Need woodworkers opinions

I am thinking of buying the big Hummingbird locator. A friend of mine has one and it is really a hassle to remove and take off the boat every night. I have a tiller so mine would mount on top of the area my gauges are on. I would like to build a wood cabinet to put the locator in with a flip over door. The door would have a clasp on the bottom for a lock. I understand that isn’t heavy enough to stop a determined thief but it would slow down a opportunist just walking on the dock. My question is what wood would be most resistant to moisture? The box will stay on the boat all year but the electronics would be removed when I wasn’t up at the lake. Rain & dew are the concern. The boat is stored inside during the winter. Also is there a particular stain and sealant for outdoor use that should be used?

Thanks for any advice.

I have an 1197 on my tiller and asked a similar question when I bought it. Honestly, it’s not that big of a deal to bring it in at night if you have a ram mount. The connectors come off with one squeeze/pull motion, and the ram mount takes about 10 seconds. It may be helpful to get a padded bag of some sort to carry it in.

If you do decide to come up with a good locking case, please post a pic. It’s possible that there’s a good solution out there.

Oh, and I always thought some sort of cable lock would be slick. Unfortunately, there’s no good way to connect it to the display. I wish they had a metal lock tab sticking out from the back of the display.

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My question is what wood would be most resistant to moisture?

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Teak! But it would be expensive and probably overkill. Cedar wins for most common yet weather resistant. Myself, I wouldn’t worry too much about the type of wood, but would finish it with several coats of a good marine spar varnish and reapply as necessary. Spar varnish is tough stuff!

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My question is what wood would be most resistant to moisture?

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Teak! But it would be expensive and probably overkill. Cedar wins for most common yet weather resistant. Myself, I wouldn’t worry too much about the type of wood, but would finish it with several coats of a good marine spar varnish and reapply as necessary. Spar varnish is tough stuff!

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Ryan has some great options and I agree on the spar urethane. Don’t skimp on the finish. Another one is Ironwood, Brazilian teak, or Ipe. They are often considered interchangeable.

Another thought would be to build a plywood box, and wrap it with carpet to match the boat flooring.

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I have an 1197 on my tiller and asked a similar question when I bought it. Honestly, it’s not that big of a deal to bring it in at night if you have a ram mount. The connectors come off with one squeeze/pull motion, and the ram mount takes about 10 seconds. It may be helpful to get a padded bag of some sort to carry it in.

If you do decide to come up with a good locking case, please post a pic. It’s possible that there’s a good solution out there.

Oh, and I always thought some sort of cable lock would be slick. Unfortunately, there’s no good way to connect it to the display. I wish they had a metal lock tab sticking out from the back of the display.

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I’m tired of the Ram mounts. The best I ever had was the Jonny Ray. (sp) but I don’t know if I can make them work with the big bird or not.

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I have an 1197 on my tiller and asked a similar question when I bought it. Honestly, it’s not that big of a deal to bring it in at night if you have a ram mount. The connectors come off with one squeeze/pull motion, and the ram mount takes about 10 seconds. It may be helpful to get a padded bag of some sort to carry it in.

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X2

A larger pistol case works great. The (2) pistol hard case with the foam is easy to cutout what you need to make a reasonably cost carrying case.

As for wood:
Teak = $$$$$
Cedar = $ – soft wood
White Oak $$ – heavy, but very strong

Regardless of wood selection, multiple coats of a quality marine grade varnish is a must.

Go with King Starboard and forget about moisture and maintenance.

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Go with King Starboard and forget about moisture and maintenance.

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And King Starboard would be what? Where do I get it? Sorry, I’ve never heard of that.

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Go with King Starboard and forget about moisture and maintenance.

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This is what he is talking about.
king starboard

It is a polymer sheeting that is used on boats when you do not want to deal with any maintenance. No fuss, no muss.

Any of the many varieties of Mahogany’s would work well.

Not to distract from the original question, but the largest ram mount works great for the 1100 series displays. It’s relatively compact and very, very sturdy. Not cheap, but works perfectly. If you get a 900 series the standard size mount works really well. Then again, maybe you have a reason for not liking the ram mounts that I’m not aware of.

Brian google azek. Great product.It would work great for this application of yours.If you have questions just holler.

If you choose to rap it in carpet I’d use marine grade plywood or the green lumber you would use to build a deck on your house, good for 40 years they say. Then get a piece of smoked plexi glass for the door and install a lock like on your tool boxes. Done deal