Wheelhouse top cover? Starboard?

[kerrye]

The wheelhouse top cover on my new-to-me A25 is in really bad shape. I'm thinking of replacing it with starboard. Anybody done that? I'm thinking 1/4". Will that sag? Cut to size and hold in place with toggles underneath. I think I can find HDPE sheets cut to size locally.

[DesertAlbin736]

By top cover do you mean the opening over the driver seat, ie a hard top? I've posted pics of what I did for a hard top elsewhere on AOG, that is I made a fiberglass layup. The reason I made one is because the boat came with a hardtop of translucent acrylic plexi made by previous owners that was hinged to open like a poptop. Problem was when trailering the wind could catch it and slam it open unless tied down tightly. One time that happened and smashed into three pieces. Problem with making one from Starboard (HDPE) is that the roof is curved & would you fasten it down permanently or have some way to open for ventilation?. Easiest fix would be to make a snap in Sunbrella canvas
cover as the stock Albin design intended.

I can tell you making a fiberglass hardtop like I did is no easy or cheap solution. Fiberglass is nasty stuff to work with, especially chopped strand mat. But the results were worth the effort IMO. 3/4" thick with foam core & teak opening hatches, 100% leakproof. Glassed over marine ply (thin enough to be flexible for curvature) could be another option.

[Northern Spy]

If your cover is just threadbare, your cheapest option would be to get it resewn and then waterproof it with Thompson or something similar. I did that in june and it got me through till december. All told cost me about $120.

If you want something longer term but not permanant I dont see why HDPE wouldnt work. It won't last more than a year or so however because most except marine grade (IE;King starboard) dont have UV protection. The HDPE I used as a cutting board a while back shattered after a year and a half.

lately I have been toying with the idea of using a silicone roof coating on my fabric cover for storage and having a new sunbrella cover made for actual use.

[kerrye]

I can't even figure out how the old cover worked. Snaps on the side and a couple of metal bars which run thru it apparently but no snaps on the front or back. It might have had a cord running thru front and back with loops protruding to hook over cleats. (I think). A goofy system, near as I can tell. I'll have to check on whether I can find UV inhibited hdpe locally. good point. I don't want to spend a huge amount of time on it since I have quite a few other projects on the boat.

[kerrye]

There's a HDPE sheet product available locally called Boatboard. It's UV resistant. Does anyone know if 1/4" is too thin and will sag in the middle. Or, is 1/2" too thick to bend and conform to the curve of the wheelhouse?

[kerrye]

I now see it's also available in 3/8". That seems to be the best thickness.

[DesertAlbin736]

If you were really ambitious, (or a masochist like me) you could try this...

First take some 1/2 inch thick styrofoam sheet insulation to make a horizontal pattern, and also trace the crown curvature and cut pieces of plywood our wide pine boards like this

DSCN1836.JPG

Then use those curved boards to make a frame for a mold

DSCN1837.JPG

Then take a sheet of masonite paneling for the mold surface. Include openings for hatches if desired.

DSCN1867.JPG

Buy a couple gallons of isothalic resin, hardener, a quart of gelcoat, polyvinyl alcohol release agent (aka PVA), mold release wax, some woven fiberglass cloth (for outer layer next to the gelcoat), chopped strand mat, diviny cell foam coreing material, disposable paint brushes, coveralls, rubber gloves, a good respirator.

DSCN1914R (500x375).jpg

Then comes the fun part... gelcoat, cloth, resin, chopped mat, resin, foam,resin, more mat, more resin etc, etc up to 3/4 inch thick.

DSCN1916R (1024x768) (500x375).jpg

Don't forget plywood backers for hatch hinges

DSCN1919R.jpg

When finished & cured, pop out of the mold

DSCN1953.JPG

Make and fit your hatch frames...

DSCN1993.JPG

DSCN1998.JPG

Then varnish the hatches, paint over parts of the fiberglass where you goofed up on the gelcoat, install & through bolt with countersunk 3 1/2 inch #8 machine screws, seal mating surface with 4200 removable adhesive sealant. (5200 would be permanent and not removable, ever).

Ready to install!

DSCN2007.JPG

View from inside the wheel house

DSCN2018.JPG

Then when you're motoring along you can stand up at the helm and stick your head out of the hatch

Screen shot1.jpg

Don't forget to make a name board for your boat.

DSCN2058.JPG

[kerrye]

You're way too ambitious. I bought some Azek PVC lumber yesterday and have some 1/4" boatboard on order for the top. I figure about a day's work to make it once I get a template of the opening.

[DesertAlbin736]

You're way too ambitious.

It's what happens when you're retired and have way too much time on your hands.

This is what the old hard top looked like (photo taken in Roche Harbor on San Juan Island, WA at the 2014 PNW Albin Rendezous) before the wind caught it while trailering down the road at 55 MPH and busted it in three pieces.. You could do something like this & make it hinged to pop up for ventilation, which in this case had springs to keep it open. But I warn you, it's hard to keep a top like this latched down securely if you do any trailering. This one had hatch dogs at the corners, but even so the previous owner had to rig tie down ropes across the top every time he took the boat on the road. And it was never 100% leakproof when latched down. After it got broken I said enough is enough I'm going to do it right.

[kerrye]

Mine will hinge side to side and only open on the helm half so the captain can stand up thru the hole. I'll latch it down with a few standard door latches like the rest of the boat has. I don't expect it to be completely water tight.

[DesertAlbin736]

Sounds like a plan!

Here's what this one A25 owner did to his boat, the guy we met at Midlakes Marina on the Erie Canal last summer. He kept the stock canvas insert, but made a hardtop over the back half of the cockpit with side opening entry hatches. You just gotta love these boats, each one is unique with it's own personality. It's like guys that hot rod antique '30s and '40s cars.

DSCN2419.JPG

This one from Canada that we met at the 2014 Pacific NW rendezvous at Roche Harbor on San Juan Island did his own version of a hard top, but used RV vent hatches and a "high rise" canvas enclosure.

DSCN1527.JPG

DSCN1526.JPG

[kerrye]

Some pictures:

[rnummi]

Or... You could search craigslist and come up with something like this:

http://tampa.craigslist.org/psc/boa/5447368328.html

I don't know if it would fit a 25 but it's ready made.