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This brings us to a discussion relative to helm layout (ergonomics) and navigation system choices. Some of my comments will be about physical layout and some about the concept and instrumentation. The Rosborough dash was designed in the era of multiple instruments serving single functions so it was likely on a well equipped boat that one would find a separate chartplotter (and possibly just a GPS or Loran unit), a separate depth sounder, a separate radar, and a VHF radio all gracing the overhead (where we install our overhead console now). While those days could be replicated there isn't any overwhelming reason why they should be now; in fact from a workload, ease-of-operation, and situational assessment standpoint they shouldn't be. The argument I usually hear concerns having all of one's electronic aids in one basket and what about a failure? It's a red herring. Today's electronics are so much better than those of even a few years ago meeting many more stringent requirements (such as IPX waterproof standards) that no comparison is possible. The Raymarine E-120 you see here in these two photos is designed to operate in the open cockpit of a sailboat; it lives the life of Riley in the nice dry environment of the RF-246 cabin. The most common failure by far is that of the boat's electrical system and that failure will render all house-powered electronics onboard useless whether it's an integrated system or separate components. You can now wear on your wrist or carry in your pocket more backup than most standalone nav systems were capable of just a few years ago. A battery powered GPS, or better yet a battery powered GPS/chartplotter, is the best backup you can carry; it instantly gives you an exact position from which to navigate independent of the boat's electrical system. That coupled with some paper backup (I use cruising guides with NOAA charts) will get you anywhere you need to go. Somewhere deep in my emergency bag I also have a mechanical compass in case I lose the handheld GPS overboard...it's the only time I'd ever use it.

What we've done is based our installations around a fully integrated navigation system; it could be any brand but we use the Raymarine system most often and as an example that one screen right in front of the helmsperson where it's most easily viewed (you look completely over it looking out the front windows) and most easily operated provides the chart, the vessel's position on the chart, the ground speed, the water speed, the depth sounder, the radar, radar overlaid on the chart, commercial and large vessel traffic in the area (from AIS not radar), in addition to tide and current charts, and aerial photos of harbors, passes, marinas and more. This is all presented in an inherently understandable format within a common operating regime (rather than learning instruments from 3 different manufacturers). When you're in heavy fog or utter darkness (especially crossing shipping lanes and such) there's nothing like knowing with a glance where you are, where you are going, how deep it is and what the bottom looks like, and where other traffic is (and how big). This is the most used piece of equipment on board (with the exception of the wheel and engine controller) and it ought to be easy to use, easy to understand, and return real-time imminently usable information. Given its importance it gets a front row seat and a place of prominence on the dash.
Below the main nav screen (closer to the operator) we install the engine gauges. Most often since we're typically installing twin Honda engines these gauges will be two digital tachometers (which also show engine trim and warning indicators) to the right and a digital speedometer to the left (which is really the fuel management system). To the far left of the engine gauges there is an open space for an autopilot controller; we use the Simrad AP16VF or the Raymarine S-1000 most often. The Raymarine wireless controller is shown above in the photo on the left and the Simrad fixed controller in the photo on the right.

In the photo on the left you can also see the KVH Azimuth 1000 electronic compass all the way forward on the upper dash below the forward windows (it has a white plastic sun cover installed in this photo). This places it where there is the least amount of interference from other electronics and it's also visible over the top of the nav system screen (normally you don't need to see it anyway as the heading information it provides is repeated and presented on the nav system display).

So that's all of the visible electronics on the boat...the main nav system screen in front of the helm, the autopilot controller, the electronic compass on the upper dash, and the VHF radio in the upper console. Clean, simple, usable, understandable, and aesthetically pleasing. Everything communicates with each other providing GPS information to the VHF for DSC calling, fast heading information to the nav system, an interface to the autopilot for tracking to a waypoint and more.

Other engine and boat controls include the shift & throttle quadrant, the trim tab controller (seen just below the throttles), and on the left side of the helm console the house battery switch, the windlass controller, and other ancillary items like the autopilot remote and such in specific installations.