New Hard Top

[Ambler27FC]

Thanks DA,

Your comment on professionalism suggest I took the pictures at just the right angles. The seam with the factory hardtop is complicated since the profile of the factory hard-top has warped a little over the past few decades. Still work to do, but hope to get it to the point where a casual observer won't notice. I'll always see the joint though.

I am doing built-in screens, but was going to put the screens on the outside so that you can roll-up the panels from the inside. I had this feature on my previous curtains and it was very nice, with no water seeping in if you do it right. I've given up on the vinyl windows though - too bulky to store and I can see well enough through the screens. As you say - it's about privacy on the dock and keeping the bugs out.

I'm docked at the base across the river - most convenient access to the bay in this area.

[DesertAlbin736]

Fun fact: Two late uncles of mine on my mother's side, one was her older brother and the other the husband of a much older sister were both in the Navy & stationed at NAS Patuxent River during WW2. The uncle by marriage was a career test pilot who later retired with rank of commander. His and my aunt's ashes are interred in Arlington Cemetery. I have an 8x10 glossy print of both uncles in a group photo in front of what looks like a pre- production test prototype F4U-1 Corsair fighter plane painted in white with no markings other than a cartoon dog's head inside a ring .

[Burton]

We have yacht and lobster boat builders near us. With a call in advance, we have gotten fresh resin or gel coat at a fair price. (They are good to locals.). Fresh resin is always the way to go. If there are any boat manufacturers near you it may be worth a call.

Also, I have gotten yacht build cut outs from the land fill in the past— some pretty good sized, enough to do foam filled box shaped seats in a dingy rebuild for a friend. (These, from the deck layup cutouts for hatch openings, etc.). This saved all sorts of layup. I only had to do fillet joints, well taped with epoxy and tape. Currently I have the fiberglass back end off a fifth wheel— nice and flat in the center and wide. Considering using this to do a removable hardtop on our A25. Not sure if you can find anything in your area to repurpose, but it is an idea to consider.

[WillieC]

I like the recycle fiberglass idea! There are lots of uses on these old boats. I had considered it for properly installing through-hulls but haven't got that far yet.

[Ambler27FC]

Burton,

Well this project is effectively done, but good thoughts for the next project.

Concur 110% on the fresh resin, and I would not buy from a hardware store. I bought online from the manufacturer and always expensed in 1-2 months.

I have thought about recycling old fiberglass panels too! Would have been super lucky to find a very large and mostly flat part for this job though (around here anyway). Would take a lot of time with a grinder to bevel joints and join separate pieces. Out of the 11 gallons of resin required, 9 gallons were expensed in 2 days on probably a 20+ work-day job. The glass was easy - the mold, detail work, and prep took all of the time. But reuse is a noble exercise.

[DesertAlbin736]

"The glass was easy - the mold, detail work, and prep took all of the time. But reuse is a noble exercise."

....and satisfying. Yes. A learning experience? Yes. Fun? Maybe. Would want to do another one? No. Glad I did ours? Yes. It's held up well in the 7 years since completed and a major improvement over what came with the boat when we first took ownership in 2014. I bought the resin, mat and other supplies from an aptly named specialty fiberglass supply store "Sticky Stuff Sales" in Glendale, AZ. Mine only took 2 gallons of isothalic resin of which I has some left over. Then again my hard top was much smaller.

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