Flybridge hard top

[ksanders]

I've contracted with my local stainless steel expert to build a hard top support for my Bayliner 4788

Now it's time to decide exactly what to have him build.

What I have is an existing Radar arch. That will stay, and the hard top will extend foreward.
What I want to do is add windows on the front, and the sides. The windows on the aft part of the sides can roll up.

The idea of the hard top is/was that the stainless guy would fabricate the metal, and then I would cover the hard top with starboard like my friend did in the attached photos.

But... what if i had the metal guy just finish the job with sheet stainless steel? I need to figure out the weights but starboard isn't light, would stainless be lighter or heavier.
Would it look funky?
What would you do?

Here are some photos of my friends hard top, and some good shots of my flybridge

 

[rslifkin]

I'd personally prefer fiberglass over stainless sheet. Easier to mount things to, and if you make it a cored fiberglass panel it would be quieter in the rain. Stainless or thin, un-cored fiberglass will be very loud when it rains. And as you mentioned, Starboard is heavy.

 

[ksanders]

I'd personally prefer fiberglass over stainless sheet. Easier to mount things to, and if you make it a cored fiberglass panel it would be quieter in the rain. Stainless or thin, un-cored fiberglass will be very loud when it rains. And as you mentioned, Starboard is heavy.

Yes, starboard is about 2.5 lbs a square foot. That's not really all that bad for my boat but... Maybe something better???

Sheet stainless or alumanium is certainly dooable but... yes it can be loud, but also once it dents, it's dented and stays that way.

Fiberglass or coosa board, with fiberglass is going to involve a custom built mold, and a ton of labor hours.

hmmm

 

[Comodave]

Starboard isn’t structural either. Having a thin Starboard top will bend and sag unless you have a lot of metal supports, equals weight. As I remember the 4788 is a bit tender to begin with so I wouldn’t add anymore weight than absolutely necessary. I would contact Atlantic Towers. They make hardtops to fit the exact boat. I had them make a hardtop for a boat I had about 6 boats ago. They found a local boat and went and measured it so the top fit perfectly. It wasn’t structural but it was aluminum and a fiberglass top. It was well made, but not cheap.

If I were going to make a hardtop from scratch I would layup a fiberglass top using carbon fiber or something lightweight but strong. I watched a video of a guy doing just that. He made a mold and then used vacuum bagging to lay it up.

 

[Graeme Walker]

I would extend beyond the arch ~3-4' to get more shading, we did this with our Sunbrella and it looks great.

 

[ksanders]

great idea extending beyond the arch!

 

[ksanders]

Well, we have solved one hurdle...

The fabricator will weld a stainless plate between the tubes circled in the photo. That will provide an attachment point for the side and front windows.

Now the issue is what to use to cover it.

Nobody seems to like metal.

 

[Graeme Walker]

great idea extending beyond the arch!

In our case it gives area for two more solar panels.

 

[Mac2]

I went through the same process as you. I already had the framework (aluminum) in place with a canvas bimini. I was going to go with aluminum sheeting over the frames, but then discovered you could “weld” the seams/joints of starboard. I bought 1/4 inch 4 x 8 sheets of starboard-I had substantial framework, so the starboard wouldn’t sag. My plan was to mount solar on top, but found out the panels would work better with more ventilation underneath. I ended up mounting the panels directly to the frame with u-bolts.

 

[ksanders]

I went through the same process as you. I already had the framework (aluminum) in place with a canvas bimini. I was going to go with aluminum sheeting over the frames, but then discovered you could “weld” the seams/joints of starboard. I bought 1/4 inch 4 x 8 sheets of starboard-I had substantial framework, so the starboard wouldn’t sag. My plan was to mount solar on top, but found out the panels would work better with more ventilation underneath. I ended up mounting the panels directly to the frame with u-bolts.

Thanks!!!

Is welding starboard similar to plastic, where you use a heat source like a soldering iron and a filler plastic?

 

[Mac2]

Thanks!!!

Is welding starboard similar to plastic, where you use a heat source like a soldering iron and a filler plastic?

It is a special tool that looks like a heat gun and you buy a coil of plastic/starboard wire. I recall it comes in different diameters depending on how thick the weld needs to be. There are commercial grade welders and cheaper versions like what I got. I never got the chance to use it, so can't verify how well the cheaper versions work. I had a commercial guy lined up in case I failed. Keep in mind, just like metal, I had the starboard edges, where I planned to weld, cut at a 45 degree angle. If you ever get to Seattle, I got a deal for you....