Cutting Fiberglass on Deck

[Covergirl]

I'm sick of my Carry-on A/C looking like garbage with the hatch mounted canvas. Can I cut a 6"X8" rectangle above cabin to perminetely mount the A/C safely?. We live aboard our 37 Seidellman. Not sure if it would effect hull stress or anything.

[zeehag]

i wouldnt do that with a formosa--is stronger than a seidelmann 37--i know-i sailed one in gom. make a new cover, instead of ruining your boat. have one made. make it by self---but dont wreck your bot.

[Sailmonkey]

If you want to live on a boat that's been all cut up for no good reason, go ahead. Otherwise you can make a plywood or fiberglass hood for the AC, or just install a small AC and close the hatch.

[xeon_tsd]

LG 8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner and Dehumidifier Function with Remote Control (67.2 Pints/Day)-LP0813WNR at The Home Depot

Look at these.

[Covergirl]

So your saying it would wreck the boat to put the hole in? Your remarks are patronizing and lack any stress evidence, plywood looks like garbage, and I'm considering molding a clean fiberglass hood if it could damage boat longevity. I didn't ask if you thought it was a good reason or not.

[Covergirl]

Thanks for link Xeon

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Covergirl

So your saying it would wreck the boat to put the hole in? Your remarks are patronizing and lack any stress evidence, plywood looks like garbage, and I'm considering molding a clean fiberglass hood if it could damage boat longevity. I didn't ask if you thought it was a good reason or not.

Please chill out a bit. Zee is offering an honest opinion to a question you asked and I doubt trying to be patronizing. Her opinion may not be correct or may not address your specific ideas but no need to bash her.

I think perhaps she was using the word wreck as in, make a bit of a mess. No matter what you do to pretty it up with a hood or whatever you will end up with a boat with a big hole in the deck. If you have no concern at all about resale, and from your previous post on what you paid maybe that isn't a concern, but regardless, making a big hole like that is an irreversible step.

Why not mold a hood for the hatch instead of for a new hole in the boat? Would that not accomplish the same thing?

[skipmac]

By the way, to address your original question, a 6" X 8" hole in the proper location should not cause a major loss of structural integrity to your boat. After all, it already has several holes larger than that for the existing hatches.

Just choose the location carefully. Should not cut close the sides, near the mast base or any high load, high stress areas.

[FSMike]

As a general rule of thumb, you want to install the same amount of material in the framing for the new opening as you removed in cutting the hole.

[Covergirl]

Thank you everyone for the responses. I apologize if I came across too aggressively, I guess I felt as if I didn't make it clear that If I would move forward on this that I would do it with as much professionalism in fit and finish as possible. I've seen some very ghetto rigged A/Cs on some beautiful boats.
No matter how much we pay for her, I care very much on resale and take any advice on that issue. My husband and I are both designers and creatives by trade, so we are always thinking of how to improve on everything. One thing I forgot to mention is that the AC does not mount correctly in the cabin hatch, for it to work it has to be hung off the edge do to the mast being about a foot from it. If mounted the other direction, the whole hatch has to be disassembled to open all the way up. Then the AC sits on acrylic piece and wobbles. So if it fit flush, this would not even be an issue.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Covergirl

So your saying it would wreck the boat to put the hole in? Your remarks are patronizing and lack any stress evidence, plywood looks like garbage, and I'm considering molding a clean fiberglass hood if it could damage boat longevity. I didn't ask if you thought it was a good reason or not.

In my opinion it would make a mess of an otherwise intact deck to install a temporary air conditioning solution that was never meant to take direct salt spray.

Not patronizing in any way.....just an opinion.

[skipmac]

Please don't take this too harshly, but if you really want the boat to look shipshape and Bristol fashion then any AC sitting on the deck, no matter how nicely it's rigged is going to convey at least some degree of jury rigged, dock queen look to it. To use the cliche, you're just trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

Really for looks the best way to go is a real, built in marine AC unit but be prepared to shell out well over $1000 just for the unit plus a lot of bits and pieces and perhaps even a haulout for the through hulls.

Another option that would cost a lot less, would look better than the carryon (if the carry on is the one I'm thinking of with a canvas hood like this WEST MARINE Carry-On Air Conditioner at West Marine) is an RV roof mount type AC. You could probably rig this to sit directly on/in the hatch and it blows the cold down into the cabin. No hoods or plywood adapters required. Like this

Amazon.com: Coleman 13,500 BTU Roof Mount Air Conditioner: Sports & Outdoors

From a former art and sculpture major that gave up and went for the easier money in the business world.

[Covergirl]

@skipmac. I totally agree. I think it's so much better to just invest in an inboard marine unit in the future. we try to be as resourceful as possible, but in this situation, I think it would do more harm then good when were under way. I'm thinking I'm going to just remove the mounts from the top part of hatch and mount her aft the hatch.. Then use remaining hatch mounts to clamp a fiberglass hood. It's not like well really want to sail with her up there anyways.
Ok then, thank you all for responses and I guess we'll start working on mold tomorrow.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Covergirl

@skipmac. I totally agree. I think it's so much better to just invest in an inboard marine unit in the future. we try to be as resourceful as possible, but in this situation, I think it would do more harm then good when were under way. I'm thinking I'm going to just remove the mounts from the top part of hatch and mount her aft the hatch.. Then use remaining hatch mounts to clamp a fiberglass hood. It's not like well really want to sail with her up there anyways.
Ok then, thank you all for responses and I guess we'll start working on mold tomorrow.

Unless you are in the small minority of CF members with deep pockets then resourceful is the name of the game. I have to confess that I have a regular home window unit AC sitting on my deck with a plastic bag vent duct taped to the hatch. But in my defense, my boat is parked in the woods with no one to see and this will be removed before I launch to avoid the derisive glares from all and sundry at the yard.

I might suggest that it might be much easier to make a temporary hood out of plywood and just paint it to match your decks. Maybe paint a couple of flowers or something in a marine motif like a couple of dolphins on the hood. Or you could paint it camouflage and no one will notice it.

[Covergirl]

Haha yea, the marine A/C we have us from a Hunter 34 we had years ago that we kept. We are both commercial Photographers (hence the name) so the boat will probably end up in some mags. The prima Donnas on board will think they are dying without AC