Two terrible questions...but I have to ask them

Donald Tyson · Joined: 24 Jul 2023 Posts: 34 Photos: Donald Tyson

-Has anyone installed a tent for sleeping in on top of their cabin roof?
-Has anyone installed an upper helm on one of these boats (22-26)?

JamesTXSD · Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2024 5:20 pm Post subject:

There was someone here who did a platform for the cabin top, for his wife to sunbathe. I don't recall hearing how that played out. We had a CD-25, and the only time I went to the cabin top was to lash bicycles to the radar arch. You may be agile than I am, but I wouldn't care to spend time up there. I haven't heard of anyone putting a tent on the cabin top (you will find a bit of list when you roll to one side or the other). While some of these boats have a secondary aft helm (in the cockpit), I'm not aware of anyone successfully putting a helm on the cabin top... although I recall a "doctored" image of a tall ladder on top, with someone standing on that.

The right tool for the job. There are some boats that are/were designed to accommodate an upper helm; these are not those boats. One guy's opinion, take care if you decide to go for it.

gulfcoast john · Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2024 9:17 pm Post subject:

Hi Don,

The Full Circle crew just completed the Loop on the CD26 Full Circle, which includes a top line (($4000?) rooftop sleeper. See the pics here:

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=32417

We had a local canvas shop attach a 9 panel Phifertex screen to our bimini which gives great rain, privacy and bug protection with some breeze.

Good luck in your search, but start it with looking at Full Circle. I would.

Best,
John

thataway · Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2024 11:04 pm Post subject:

I was also going to ref. Full Circle, and their fiberglass/canvas/Mesh. roof tent. Their boat was at our house for several months, so I got a good look at it. I would not want to sleep up there in any place with much wave action. I am familiar with several boats which had "sun bathing platforms"--That was OK--but again--not a place I would want to stay when underway. It certainly gave them a 'guest' stateroom or a place ot sleep with great cross breeze.

There are a number of boats this size (C Dory 25) (mostly center consoles) which have put flying bridges, or half towers on a level equal to the cabin top. My personal feeling is that there is some risk of poor handling under certain circumstances with that weight aloft. I vividly remember a 25' center console with a half tower in the BVI getting caught in a cross chop and capsizing. That was not pretty. Is the C Dory more stable--perhaps, the boat capsized was a deep v--and the flat bottom C Dory is more stable in cross chop. The Ranger Tug puts a convertable flying bridge--sort of--on their 29 and 30/31 boats.

I recommend against putting a helm or any weight more than a dinghy/paddle boards etc on top of the 25 or 22.