Problem:
Where to mount speakers in the cockpit of a P-15. The cockpit of a Potter 15 is a compact work area that doesn't offer any good place to mount speakers. Even the smallest commercially available speaker enclosures offer potential snag points for loose sheets and lines that populate the cockpit during sailing. Secondly, flush-mount marine speakers are generally at least 5" in diameter, further limiting options for mounting locations.

I ultimately rejected both conventional marine flush-mount speakers as I did not want to violate the integrity of the hull with a couple of 5" to 7" holes, and mini speaker enclosures, like the West Marine Model #1985944 pictured here, as impractical for the P-15 cockpit for the reason noted above. I should mention that my personal audition of the #1985944 speakers found their sound to be terrible, albeit substandard for small speakers. The low end was cut off somewhere well above 400 Hz rendering a totally unsatisfactory bass response. Today's speaker technology allows for very respectable output from even the smallest speakers . . . this little package from West Marine fails to deliver at any level.

Solution: Motorcycle Speakers. They are small, generally no bigger than 3"-4" diameter; they offer the same moisture resistance as marine speakers; they sound great. I couldn't ask for more.

My shopping took me to Ebay where I purchased two pair of Marinavox MV-6003 3" Full Range Dual Cone Speakers for under $20.00 per pair. One pair to be mounted in the cabin; one pair to be mounted in the cockpit.

12-gauge speaker wire, used to minimize line loss to the speakers, was routed under the cockpit seats, over the foam, to the transom. A former owner of Lazy Ka had installed two access hatches on either side of the rear of the cockpit making wire routing a breeze.

I purchased off-the-shelf pine wood panels at a local Michael's crafts store. These panels were then assembled, drilled & cut for speaker installation. A simple oil finish was applied.

Installation of the speaker assembly required only four holes for mounting screws and a 5th hole to feed the wires through.

This speaker assembly is low-profile as to be out of the way and not present an obstacle to cockpit sailing duties. The position of the speakers facing forward, coupled with sounds of a second pair coming from the cabin absolutely fill Lazy Ka with good sounds. And, by the way, a little more wood in the cockpit always looks good!

Page updated:  Monday March 26, 2007