Making hard Coach Roof/ Bimini - questions

[drcat]

Take a look at thisratsailed blogspot. Google if needed.
Owner of 38' Leopard in 2016 built a hardtop bimini. Lots of photos of construction and design and material costs are detailed.

[Pat Ross]

Originally Posted by Compmar

This is a freestanding hardtop I built for an Outer Reef cruiser.
1" H60 Divinycell core. 1 layer 1708 biax top and bottom. 4 solar panels mounted to fiberglass hat section stiffeners. 2 lower side stiffeners/wire chases with 4 Hella red/blue dimmable LED lights. With 4 180 lb people on top the deflection was less than 1/2". the edges were dropped down 3" and tracks for Isinglass installed. The edges were reinforced with an additional layer of 1708 biax. This was installed in Florida and the boat went to northern California via the Panama Canal.


16' x 14' Hardtop
Attachment 201674
Transportation to boat from Florida west coast to Florida east coast (Boat in background.)
Attachment 201675

Did you use Resin Infusion, Vacuum Bag or just a traditional layup over the foam? Did you do anything to foam prior to the method you chose in layup?


Pat

[Pat Ross]

Originally Posted by Compmar

This is a freestanding hardtop I built for an Outer Reef cruiser.
1" H60 Divinycell core. 1 layer 1708 biax top and bottom. 4 solar panels mounted to fiberglass hat section stiffeners. 2 lower side stiffeners/wire chases with 4 Hella red/blue dimmable LED lights. With 4 180 lb people on top the deflection was less than 1/2". the edges were dropped down 3" and tracks for Isinglass installed. The edges were reinforced with an additional layer of 1708 biax. This was installed in Florida and the boat went to northern California via the Panama Canal.


16' x 14' Hardtop
Attachment 201674
Transportation to boat from Florida west coast to Florida east coast (Boat in background.)
Attachment 201675

Did you use ventilated foam?


Thanks,


Pat

[Lance]

33' Cat must be kept light .
Half inch is ok .
One inch overkill.
You may need to walk on it but you are not building a fly bridge ?

Just a light glass job will suffice if you have ribbed reinforcing underneath .


I built one similiar dimensions out of the honey comb plastic sheet .
.
Trim the edges with split PVC , multi cut the curved corners and epoxy bog to smooth .
Tthe increased radius is excellant for hand holds .
The honey comb edges once surfaces are glassed where there are raw cuts need to be bogged.
Use a fully extended sharp stanley knife and with pressure cut at 45° the length of the edge .then repeat from the other angle and a clean piece of the internal honey comb will peel out .
If you get shaggy bits with care briefly use a heat gun and the plastic melts away.

I used a ring beam support frame from two half inch Sst tubes welded into a beam of about 75mm height .

The frame was about 120 inside the outer edge .
Penny washer on the top with screws can go thru the pipe frame.
Angle brace the posts to the frame or it will distort .