The choices are limited. I have a MKI and mounted my fluxgate compass on the back of the bulkhead dividing the nav station from the aft cabin. It is fairly high up in the corner, it meets the most of the criteria, two feet from engine, mid part of the boat, above the water line etc. It does fall a bit short in being just a couple feet from the main electrical panel though I have not had any issues with it in this location but, I will admit to being often disoriented though seldom lost. This is a personal issue not the fluxgates.

Another location considered would be in the forward cabinet on the strarbord side of the saloon though this is a place most people put thier TV. As long as the TV is not on when underway it to should not be an issue.

Mine's a Mk II. I have the compass mounted at the top of the bulkhead between the companionway steps and the aft cabin entrance. It's about 3' from the engine, not too far off centerline and, well, about as good as I could come up with. That bulkhead is angled and I had to use a wedge to get it aligned vertically.

Seems to work OK for the past 13 years.

This is a perfect illustration for why an automated signature is helpful. Without it, how do we know what boat model you have???

With my new-to-me C46mkII it was easy to find the fluxgate compass under the fore-most cushion of the game table side (next to the cabinet with the sliding wooden door). It seems to work well there.

But I have a further question:

[B]Where would a factory-installed autopilot computer be located?[/B]:confused:

I have looked behind the obvious panels, but cannot find it.

I tried following the wire from the flux compass, but it disappears into conduit that then disappears god-knows-where.

On my 2005 Mk11 the factory installed Raymarine computer is on a panel above the starboard aft storage bin (or whatever it's called) just below the manual bilge pump and the factory installed fluxgate compass is on the centerline of the boat on a crossbeam in the bilge under the floorboards of course just above the centre pair of keel bolts.
Hope that helps.

On mutual fun I installed a fluid filled com nav compus just to the left of the small door at the base of the mast. The unit is on the inside and has never given me any troubles as we have gone over 8500 mm sense I installed it there. As for the autopilot computer I installed it inside of the electrical panel mounted on a piece of oak epoxied to the hull.

On my MK II I mounted the fluxgate just aft of the mast in the forward compartment of the U-shaped dinette. This is shown in the article I wrote on installing a below deck autopilot; see the article in the Technical - Upgrades library. If you don't have the U-shaped dinette then this compartment is not there. I think the bilge location as per Peter Taylor's boat will be your best bet.

Mine's at floor height, under the dinette just beside the mast step.

Mine is also just aft of the mast inside the little cabinet door under the "U" seating. This is about 8 inches above the floor and works just fine. It was mounted here for the old autopilot and I kept the location when I upgraded the unit.

Mine is under the floor panel in the locker of the aft cabin. I am careful not to place any metal objects in this vicinity that would interfere with the compass.
John Meyer
Hilbre 2135

From Australia. I am a 5th catalina owner. I am on my 3rd 36 and from past problems I mounted my fluxgate on the head bulk head above the dinette settee cushion, result perfect and no problems. I have covered thousand of miles from 2002 until now with no problems. Good luck!

" Breezly" 1864

In our MkI we have two - one in the aft cabin above the engine,for the old Wheelpilot 4000 (now just a back up) the other is under the galley sink above the tall narrow access door for the new Underdeck model.

We have experienced a few problems with cheap ss tools in the tilt out drawer being a little bit magnetic :( Has worked well otherwise.

Had a problem with the wire for the sender unit passing thru the lazarette - using our SSB knocked out the autohelm. Shut down the autohelm and rebooted... moved the wires further apart to prevent this unnerving occurrence!

Irvor,

I read your post and am a bit confused. You state " I am on my 3rd 36 and from past problems I mounted my fluxgate on the head bulkhead above the dinette settee cushion" Did you have past problems with the fluxgate mounting or did you have past problems with your C36's. Do you have sea stories to tell or just advice about mounting the fluxgate?