Stephen,

I am doing the same thing that you are. My first thought is to put a shock
cord across the laptop at the hinge and attach it to the bulkhead behind the
nav station on either side of the laptop. I figure that the eyebolts in the
bulkhead will keep it from sliding sideways and the shock cord will keep it
from coming off the nav table. Then when I am not using the laptop there
will only be two small eyebolts left. The only thing that I have not figured
is the serial cable into the back which interfaces with the GPS and
autopilot may mean that I will have to make a small wood "docking station"
to shock cord to rather than pull it back against the bulkhead.

I have also thought about visibility from the helm. We have a Camper
Nicholson ketch and the nav station is at the foot of the companionway and
facing aft so I have thought of putting a separate 12 volt screen in the
cockpit with a cable to the nav station. Then when the laptop is aboard I
can configure it to have two screens.

I welcome any thoughts of yours.

Ansley Sawyer
SV Pacem