The $10k Upgrade: Installing a Modern Garmin Glass Helm

Out with the old, in with the new. We gut the rats' nest of 2004 wiring to install a state-of-the-art Garmin suite, including dual MFDs, radar, and a new NMEA 2000 backbone.

Gutting the Console

The original electronics on our Contender 31 were a mix of Furuno and Simrad units from 2004. While functional in their day, the wiring was a fire hazard—a chaotic "rats' nest" of abandoned cables, corroded fuse blocks, and butt connectors. Step one was a complete purge. We removed every inch of non-factory wiring to start with a clean slate.

The New Hardware

For this refit, we chose a complete Garmin ecosystem for its ease of integration and user-friendly interface. The new helm features:

• Dual 12-Inch MFDs: Touchscreen chartplotters that serve as the command center for sonar, radar, and engine data.
• GMR Fantom Radar: A solid-state dome radar with MotionScope technology, allowing us to highlight moving targets (like birds) in different colors.
• NMEA 2000 Backbone: We built a proper NMEA 2000 network to allow all devices, including the Fusion stereo and VHF radio, to communicate on a single bus.

Custom Dash Panel

Because the new screens didn't match the old cutouts, we fabricated a custom black acrylic dash panel. This not only covered the old holes but gave the helm a sleek, "glass cockpit" look found on modern tournament boats.

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