In a few years, I'll be giving up the terrestrial life to live aboard a sailing yacht. I had always planned to get a large Pelican case (or several) and pack a rig to take with me. I'd then haul it ashore and it use it there in the conventional manner. This has enormous appeal, as I intend to be a "world citizen" and live along the shores of every continent. I'll get spend as much time as I like living at any reasonable latitude, North or South. I've never spent much time with access to the Southern skies, and so far I've never brought a telescope along. It occurs to me that the way a direct drive mount functions, with just a bit of modification and the additional of a high quality 3-axis gyro, other options might exist. So, I hope to find out how hackable the DDM60 might be, or plant an idea in ASA's mind so that by the time I'm ready for it, such a product might exist. Anyway, looking at the specs and design, it appears that the DDM 60 mount would be capable of AltAz operation with nothing more than a software update. (Has this been done by anyone? I've searched but so far failed to find it) If the mount can be made to operate that way, it seems relatively straight forward to have the tracking computer subtract out the motion of a slow and gently rolling platform (the deck of a 60 foot sailboat sitting at anchor in a quiet harbor) fed to from a high quality solid-state gyro system. The speed and strength of the direct drive design, coupled with the servo-like operation from the motor/computer/encoder system working in concert make this type of mount the ideal starting place for my dream... at least on paper. The deck of a large boat at anchor is often so steady that it's impossible to perceive that is moving. But no matter how steady it seems to be, it isn't steady enough to use a telescope on. I don't image, even with a 3-axis gyro in the loop that it would be suitable for AP. But if it could be made to work even for visual observing it would be an amazing thing. It would be quite easy to have a deck plate mounted that would provide an easy, rapid, and very secure way to erect a sturdy observing pier. And I imagine I would get a great deal more observing done without being required to haul it all ashore and find a suitable location each time. This is especially true when the darkest harbors will frequently be completely unimproved. It might be a silly dream, but there you have it.