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Designing Consoles For Speed
Designing Consoles For Speed
62 Professional BoatBuilder
Shown in profile, this Now let’s look at more specific
14°
generic helm console dimensions and design details for an
provides good visibility effective steering console.
forward, convenient
14° location of navigation Piano-Style Console
13.8" screens, easy access to Top surface. To minimize the dead-
(35cm) 92° the helm and throttle space distance between the screen
control, and ample space and the forward field of vision, the
for feet and legs, even in console’s top surface should slant
rough conditions. down forward. On open boats, this
51.6" top surface needs to shed water.
(131cm) 130° Remember that the far end of the top
center of gravity of each surface sets the lower limit for the
torso is above a line field of vision, and helmsmen need to
Wheel hub through the hip joints see the bow clearly. People in the
37.4"–39.4"
25.6" (95cm–100cm) with the spine maintain- water have been killed when the boat
(65cm) ing the same S-curvature operator couldn’t see over the bow as
it has in a full standing it climbed over the planing threshold.
position. This is the opti- Screens. The plotter screen should
mal shape for the spine be mounted on a plane optimally
to withstand impacts and inclined 12°–16° forward from vertical
vibration. at the boat’s normal cruising attitude.
geometry and dimensions of the helm The console should have a rear sur- To minimize reflected glare from
console right from the start, allowing face large enough to mount two 15" the sky, the screen should be
helmsman and crew to be as alert, (38cm) plotter screens. Even if you mounted so a perpendicular line
responsive, and effective as possible intend to fit smaller screens, build for through its center points to just below
in spite of the challenging environment. the likely industry standards of the the operator’s chin.
My design recommendations are future, as most boats outlive their Here I recommend doing the
presented in a basic checklist style original electronics. If installing only “iPhone test” as follows: Place a
and are based on medical research and one screen, place it where the smartphone or mirror against the
decades of practical experience in helmsman and navigator can see it
designing steering consoles, dash- at all times. This allows greater
boards, and wheelhouses. flexibility in crew setup.
Screens should sit as high as
General Recommendations possible without obscuring forward
An open console should provide visibility. Looking at a radar or
wind and spray protection to two plotter image often takes several
operators seated side by side. Its seconds, and refocusing also takes
geometry should allow them to sit in more than a second. The higher the
a fully balanced posture, with optimal screen sight line is, the more
vision and full control of helm and the sea in front remains peripher-
throttle even in rough conditions. ally visible while eyes are on the
Locating the driver and navigator screen.
side by side allows two sets of eyes to
look ahead with relatively unobstructed
views at all times. In case of compli- Top—The helm should allow for a
cations, accidents, or injuries, either fully balanced posture in the helms-
operator can react and reach the man and navigator, with the torso’s
throttle and the wheel. In addition, center of gravity directly above a line
the side-by-side orientation facilitates drawn through the hip joints while
nonverbal communication, including the spine maintains the same
nods, nudges, and hand signals, S-curve it has in a full standing
which are especially important in position. Bottom—Screens should
what can be an extremely noisy envi- be as high as possible without
ronment. Headset intercom systems blocking forward visibility, meaning
can never replace all means of com- the operator’s eyes needn’t travel far
munication for partners seated beside to read electronic displays, and the
one another. Single-driver consoles sea ahead remains peripherally
can be justified only on boats with an visible even when eyes are focused
inside beam narrower than 60" on the screen. To avoid glare, mount
(150cm). any screen so a perpendicular line
Fully balanced posture for helms- through its face points below the
man and navigator means that the operator’s chin.
64 Professional BoatBuilder
Aerodynamics
To optimize deflection, the side-
walls of a console should converge
forward, each at 6°–11° from the
centerline. To further enhance wind/
spray deflection, a “kick” angle can be
added at the aftermost sections of the
sidewalls. This surface should be
0.6" –0.8" (15mm–20mm) wide and
angle out about 30° from the sidewall.
A molded FRP console will allow
natural laminar airflow and reduce
turbulence with large-radius rounded
front corners. This will further
enhance wind/spray deflection.
A fully aerodynamic console has a
Left—Placing helmsman and navigator side by side puts two sets of eyes on the water, hemispherical front pushing air up and
a real advantage during high-speed operations in rough weather or sea conditions. to the sides. Similarly, a well-designed
It also facilitates nonverbal communication and enables two people to reach the boat windscreen will have a negative angle
controls in the event of an accident or injury. Right—A slight “kick” angle at the to push the air high enough to create a
trailing edge of the console will help deflect wind and spray. bubble behind it that moves with the
boat, eliminating wind in the faces of
operators and passengers. By finishing
or her right hand and placing the The rear surface of the console the top with a kick of about 30°, it is
controls within the copilot’s reach in enclosing the space down to the possible to build a windscreen you can
an emergency. (Note: The inverse is deck should be vertical (perpendic- see over without the need for protective
true for left-side-travel countries, ular to the deck), and at least 11.8" eyewear. (Specific details and adjust-
where throttles and shifters are most (30cm) forward of a vertical line ments will have to be made and veri-
commonly operated with the left through the center of the helm. fied during sea trials.)
hand.) Lateral Measurements. The helm This effect requires a laminar flow
A tiltable helm is a good idea as long should be offset from a centerline against the front surface of the con-
as it is strong enough to take up the through the driver by 2.4"–2.8" (60mm– sole and will be compromised by
significant forces from the helmsman 70mm) away from the throttle. This objects or people seated right in front
steadying himself during slamming. way, both hands—helm and throttle— of it.
Below the Helm. The next surface will be symmetrical to the torso when An aluminium console can encour-
below the helm and throttle plane of engaged. This gives better control of age enhanced laminar flow by incor-
the console should be cut away to the boat and postural balance. porating forward faces that slant to
allow room for the operator’s knees Ideally, a console for two opera- push air sideways.
to flex forward under the main con- tors should be at least 53" (135cm) If possible, windscreens should be
trols. This plane can normally be at wide at the rear. This provides sufficient fitted flush with the console front. This
about 90° to the main controls’ face, wind and spray protection, important will reduce turbulence and promote
or 45° from vertical. It is important especially in cooler climates. Normally, laminar airflow upward. Any support
that this panel not be cluttered with 5.9" –7.9" (15cm–20cm) of free deck structures on the outside will normally
protruding objects such as ignition space on each side of the console is spoil that flow. Ideally, the supporting
keys or power switches, at least not sufficient for passage past it as frame should be affixed on the inside
where an operator’s knees can hit long as the console is not too deep of the windscreen or at a distance from
them while under way. longitudinally. the console.
Left—A well-designed composite console will push air to the sides and over the top with a minimum of resistance and resulting
turbulence. A low windscreen installed at a slight negative angle can eliminate wind in the helmsman’s face by pushing air
high enough to flow over the head. Right—This Brunswick 1000 Impact model RIB sports a well-designed aluminum console with
flat faces angled to push aside wind and spray when operating at speed.
T-Top
Optimally, the legs supporting a
T-top should have a diameter of 2.2"
(55mm) or less so they will not reduce
the field of vision. Pupillary distance is
normally 2.2"–2.8" (55mm–70mm), The cabin dashboard in an enclosed helm station should have the same dimensions
meaning that a narrower object will and orientation as those discussed for the console. Cabin structure will further limit
allow the brain to the see the whole visibility from an enclosed helm, and adequate space for operators and passengers to
picture behind it without a blind spot. move around the seats must be a design consideration.
T-top legs on the sides should be posi-
tioned far enough apart longitudinally
that they do not overlap or project side A common mistake I’ve seen is a far forward of the front edge of the
by side in the field of vision to create a windscreen slanting backward, pushing T-top that the wind can blow over it.
visual obstruction greater than 2.2". air up under the T-top, where it can
If the T-top legs come up out of the create a venturi effect. To address this Posture
console, the windscreen and side issue, consider a negative-angled wind- The semi-standing straddle position
screens should be attached outside, on screen to reduce the upward airflow. is the optimal posture for operators
the far side of the legs—not on flanges Alternatively, a backward-slanting and passengers to withstand impacts
projecting into the field of vision. windscreen should shed the air so and maintain full control of the vessel
66 Professional BoatBuilder
Locate the supporting legs of Height Adjustment
a T-top far enough apart that Designing to maintain consistent
they do not overlap and create sight lines is important. Fortunately,
a visual obstruction wider than seated eye height varies very little
2.2" (55mm). between tall and short people.
Differences in body height are mainly
in the length of the legs, not torsos;
therefore, to maintain consistent sight
lines, short and tall operators need
how most of us sit in office not be seated at different heights. It is
chairs, in automobiles, and easy to find one optimal seat height
in airplanes.) for the correctly designed steering
Optimizing the position of console to allow good comfort for a
the helm and throttle relative wide range of body heights.
to the helmsman allows for To optimize leg positions for
controlled vessel operation extremely tall or extremely short
with bent arms while seated people, provide alternative supports
and full body balance. In this position in a fully balanced posture. Upper for the feet rather than adjustable
the leg muscles—quadriceps and arms should be allowed to “hang” heights for the seat pan.
hamstrings—keep the pelvis in the close to vertical. Hands should be Note that it is essential that a helms-
same upright position it has when a below shoulder height and only man’s or passenger’s feet are in firm
person is standing or horseback riding. slightly above elbow height. contact with the deck or structures
The spine maintains its natural I don’t recommend building con- fixed to the deck. This is done by vary-
S-shaped posture, which is essential soles or cockpits for standing drive ing degrees of knee flex: tall people
to minimize the risk of pain and positions. Several studies have shown sit with their knees bent more, and
injuries caused by slamming impacts. that standing up on board high-speed short people with their legs straighter.
Slouching—a C-shaped spine— craft increases impact exposure on Regardless of the subject’s height, the
should always be avoided, especially the spine by an average of 50% and, impact at slamming triggers muscular
during impacts. (Note that this is in the worst cases, as much as 300%. reflexes in the legs and in postural
Left—Because height of the eyes is largely a function of leg length, vertical adjustment is not necessary, even on the helmsman’s
seat. Here, the eyes of a 5'1" (157cm) person land just below the shoulder of the 6'6" (199cm) author when the two are standing.
The eyes of those same individuals seated on a straddle seat are at nearly the same height. Similarly, slight variations
in the bend of arms and legs make longitudinal adjustment of straddle seats unnecessary in a well-designed helm station.
Right—A seated 5'6" (167cm) person is compared to the author.
68 Professional BoatBuilder
person will drive the boat with are designed so the lever shafts can kept very low. However, the seats
slightly straighter arms than a be gripped with a hammer grip while create specific design challenges such
taller person. (Compare the design to the weight of the base of the hand as the need for legroom under the
bicycles and motorcycles, in which rests on the housing. This form dashboard, longitudinal adjustment
distance between the handlebars allows for very precise control for of the driver seat or the helm and
and saddle differs very little.) one throttle lever. throttle, and limited sightlines over
Any control buttons used at speed the bow, none of which we cover in
Controls should be positioned where the this story.
High-speed boats are normally operator’s hand can find and actuate
driven with one hand constantly hold- them unaided by the eye.
ing the throttle. Thus the grip should As touch-screens become more
be large enough to be comfortable common, it’s important to note that
for the hand to grasp and rest on for precision in tapping and dragging
extended periods. The throttle posi- icons on the screen requires support
tion should be where static muscular of some part of the hand. I suggest
tension is minimized. This means that that touch-screens be surrounded
you should never have to support the by structures for hand support.
weight of your upper arm with mus-
cular force and never have to stretch Considerations for Bucket Seats
your arm out to reach the controls. Bucket seats are justified when over-
Your hands should not be near shoul- head clearance can’t accommodate
der level. Elbow level or just above is proper optimal sitting postures or when
fine, as the best precision and control the boat’s center of gravity must be
are achieved when your elbow angle
is near 90°.
A support surface for the hand Hand supports around these touch-
creates a physical reference, which screens facilitate the drags and taps
increases the precision of throttle necessary for precise operation of the
adjustments. Some throttle controls electronics even in rough sea conditions.
70 Professional BoatBuilder