Here's another idea for location of the sailing/navigation instruments.  The NavPod housing is waterproof and protect the electronics very well.

Yes, it was custom made (I designed and made it).  I fabricated an oval shaped platform which is mounted on the top of the pedestal to hold the NavPod and other instruments.  I used a 2 1/4 " SS tube as the front support leg (large enough to run all the wiring up to the platform, and had a SS shop make up the curved tubing on the back side of the NavPod to run the cables to chartplotter, radar, depth, speed, and wind instrument mounted in the NavPod.

The remote VHF microphone is mounted on the platform also...as are the Oil Pressure and Water Temp gauges and the ignition switch.

It's very hand to have all the nav instruments right there at the helm within easy view when conditions get dicey and you need to be at the wheel. 

Jim Hampson
Sea Gypsy #427
New Bern, NC