Getting a custom hard top - ideas please

[pragmatist]

Sorry - yes me again. Just posted on varnish but we're onto the winter list so here's the next one !

Having had our 36' catamaran for a couple of years we have decided that we would like two new goodies - a full cockpit cover to give us more space and to keep out the British weather - and we would like to increase the number of solar panels. We already have solar panels on the coach-roof - its either a hard top or an arch and the former would fulfill both the objectives.

So the idea is to commission someone to make and fit a hard top which fits to the existing windscreen, covers part of the cockpit including the helmsman's seat & instruments, allows us to site some more solar and then to add to this a canvas cockpit cover with lots of windows. Don't say make it yourselves - as has been suggested elsewhere on this forum - our skill levels and patience aren't up to it ! We're thinking something like fibre-glass with high density foam. It doesn't need to be too strong as there is no need to walk about on it - just to support a couple of big solar panels and provide the attachment for the canvas cover. Beyond the windscreen there is currently no support for a hard top or cover so we'd be looking at either fibreglass supports or stainless.

Given that its not totally straightforward it is likely that we will need someone to measure and design, as well as to fabricate and fit. We're based on the River Dart. Does anyone know or have experience of a similar project ? And can anyone recommend someone (probably reasonably local) to do the job ? TIA.

 

[pragmatist]

I hope I haven't broken too many forum rules with this one. Lots of people have read the thread here on PBO but no answers. So I have re-posted on the Mobo forum in the hope that I may find fellow boaters with hard top experience !

Any comments welcome here too ! If the mods want me to remove one or both posts I would be happy to do so.

 

[pragmatist]

Deleted

 

[colhel]

Funnily enough I was thinking of asking the same question but ours is a motor boat. I was thinking of a hard top behind our open wheelhouse/saloon but possibly strong enough to have some seating on top. I used to work (a bit) with fiberglass so am aware of what a big project it would be. But as a one-off rather than a plug then mold then finished product, make the plug the mold.

 

[rotrax]

We kept a steel 32 foot boat in Wellington, NZ for seven years. The builder had fabricated a simple Hardtop/Doghouse from marine ply and then sheathed it in fine GRP mat/tape and then epoxied.

That was done in 1986 during the build.

It was still good last March when we sold her.

We fitted new windows four years ago, repainting the Doghouse before fitting them.

Many boats in NZ are built from GRP sheathed timber and have a long life.

Might be the way to go?

 

[Bajansailor]

@pragmatist could you post a photo or two of your cockpit for reference please?

I guess there must be some boat repair yards on the River Dart - it might be worthwhile going to see them and having a chat to see if they might be interested?

Here are some ideas for fibreglass canopies - Buy a hadtop for your boat
They are in the USA but maybe a local yard could build something similar, with either a tubular S/S or aluminium support structure.

 

[Bajansailor]

I wonder if the mods could explain why my post doesn't appear on the Motor Boat forum ? Happy to delete this one instead.

It seems to be on the PBO Forum twice instead?

Adding a hard top - anyone got any ideas please ?

 

[coopec]

hard cabin catamaran - Google Suche

 

[rogerthebodger]

I have a stainless steel frame using taga at the stern and tube supports at the forward end of the the cockpit.

The cover is made from 10mm thick PVC board with solar panel supports from the tubular supports.

Originally the cover was sunbrella until it got ripped in a storm that broke up Durban marins some years ago.

I fabricated some side gutters to direct any rain to a down pipe at the stern so I con collect rainwater for collection and use if required

I have 5 solar panels on my cockpit cover and 4 on my tage

This shows the basic stainless support frame

https://flic.kr/p/WHWbkA

 

[pragmatist]

@pragmatist could you post a photo or two of your cockpit for reference please?

I guess there must be some boat repair yards on the River Dart - it might be worthwhile going to see them and having a chat to see if they might be interested?

Here are some ideas for fibreglass canopies - Buy a hadtop for your boat
They are in the USA but maybe a local yard could build something similar, with either a tubular S/S or aluminium support structure.

Thanks for that - here are a couple of pics.
.

 

[pragmatist]

It seems to be on the PBO Forum twice instead?

Adding a hard top - anyone got any ideas please ?

Whoops ! Thanks

 

[pragmatist]

We kept a steel 32 foot boat in Wellington, NZ for seven years. The builder had fabricated a simple Hardtop/Doghouse from marine ply and then sheathed it in fine GRP mat/tape and then epoxied.

That was done in 1986 during the build.

It was still good last March when we sold her.

We fitted new windows four years ago, repainting the Doghouse before fitting them.

Many boats in NZ are built from GRP sheathed timber and have a long life.

Might be the way to go?

Thanks for that - it might be cheaper than fibreglass and foam - certainly worth discussing with a boatyard.

 

[MontyMariner]

I saw a boat a few weeks back , smaller than Rogers, that had a frame built over the cockpit with two house solar panels attached. Acted as a Bimini and apparently gave out several hundred Watts of solar.

 

[pragmatist]

hard cabin catamaran - Google Suche

Thanks - lots of interesting examples. Here are some from other cats that I've liked - one's a Gemini which has a factory-fitted hard top and 2 are a Prout which looks beautiful and the hard top and fit is recent i.e. added by the owner. These are the kind we were hoping to be able to produce.

 

[coopec]

This is my favorite design for MY yacht. Maybe something along those lines?

 

[Neeves]

Its surprisingly easy to build 'something' at home based on glass on foam. Ours was simply a one sided helm station, as we simply had a starboard side wheel and already had a hardtop over the cockpit. The biggest problem was making the 'unit' fit the existing profile - but in the end easy. Your yacht is narrower, we had a 22' beam - and having a full hard top would be sensible.

Jonathan

 

[pragmatist]

This is my favorite design for MY yacht. Maybe something along those lines?

View attachment 164792

Looks lovely - esp. like the colour. But is that a hard top or canvas ?

 

[pragmatist]

Its surprisingly easy to build 'something' at home based on glass on foam. Ours was simply a one sided helm station, as we simply had a starboard side wheel and already had a hardtop over the cockpit. The biggest problem was making the 'unit' fit the existing profile - but in the end easy. Your yacht is narrower, we had a 22' beam - and having a full hard top would be sensible.

Jonathan

View attachment 164830

Mmnn - "surprisingly easy" is said by people like you who are multi-skilled Not so sure about us !!!

 

[coopec]

Looks lovely - esp. like the colour. But is that a hard top or canvas ?

Well If I did it there would be a SS frame but I'd use fiber-glassed Basalt 200 grm plain weave cloth so it would technically be a "hard dodger"? I'd put a khaki tint in the f/g resin.

I'd glass it on a "bendy plywood" mold (very simple)
Austral Bendy Plywood

You've made my day! I think it looks lovely too and I think that's what I will build.. I

 

[Neeves]

Mmnn - "surprisingly easy" is said by people like you who are multi-skilled Not so sure about us !!!

Don't over estimate the skills of posters nor the skills needed for a project. Never underestimate your own skills. Coopec has just launched a 43' yacht he built himself - nothing is impossible.

If you wanted to build your own hard top, and the OP was not focussed on that route, then there are enough members here with the skills to build a hard top who would be happy to take you through the process step by step. If you look at professionally built hardtops its not much different - its a scale thing - to building a Mirror dinghy - and thousands of them were successfully constructed. To me - foam is easier, easier to work, easier to cobble over mistakes but plywood simply needs a better saw. There is plenty of professional background support eg West System etc etc.

If you want to explore the idea - start here. If after all the posts you still feel daunted - then cogitate and define your concerns - maybe you will find a like minded neighbour and you can build 2 together.

There are restrictions as you need space, say an empty garage or a big and relatively empty (if that is not a contradiction) garden shed, time and patience. I have a huge workshop and we built at home, step by step, slowly building up the structure using cardboard templates. The biggest difficult for us was that our cat was on a swing mooring and taking the part completed structure and final structure in a dinghy was something of a chore.

You have winter creeping up on you, so a heated shed would be nice, but winter offers you plenty of time to build. and the weather when you don't want to actually be on your yacht.

Jonathan