Wet bar

[Sojourn]

Any idea where I can get a wet bar module for my trader?
Some Traders come with these but mine hasn’t got one.
Any thoughts will be appreciated

 

[Fire99]

I'm interested in this one. I have a Trader too minus wet bar and I'd rather fancy one too.

 

[stelican]

I have a wet bar for a Grand Banks 36 Sedan.
I will add some photos tomorrow

 

[jfm]

Big question. Stelican's answer above is best and only read the following if that doesn't work out .

Be nice to have a picture, so I'm somewhat guessing/thinking of a sort of 1.75m long bar unit as typically found on a 15-25m boat.

I have done this plenty. It's all about where to get the mould from, because if you can find a mould then finding a GRP component maker is easy (Google will give you dozens).:

1. Ask Trader, but I expect that's a dead end.

2. You could ask an existing small boat builder to make a bar unit, if you can identify a bar unit on one of their current boats that would fit on your boat. You don't say what country you're in. If UK, Princess sunseeker are unlikely, Fairline maybe, Broom almost certainly yes if they still exist.

3. You could contact the many small UK moulders who do boat subcontract moulding work (Stuart Pease, customgrpmouldings, ukhydroslides, ibsparts, etc etc) and ask if they have a mould that works. Remember, a mould for a bar that is too big can easily be used to make a smaller bar, and a mould that makes a bar that is too short can be used to make 2 x 2/3rds bars that are then invisibly joined. You just need a basic mould shape that is along the right lines. Of course, the more adaptation there is, the more cost. You will also see plenty of makers of GRP cabinets, like tall wardrobes with 2 hinged doors, and the moulds for that could be "blocked" to make an 80cm high "wardrobe" that would then form the basics of a bar unit with two hinged doors to hide the fridge etc. These tend to be "blocky" shaped things though.

4. You could commission a custom mould. I have done this (from hydroslides and from Broom). This gets you perfection but is brutally expensive, depending on complexity of shape. If you just wanted a bar block with two recessed places on the front to fit wooden doors, and a few curves here and there to make it look nice, you'd get this from a UK supplier for about £2k - they would make a one-use only mould that would be peeled off at the end and destroyed in the process, but that keeps the cost down (making the mould is generally more expensive than making the thing you want, if you're doing a custom job). I would use (and have used) UK Hydroslides for that sort of project. You need to give them good drawings with correct release angles etc but you could get a very professional looking job here if you know what you're doing

5. You could find a friend who will remove the bar from their boat, let you strip it down, use it as a mould to create a new mould, then make your own new bar from that new mould. Then you have to fix your friend's boat back together

6. Cost is as long as a piece of string. If you found a mould the correct shape, a bare bar moulding would be £2000. If you found a mould that was close and it needed adaptation, price doubles. If you want GRP doors and lift up bar top, add a couple of thousand more especially if you are joining two components together to make the doors (the best way, but most expensive). Wooden door on a GRP carcass is much cheaper.

7. Then you have to sort out plumbing, sink, electrics, drainage, grill unit, taps, fridge, icemaker, etc. So this can be anywhere in the range £5k to £20k, depending how much you do yourself and how lucky you get in sourcing a mould for at least the carcass

8. All the above assumes you want GRP. If you want a plywood bar then it can be cheaper but if you want nice teak finishes/corian/sprayed white paint etc then it gets to the same price level as GRP, though you will use a different supplier eg a bespoke ship yard specialist or furniture maker.

Good luck!

 

[Fire99]

1. Ask Trader, but I expect that's a dead end.

Trader have been gone now for nearly 3 years so I think that option is literally a dead end...

Thanks for the big write-up and you quoted some mighty figures but when you think about it, it's basically a lump of fibreglass with a hinged slab of fibreglass on the top plus a sink and grill (either electric or gas). Yes us boaties can put all kinds of nice names on it ('Wet Bar' being one of them) to justify telephone number prices but if it's not being designed to a one-off fancy-shmancy special, the pure costs are pretty minimal when you think about it.

 

[stelican]

Trader have been gone now for nearly 3 years so I think that option is literally a dead end...

Thanks for the big write-up and you quoted some mighty figures but when you think about it, it's basically a lump of fibreglass with a hinged slab of fibreglass on the top plus a sink and grill (either electric or gas). Yes us boaties can put all kinds of nice names on it ('Wet Bar' being one of them) to justify telephone number prices but if it's not being designed to a one-off fancy-shmancy special, the pure costs are pretty minimal when you think about it.

Sounds like mine should do you fine!

 

[Fire99]

Sounds like mine should do you fine!

Perhaps. Some pictures of the mighty fabled 'Wet Bar' would be smashing..

 

[stelican]

Perhaps. Some pictures of the mighty fabled 'Wet Bar' would be smashing..

Maybe too small for an Irish wet bar

 

[Sojourn]

Thanks for all your replies.
Stelican I would love to see some pictures

 

[Sojourn]

In fact I don’t necessarily need a ‘wet bar’ as such, as I already have a sink in the cockpit. So really just a large GRP cabinet that I can fit a fridge into, put a bbq on the top and a bit of storage

 

[Sojourn]

Fire99 where do you keep your Trader

 

[stelican]

In fact I don’t necessarily need a ‘wet bar’ as such, as I already have a sink in the cockpit. So really just a large GRP cabinet that I can fit a fridge into, put a bbq on the top and a bit of storage

Sorry too small. You said you wanted a wet bar not a B kitchen

 

[Fire99]

Fire99 where do you keep your Trader

Hi there.. Currently she's in Bangor Northern Ireland after two weeks tormenting West Scotland..
Where do you keep yours?

 

[Fire99]

Maybe too small for an Irish wet barView attachment 161225View attachment 161242View attachment 161243View attachment 161241View attachment 161242

That's proper retro. I think I'm looking for something a little more plastic-fantastic though.

 

[Sojourn]

Hi there.. Currently she's in Bangor Northern Ireland after two weeks tormenting West Scotland..
Where do you keep yours?

In Port Solent Marina near Portsmouth. It’s a 535 sunliner, she was shipped back from Turkey last December by her previous owner

 

[Fire99]

In Port Solent Marina near Portsmouth. It’s a 535 sunliner, she was shipped back from Turkey last December by her previous owner

Ahh smashing!! Hope you're enjoying the 535.

 

[stelican]

Any idea where I can get a wet bar module for my trader?
Some Traders come with these but mine hasn’t got one.
Any thoughts will be appreciated

Try Blackrock yachting at Chichester as they recently made one for someone's 895 Merry Fisher, Looks smart