Hardtops-a-building for Looking Glass
Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 11:14 pm
I'm currently building a flybridge hardtop and aft deck hardtop for Looking Glass. The material is Nidacore 1.5" honeycomb with glass skins of 1708 biax fabric and polyester resin. This is my 4th boat hardtop.
The flybridge top is 12' wide and 14' long, which will give more sun protection and a mounting surface for (4) 300 watt solar panels. The aft top is 12' wide x 8' long, which will shade the aft deck and companionway. The upper hardtop is supported on 4 fiberglass supports, also of Nidacore and glass, with some carbon fiber for added stiffness. The lower deck ties into the aft supports of the upper deck, as well as two aluminum columns on the aft steps.
The 5 lb/ cu ft honeycomb core is the major expense, at $107 per 4'x8' sheet from Merritt Supply in Pompano Beach, FL. 11 sheets will provide core for both tops and 4 supports. The Glass and resin cost about half that.
The 4 upright supports are finished and attached to the house. The tops will be built over a curved form of 1x6's to give 5" of curvature over the 12' width. Weight of the larger top should be just about 200 lbs.
I've tried to attach a photo, but get an error message that the file is too large. I don't know how to make the photo file smaller on my IPhone.
The flybridge top is 12' wide and 14' long, which will give more sun protection and a mounting surface for (4) 300 watt solar panels. The aft top is 12' wide x 8' long, which will shade the aft deck and companionway. The upper hardtop is supported on 4 fiberglass supports, also of Nidacore and glass, with some carbon fiber for added stiffness. The lower deck ties into the aft supports of the upper deck, as well as two aluminum columns on the aft steps.
The 5 lb/ cu ft honeycomb core is the major expense, at $107 per 4'x8' sheet from Merritt Supply in Pompano Beach, FL. 11 sheets will provide core for both tops and 4 supports. The Glass and resin cost about half that.
The 4 upright supports are finished and attached to the house. The tops will be built over a curved form of 1x6's to give 5" of curvature over the 12' width. Weight of the larger top should be just about 200 lbs.
I've tried to attach a photo, but get an error message that the file is too large. I don't know how to make the photo file smaller on my IPhone.