Has anyone installed an Edson table on their pedestal guard? The pictures look great. Do they do the job and are they substantial? I assume the plastic model will weather better. Any recommendations?
I installed the Edson white polymer cockpit table. They have a new mounting system using polished stainless mounts that clamp around the guard. No drilling through the guard. Very nice installation. They also make a larger table with drop leafs. I also purchased the white polymer single drink holders that attach to the pedestal guard. Very pleased with both purchases. Check them out at www.edsonmarine.com (http://www.edsonmarine.com)
I installed the table and drink holder. It took about 5 minutes. We got the drop leaf plastic model. We really like it. The table folded is great for appitezers, folded out 4 people can have luch in the cockpit. It only takes a minute to remove and put away. I keep the table below until we need it. The drink holder is aways ready for action. Put your air horn in a drink coozie and it will not fall out or leave rust stains, and it alwaays be at the ready.Y
We have the Edson wood double leaf table on Delirious. I like it very much. I found a wood drink/binocular holder on the sale table at West and added it above the table. Both are a great addition. When folded the table is not intrusive of the cockpit at all. I keep a sail tie around the guard and use it to keep the table and leaves from banging when folded down.
We installed the wood version (hey, I got to use up all that varnish I've got stored in the dock box somehow). The table is easy to disconnect so we usually store the table inside the boat which keeps the wood looking nice. The toughest part of the installation process is swapping out the pedestal guard bracket. This requires disconnecting the instrument wires and pulling them out of the tube as well as removing the compass from the binnacle. All of the wires are color coded, so I made a diagram of the where they each attach to the instrument backs. I sprayed a little Teflon Spray in the tube opening to aide in the wire pulling. I also attached a messenger line so I wouldn't need to fish the wires back through the tube. I pulled the wires from underneath. The most difficult part was breaking the bedding compound seal at the deck end. Installation took me about an afternoon.
We bought the table the first year Edson offered the new mounting system. The brackets that came with it were sized for 1" guard tubes and our tube was the older 7/8" diameter. This required shimming the brackets. The plastic bracket also doesn't have set screws to tighten it against the tubes so it's not as "snug" of a fit as the old cast aluminum bracket but is still acceptable.
Not a good idea to keep your air horn in a holder around your compass. Mine caused 10 to 15 degrees of compass deviation. I do have a teak cockpit table and store it below when not in use.
I only remove my teak cockpit table for winter storage.
I have a sunbrella cover that fits over the wheel, the instruments and the cockpit table. Keeps everything out of the sun and the weather when I'm not there. Takes about one minute to slip the cover over, fasten a few snaps near the bottom, and pull a drawstring at the very bottom.
Phill Klein
Andiamo #977
Montrose Harbor - Chicago