Photos Of Hard Top & Radar Mast

[Brian Degulis]

Hello All

A couple of moths ago I asked for some advice on replacing the bimini top on my 61' MY. I got some quotes and decided to build it myself out of aluminum. Some of you were intrested in seeing the completed job so I have taken some photos. Unfortunitly they are to large to post here so just shoot me an email (trainman484848@aol.com) and I will send them. I would be interested in hearing your coments feel free to criticize.

 

[34Hatt]

Hi Brian

You can resize them using Irfanview its free or email them to me and I will post it here for you.

 

[Brian Degulis]

Sure I'll email them to you I would like to get them posted (can you tell I'm no computer wiz?)

Brian

 

[garyd]

Having the opportunity to see this mans work in person, all I can say is impressive!

Hope you get the pictures up so others can marvel at your craftmanship.

garyd

 

[Captned]

Please resize and post. Would like to see...

Thanks, Captned

 

[StratPlan61]

Hope you can post the pictures. I had my bimini repaired this past seeason after some storm damage and I can get a few more seasons from it, but my Hatteras-pride says she could be looking better - so I'd replace it if I could come up with the right looking alternative. Thanks for sharing!!

Bear'
1984 61' MY Strategic Plan

 

[34Hatt]

Well I put them into a Photo album it is to beautiful to shrink down to fit on the forum.
Since I am first all I can say is WOW
Very nice work Brian you can do work for me anytime...
But I guess Gary all ready knew this....

Well here it is Brians Hard Top

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I would be interested in hearing your coments feel free to criticize.

Criticism? What are you talking about? That mast is a thing of beauty. And the top looks great. How much does it weigh? And what is the skin on top, aluminum sheet? I don't see any seems. Are they just welded and faired? Details please.

 

[Brian Degulis]

Thank You

Both hardtop and mast are made completly of welded alluminum I thought about using fiberglass sheet or PVC board for the skin on the hardtop but decided it was not worth the savings in weight. The hardtop weighs about 700 lbs It's constructed of 1 1/2" pipe and the skin is 3/16". The skin was plug welded from the top only so no welds are visible underneath the rest of seams edges etc are all stitch welded to prevent distortion.

When the fabrication was complete it was sand blasted then epoxy coated then all seams edges etc where faired in with epoxy fairing compounds. That was followed by a typical Awlgrip paint job.

When I decided I wanted a hardtop I got quotes from a few places all ran $25,000-$30,000 for the hardtop alone. I've got about $4000 into the materials for both hardtop and mast and about 2 weeks in time.

Some people that have looked at actually think it looks better than the typical aluminum pipe frame and cored fiberglass top because it is about 1/2 the thickness overall so it has a somewhat less bulky look.

If I were to do it again I would do the attachment / support system differently. I wanted it to be strong but I think I went a little to far with that especially on a front view there's just to many pipes and to many angles.

Brian

 

[SKYCHENEY]

There may be alot of supports, but just think of the load on that "sail" in good blow. You would be surprised at how much force a 30-40 knot wind could put on that and the last thing you want to do it to try to pick it up out of the water someplace. Good job.

I don't think the supports look bad at all, but tell me about those full length dodger boards under your railings. What is the purpose there?

 

[Brian Degulis]

The purpose of that was to make a safe area for kids and dogs (we don't travel lite). There where several options to do that I fooled around with some differnt ideas and settled on that mainly because I think it improves the look of the boat. I get mixed opinions on it seems people either love it or hate it but I was very happy with it maybe it's my trawler backround?

I'm not sure if it's visable in the photos but I changed the area behind the flybridge from the standard railing with canvas to a permanent structure with a bright cap. I did that cause I just don't like canvas to much on and off in huricane season.

My last boat was a 55' trawler with a huge boat deck bordered by a railing all laced up with canvas. The bimini was laced on also when huricane Charlie was aproaching the track was right over us. I waited as long as I could then went out and cut all the lacing and pulled the canvas. When I was all done and bringing the canvas in the garage My wife yelled out to me "Don't take the canvas off it's turning and headed for Punta Gorda". We didn't get enough wind to blow out a match that day So canvas is just not for me.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Okay, that explains it. I would have to say that it looks like a nice job, but it wouldn't be for me. I even moved the Marquipt stair storage location so I could see out the windows there. Your hardtop, however, is another matter.

Like you, I don't like canvas. That's one reason I own a boat similar to yours. I still have a bimini top, but your work is making think more about the hardtop idea. Other than that bimini, I have no canvas. It makes me laugh when I see my neighbor zipping and unzipping out of his tent(I mean SeaRay) everyday.

 

[Buccaneer]

If I were to do it again...
Brian

Hmmm.
I could provide you an opportunity to do it again.
On my boat?

$4k, and 2 weeks?

 

[ThirdHatt]

Brian,

If you don't mind, who makes the mast on your boat? I am looking at buying one from Tropic Towers to mount my new Furuno 4' open array and Seatel 24" Sat TV dome. I am looking for other options and not having much luck. Yours looks somewhat similar to what they offer but with a few differences.

Many thanks.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

WHERES THE BEEF ??? I'd sure like to see some pix of SWEET MELISSA
( the boat ! ) That little avatar doesnt do her justice. Do I need to come down and take pics for you when I pick up those stanchion bases? ws

 

[ThirdHatt]

YachtsmanBill, that sounds good to me! Mardi Gras is in 2 weeks, COME ON DOWN!!! Bring those >STABES< with ya and you can tote your stanchion bases and either a thruster or dinghy home with ya!

All my pics are on the main computer at my old house. I recently moved into my new boathouse and just using the boat's laptop for now. I'll try to post a pic when I can.

 

[rswirtz]

you didn't go the way of the bird I hope.....

 

[yachtsmanbill]

YachtsmanBill, that sounds good to me! Mardi Gras is in 2 weeks, COME ON DOWN!!! Bring those >STABES< with ya and you can tote your stanchion bases and either a thruster or dinghy home with ya!

All my pics are on the main computer at my old house. I recently moved into my new boathouse and just using the boat's laptop for now. I'll try to post a pic when I can.

Stabes are coming off up here around mid May. What kind of thruster do I get to order?? Ive been eyeing up the new VETUS units. Electric / hydraulic with dual props. Ive got a guy here to install so we dont BYB's
I think we need to party in the lower 9th with the national guard.
KREWE of HUMVEE perhaps?? Nes't ce pas ? ws

 

[ThirdHatt]

Oh, no thank goodness! Melissa loves the water and the boating lifestyle. We both moved into the boathouse/on the boat. We cook and hang out and entertain on the boat and treat the boathouse as an "upstairs" in a 2-story house. This is/was part of our long-term plan. We have no kids or plans for any, we just want to cruise and enjoy boating for the rest of our life.

We got our waterfront property a few years ago and have built a steel bulkhead, added a sand beach, built over 3,000 sq ft of docks for my and all my friends' boats and a boathouse bar (currently using as a bedroom suite/office). We finally moved here over the holidays to begin our full-time life on the water. After our house in town sells, we will build the guest house and move into it. Then we see many yrs of cruising and when we get older, we MAY build a main house on the property behind the beach.

Thanks for the concern rswirtz but we're having the time of our lives!

 

[ThirdHatt]

YachtsmanBill, so we don't completely hijack poor Brian's thread let's move this to PM.