Saturday, May 18, 2013

Rigged for Night Running


We have to make overnight runs on LUX from time to time, especially when we are going between Marsh Harbor and Annapolis. The older Raymarine chart plotter doesn't have a night setting that we find acceptable. The brightness and contrast can be modified but there is no setting for changing to a much darker screen or to a red screen for night use.

Our solution was to purchase a sheet of red theater lighting plastic (known as gel in the theater business) from an art supply store. We cut it to fit over the Raymarine chart plotter display and hold it in place with blue painter's tape. This simple modification makes a big difference in our eyes' ability to adjust to low light conditions.

We also have a black mouse pad that we cut in half to keep the compass light from reflecting up onto the wind screen. Half of it is below the compass and the other half is above the compass, on the plexiglass sun shield.

If you've done the ICW a number of times, you'll also note the red triangle and green square, which Gee cut from colored foam. The backs have velcro, so that we can change the indicators that help us know on which side we should see each color marker.

  -Terry

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