A-25 hardtop project

[Riverjohn]

I am nearing completion of a hardtop for my 1972 Albin-25. It went on the boat last week and the finishing touches could be done next week. This was a project that started in November, 2011 and I wrote about just about every major step in the process as construction went along. If anyone is interested, the blog address is http://msbettencourtsnewtop.blogspot.com/

Comments, questions and suggestions are most welcome.

[DougSea]

Great blog posts! I'm particularly enamored of the specialized work force involved: Boat Geezers and Dock Geezers!

Looking forward to seeing the finished results!

[hetek]

Great job!

A well thought out and well planned project with great results! Great documentation too.

Reading your blog, I couldn't help but see alot of "me" in it - mishaps and all. The birds leaving debris on your fresh coat of paint reminded me of a similar incident I had with a freshly painted pickup truck.

She'll look great once the straps are off and the handrails are on!

[Riverjohn]

Everything seems to be coming together. I just posted some more photos that provide a look at the near-final product. The blog address is in my post above. Regards, John

[hetek]

Looks fantanstic, John!

Having never seen one in person... Is there standing headroom beneath the hard top?

Also, I see you're entering the canvas enclosure planning stages. Here's a couple observations from my local boating experience:

Almost every boat in my area has blue Sunbrella. My Albin 27FC originally had blue Sunbrella from what I can tell. She now wears "Toast" Sunbrella - a nice tan/beige color. I may be biased but I think it looks great with the off-white hull and teak handrails. I wish I could take credit for the color choice but it was on the boat when I bought her. Just my opinion...

No matter what color she wears, she'll still look great (I tell my wife that too). Keep up the good work!

[Riverjohn]

I am still leaning toward blue sunbrella. That's what I had before and I like it. Re headroom: I am 5'11" and have no problems. I have a 6'2" friend who has to be aware of one cross member or he will bonk. Overall, there is considerably more headroom inside than there was with the canvas.