hard cabin vs soft top cabin

[jgilman8]

I am new and own a 1990 sports cruiser. I do not know how to post my question or an appropriate place in thw forum.

My question:

Does anyone know if I can swap my soft top pilot house with the owner of a 1985 aft cabin sports cruiser and have his hard top fit my hull, pilot house area?

Thanks,

Jeff Gilman

603 216 7670

[Nancy]

Welcome aboard, Jeff. It looks like you figured out how to post your question - and photos - just fine.

In the absence of a definitive answer - and even with a definitive answer - I'd want to put the two boats side by side of at all possible to study dimensions and construction before taking a sawzall (?!) to either one.

[DougSea]

Well, going from the state registrations on the two boats I'm thinking a side by side is unlikely.

However, some good measurements and photos would go a long way towards answering your questions.

I would GUESS that it would probably work as Albin likely used a single mould for the deck / lower house assembly and then fitted the appropriate top. Has the owner of the hardtop boat taken a good look at how the top is affixed to his topsides? Same with your boat?

I'd get out the camera and the tape measure and take a good hard look. Seems to me you could make this work. But that's just my opinion, sitting here at the keyboard!

Good luck! Let us know how it moves along!

(P.S. - I'll be moving your post to the A25/A27 section tomorrow. That's really where it should be and you may get more answers there.)

[eseyoung]

you are going to do some fiberglass work on both boats to make them look right. Even if it is a good fit it isn't a Sunday afternoon project.

Measureing them is the only way to know for sure before you start sawing.

If it doesn't work check out WWW.hardtotop.com. it looks like a low cost alternative. I saw one on a trawler a few months ago.

Just curious, why the owner with the hardtop is willing to swap. Just kinda seems like a lose, lose situation for him.

[DougSea]

Just curious, why the owner with the hardtop is willing to swap.

Maybe being in the warm environs of Mississippi they want an open boat, with the ability to close it up.

[jgilman8]

Hi,

I am the original poster, Jeff with the question on the hard top vs soft top. Thank you all for the warm reception!

The canvas top is ok, but I like to go offshore Maine and the soft top leaks through the zippers, nothing to be done about that, currently the soft top is sound as I have taken it to a professional boat canvas shop over the years and kept it up.

But the bottom line is that it is a soft top an eventually will need to be replaced, and I want to mount radar which is hard to top of a soft top without using an un sightly post somewhere, that is expensive and is not my ultimate goal which is to have a hard top.

I posted on Craigs' list looking for a swap. And an owner in Mass, replied that a soft top is just what he wants.

I asked the obvious question: Why would you want to swap a hard top for a soft top? His ans, he does not go off shore, like to mosey about close to shore in sun with the boat completely open to the sun. So, I drove to his boat and took all sorts of photos and measurements, then went to my boat and took all sorts of photos and measurements. From what I can tell his hard top will fit my boat but I have one area of concern, and that is the slope in the wheelhouse where the edge of the hard top meets the upper hull mold. I don't think he will have trouble if we do the swap with getting my soft top to fit his boat. It would takes lots of drilling and mounting the soft top supports to his hull with proper watertight seals etc. On the other hand, if his hard top won't fit my boa,t there is only so much I can do to 'force a fit'. Especially, if the slopped area (photos attached) is an issue. I have no illusions, even if the swaps fit there will be allot of work trimming in the inevitable cosmetic changes needed, and his teak on the pilot house windows, needs lots of work, but I am up to it. The hard top is mounted via bolts down through the molded bottom cabin edge\hull edge, Not a big deal. I would need to put in screw in 'deck plates' in a few strategic locations to be able to get at the bottom of the bolts to install mine. On his boat one can crawl under and up as he has a 4 cyl diesel and has access. My boat has an Isuzu 6 cyl, diesel, no way I am getting under there from the bottom. Also, I would pay for transporting my soft top in my pickup to his location in Mass, the soft top folds all up, windshield and all, but getting his hard top to my boat would probably require at my expense, to rent a u haul to tow the hard top up to Maine. Another thought was to motor down to south of boston where his boat is and line the boats up side to side and really see what would be involved. But, then I would have to hang around south of boston doing the fitting so I could have a safe trip back to Maine. Another factor is LIFTING his hard top onto my boat. Maybe four STRONG guys could do it, or I could have a marina in Maine use a travel lift with straps to lower the hard top onto my boat, not free, but hey thats the way it goes. I would pay the expenses for all except for fittings and work needed on his boat to get the soft top to be mounted to his boat.

Also I would have to hire a canvas place to make new drop curtains at the aft end of the hard pilot house so I could close it up, AND i like the aft canopy which currently stretches from the aft end of the soft top to the stern. He wants that canvas canopy of part of the deal, so I would have to make new tubing made and the aft canvas canopy made, to mount to rear end of the hard cabin roof to stretch to my stern.

There is a bit too this project and expensive for me particularly. But, hey if that is what he wants and what I want ultimately maybe its the way to go here are pictures of my area of concern.

It may be that my soft top simply mounts further away from the dash than his hardtop. Thanks Guys! Jeff

[RobS]

Did you discuss trading boats?

[Gunny]

If you find the interest in a hard top the hardtotop folks are the way to go. Inexpensive and fairly easy to apply. I put one on my A34 last year and am more than happy with it. Take a look at what they have to offer.
No matter what get lout on the water and enjoy yourself. Happy holidays to you.

[whwells]

Jeff: Have followed the suggestions to you with interests. Personally, I thinking taking off the hardtop and transferring it to you boat is pretty risky. Unless you have a really fine glass man the result may not look good. Have had a couple past boats without factory windshields. in both cases I had custom windshields made up. They looked okay, but were never quite like a factory job. Your transfer will be far more complicated that the windshield project in my mind.

There are some good companies that do factory hardtops. One such company is in NC as I recall. They do really fine work, although you would still have to have some canvas or plastic on the sides. Your Conv. is really a nice looking boat to take a chance on messing it up.

Taking the option to trade as suggested/ or have a custom hardtop made sounds best to me. However, if you are great glass man or know on who is affordable - all things can be done. Best of Luck to you. If you go forward we all will look forward to your pictures of the progress.

Welcome.

whwells " Howard "
2006 35te Sportfisher/flybridge conv.

[jgilman8]

Thank you guys for the recommendations and thoughts!

Trade boats no.

A valid idea.....but his boat is five years older, sat on the hard for several years unwrapped while some prior owner of the hardtop worked out a dispute with a harbormaster.

Bottom line is that the hardtop boat is in much worse shape than my boat. And I have a 6 cyl isuzu diesel and the hard top has a 4 cyl diesel.

I have put many thousands into my boat over the last four years probably into 5 digits.

You kmow how boats are they suck your mind and money right into them.

The hard top boat the interiour is gutted etc

But of course I only want the hard top not the rest of the boat

Here is a picture from inside my boat.

One comment really caught my attention and that was that, as is, with the soft top my boat is a good looking boat,

Why mess with it and have a hard top which might not really fit the boat right and regret the change.

Have thought of that and would insist that our deal be dependant on good fits for both of us.

But that could be tricky, what if the hard top on my boat went well and he could not get a satisfying fit with my ex softtop.

That could be messy politically for both of us,


Jeff.

[whwells]

Jeff: Great looking boat and interior. You may already have the best of both worlds. No matter what we do with boats there is always something else that looks better.

Howard

[DougSea]

No matter what we do with boats there is always something else that looks better.

I think Howard nailed it...

I can certainly understand your desire for a hard top. Sonny IV has a bimini over the flybridge and there are times I REALLY want a top. Then there are those nice fall days when I love folding it back and getting the sun. Decisions, decisions!!

One possibility for me is a new arch based frame with a tight fabric top, similar to the t-tops on many center consoles. That would have the frame to support side curtains and a wind screen (I have neither) but with less weight up top it could be made smaller and keep the openness that I like. So... You may just want to look at how you can improve what you have without too much "surgery".

Good luck! Keep us posted!

[jgilman8]

I am reading all your thoughts with great interest, thank you for them!

Winter just hit Mass and Maine and you guys have me thinking hard that maybe I better leave the soft top alone and be glad with what I have.

Also, there are a few more months to think this over.