Horn replacement location

[Lt.Mike]

Since I’ve owned my boat, 7 years the horn has never worked. I bought a replacement but have been dodging that task because the wires that feed it are toast with zero conductivity and are fed under the cabin carpeting.
here is where it is mounted and it’s opposite side inside the cabin...



The location of the horn makes its replacement a pain and I believe it’s scraped the legs of more than one guest who was sitting up on the bow.
What I’m considering doing is to cap off its mounting holes up front and relocating it just in front of the antenna and white block as in the photo, also just behind the window. You couldn’t hit the horn there without hitting the antenna first and it’d sure be a lot easier running the wiring.
Can anyone see a down side or possible issue I might run into?



Right here...

 

[wahoo33417]

A suggestion. Move the horn as you suggest. But recognize that these things are notoriously short-lived. In answer to your question, sound will not carry to the port side of your boat very well is the downside to saving people's shins. Knowing that the horn can give out at any time, keep a lung-powered, Coast Guard approved horn at the helm. I used the one describe below from an Amazon ad. On my previous boat, when the second horn died, in a fog no less, I was very happy to have this Attwood horn at the helm. I never did replace the bad electric horn. It wasn't worth it.

Attwood 2460-7 Bellow Signal Horn, Lung-Powered, Meets USCG Rule 33 (Annex III) and EPA Regulations, 8 Inches H x 3 ½ Inches W​

Brand: attwood
4.5 out of 5 stars 186 ratings

Price:

$22.07 & FREE Returns

Brand	Attwood
Color	Unspecified
Material	Other
Item Dimensions LxWxH	2.99 x 0.98 x 2.01 inches
Noise Level	110 dB

 

[Lt.Mike]

I did get it done on the day I posted it and ended up mounting it in the same location. I installed a perko single horn which was the exact model it replaced.
The original horn(s) there were two, their wires were toast and unusable. I summoned some nerve and peeled back the cabin carpet to find a pair of connectors for +/- which then split into 4 wires for 2 horns. That short section was toast so it got unplugged and tossed.
The connectors were clean and the corrosion ended at the connection. So I just pulled the horn wires thru, crimped connectors on and it was good to go. I sealed it all back up with silicone. So no new holes in the boat with the exception of one in the dash panel I made to re-mount the horn button. So that’s back under the plexi shield protecting it from spray while keeping it in my face ready for use.
I originally didn’t want to pull down any carpet thinking it would be a can of worms but it was only a 6” section which I glued back up with the clear silicone I sealed it all up with. It was actually a pretty simple job. Guess I was due an easy one.
I do keep a compressed air horn new in the package down below if needed.

 

[wrxhoon]

I installed a trumpet horn in my old boat, as you can see in the photo it is pointed downwards . It was still working when I sold the boat 7 years later. The length of the trumpet stops water going in to the speaker so it lasts a lot longer than the factory fitted twin horn set up. If I had a hardtop on that boat I would install it on the hardtop.
Current boat is still working but only 2 years used in saltwater, as soon as it packs it I will use the same as the other boat.

 

[Lt.Mike]

I installed a trumpet horn in my old boat, as you can see in the photo it is pointed downwards . It was still working when I sold the boat 7 years later. The length of the trumpet stops water going in to the speaker so it lasts a lot longer than the factory fitted twin horn set up. If I had a hardtop on that boat I would install it on the hardtop.
Current boat is still working but only 2 years used in saltwater, as soon as it packs it I will use the same as the other boat.
View attachment 22409

I’ll bet the trumpet horn is pretty loud. I had bought the replacement horn back before I retired but had no time to install it. Since I retired I’ve been working my way down a looong to-do list.
Finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel.
From your pic I’m also guessing you’ve pretty much done the same thing with your walkaround that I have and that’s rendered the starboard side walkway closed to foot traffic.
With the vhf antenna and horn it’s a bit of a challenge to get by it all.
My starboard side also stores our walking seine net and life rings.
With the new gps/sonar having an internal antenna I was able to remove the external Faruno antenna in the pic below from the port side making access to the front easier.

 

[wrxhoon]

She was very loud.
You could still walk around on the starboard side but obviously mush easier on the port side . Would I walk around the starboard side out in the rough? No way , actually it was a mission even on the port side, you can only hold on the frame of the bimini and you could end up in the drink with the frame! That's the reason I sold the boat and bought one with a hardtop.

 

[Lt.Mike]

She was very loud.
You could still walk around on the starboard side but obviously mush easier on the port side . Would I walk around the starboard side out in the rough? No way , actually it was a mission even on the port side, you can only hold on the frame of the bimini and you could end up in the drink with the frame! That's the reason I sold the boat and bought one with a hardtop.

I’ve got the boat stored in a carport that was built for what it is now without the hardtop.
I do wish it did have one though.
All the antennas, would go up top as would the electronics into the hardtops box. Walking up front would be so much easier with it to hold onto as well. Finding a factory hardtop for an Overnighter is next to impossible as well.

 

[wrxhoon]

It's probably impossible to find a hardtop for any GW because everyone that has a hardtop wants it and the ones that have Bimini they want hardtop.
The guy that bought mine wanted a hardtop but he settled for mine because she was in excellent condition and priced right at the time.
You can always have a custom hardtop made but I figured it is much better to sell and buy another boat. After looking for about 18 months, maybe longer, I found one reasonably priced at the time, I made them an offer and I bought her.

 

[Lt.Mike]

After Hurricane Sandy we had a huge storage area on the other side of our town with probably more than a thousand insurance totaled boats. That was in 2012.
I lost my Bayliner in that storm and got my Grady a year later.
My Grady is probably a Sandy boat to some degree because there is a repair done in the starboard side hull. If I had known at the time there was probably a number of Grady’s like mine to get hardtops off of from that yard. Funny thing is as fast as that huge field filled with boats they all disappeared almost as fast. Where to ???
No clue .