring job and fit all this stuff in without having done it. I guess that’s why most Cobras just seem to have the wiring chucked in birds nest style.

Yes the original seat will still fit, my plan is just to use a couple of pieces of the fibreglass that I cut out to make some ~5mm spacers behind the hinges to bring the seat out a bit so it can still sit flush against the door. I don’t think it will be possible to even notice.

If you’re thinking of going the same the hatch was 50 quid off some German boat website and is identical to the original one bar the Cobra logo