Hardtop and davit/hoist

S

South of Heaven

New member
Guys,

Im thinking of having a hardtop fabricated for the cockpit. I like the idea of having more headroom in the cockpit and easier boarding for passengers without having to fiddle with the bimini. But my main reason for wanting this is be able to store my inflatable dinghy up there.

Ive seen a few Brats who have added a hardtop. Check out the photo album for "Slapshot". Its a 25.

Anything I should be aware of? Any issues with mounting the dinghy aft? Im estimating that the dinghy, top, davit and metal supports will add like 300 lbs back there. Doesn't seem like much.

Fire away brats! Let me know
 
In placing my canvas bimini, I had port and starboard zippers
placed in the fabric to facilitate head clearance while boarding
and disembarking.

You may want to consider some relief, or other modification, in
your hardtop in these areas to achieve the same goal. It could
save some scalps.

Aye.
 
Foggy":13ibtub9 said:
In placing my canvas bimini, I had port and starboard zippers
placed in the fabric to facilitate head clearance while boarding
and disembarking.

You may want to consider some relief, or other modification, in
your hardtop in these areas to achieve the same goal. It could
save some scalps.

Aye.
Click to expand...

Even so, the headroom is tight while in the cockpit near the cabin door because the bimini attaches to the roof. Its not a huge inconvenience but I'm warming up a little more everyday to the idea of a raised hardtop. Lol
 
Look at the cantilevered Bimini's on Betties Bateau, and C Otter. They have a zip out panel for ventilation. They are strong. Boarding is fairly easy. Lots of hand holds. Although I agree with the zipper panels, as in my Tom Cat album, the cantilevered system is easy to board.

For a "hard top" you probably want a sheet of some material such as used by Atlantic Towers or "Hard to top". Fiberglass top is going to be heavy. I had a "hard top" flying bridge, made of 2" foam, with aluminum on the inside and outside, sandwich structure--very light, but flat. We rolled the edge and glassed it. In any case you want substantial tubing. For fishing the Cantilever is better because of no support aft.

Disadvantages--weight aloft and aft. What davit system are you going to use? Garhauer? or one of the electric davits?
 
I had a 19 CDORY with hardtop that worked great> the site: hardtotop.com has pictures of it> You can have it built like you wish> Jake
 
Jason, No hard top here, but I do carry my dingy aft of the cabin roof.

1_10_2012_from_Canon_961.sized.jpg

The dingy is a bit narrower than the cockpit, so now issues in boarding. Plenty of head room, as the aft of the dingy is tilted up slightly and the fore end is on top of the cabin roof. I wanted sturdy, so went with stainless pipe. It would have been better to find heavy stainless (316) tubing, as it would have been about half the weight, and 316 would have been less polishing work. (304 was used to save $$$), and recommended buy the fabricator, who was a marine builder, but mostly fishermen stuff so looks wasn't that big a deal to him. The uprights and cross piece are all removable from the mounting bracket if needed. I have loops and cleats welded onto the uprights and cross pieces, and the cross piece has a 40" slide out that can hang a pot puller or for my use a life sling over the stbd hull side. The whole thing is 200# of removable and 20# of bracket. Over built, I know but it would be possible to lift the boat from the stern.

If you build, and what ever you build, just know the weight adds up. My stern sits about 2.5 inches lower in the water now. I still think SS tubing wilt do what you want. I believe that is comes in 2 wall thicknesses. I would recommend the heavy walled tubing.

On the 25 you will have to do a bit of a step up, due to the self draining cockpit. A hinged or sliding portion just aft of the cabin bulkhead for boarding head room might help.

Good luck, and I'll be interested in following your design.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
JAKE7746":h2ucce85 said:
I had a 19 CDORY with hardtop that worked great> the site: hardtotop.com has pictures of it> You can have it built like you wish> Jake
Click to expand...

Here you go:

image262.jpg


Here is C Otter naked and dressed:

Side.jpg

IMG_0486.jpg


Bettie's Bateau:

image.jpg[/img]
 
I like the look of "Quality Time" (although all of those boats were well done). Seems a little bit simpler and less custom metal work. I dont I want canvas on top either...pretty sure I want a solid piece.

Ive got lots of homework to do.
 
As far as I know there are only 2 CD 25's with cantilever aluminum frames. One is my C-otter and one is the DoriDaze. The one that is on my C-Otter was built by Marine Metals in Williston Florida. 352-528-0778 Troy does great work. I met up with Larry Hayden who owns the DoriDaze a few weeks ago on the St.Johns river Florida. He liked my design better as it keeps the rain water from dripping in the cockpit. Each one must be custom fitted. I don't think any two 25 foot boats are exactly the same.

Would I do it again. I already have. My CD-22 had one and I had to promise my wife that the C-Otter would have the one....Tom
 
I am currently having a cantilevered bimini fabricated by Blue Coral Towers in Pensacola, FL, should be complete in a week or so. After seeing the bimini's Blue Coral have built for other boats on this site, I knew I had to have one. Seems perfect for rainy Alaskan boating without interfering with fishing like the typical biminis do with the supports coming down on the gunwale. My old c-dory had the non cantilevered type of zip up bimini and I did not like it for fishing and rarely used it, so I am very excited about the cantilevered version.

Blue Coral is crating the bimini and shipping it to Maryland, where my buddy will be pulling a trailer up to AK in a few months...

Blue Coral kept the template for their cantilvered 22' C-Dory biminis they have built in the past and do not need to have my boat in Florida for fabrication..
 
C-Dude":221c6byi said:
South of Heaven":221c6byi said:
Who is Brazo? I cant find anything on him.

Anyone with a 25 looking to sell their frame? I'll buy it.
Click to expand...

I believe it is BRAZOS with an S
Click to expand...

I just checked, it is BRAZO without the S and if you type BRAZO in the search engine you will find the vessel.
 
C-Dude
I'm sure you will love your cantilevered cockpit cover from Blue Coral. The mounting on the 22,s is pretty much standard right into the cabin. With the 25's the top mounts go through the overhanging edge and the cabin. My overhang is not the same one side to other. I've looked at other 25's and some have more than others. Because I use the C-Otter as a dive boat it was important for me to use a different mount so I can do a back roll off the side and have room with the side rails. Height was also important for me. Custom on a 25 is the way to go.

One thing...when they make your canvas for the top be sure to add a zippered "frown" so that air gets through. I don't open it all the time but under some conditions the fumes get blown in. Opening the frown takes care of that.

Again ....enjoy your cover! Tom
 
Avidmagnum12":14tcrx5i said:
C-Dude
I'm sure you will love your cantilevered cockpit cover from Blue Coral. The mounting on the 22,s is pretty much standard right into the cabin. With the 25's the top mounts go through the overhanging edge and the cabin. My overhang is not the same one side to other. I've looked at other 25's and some have more than others. Because I use the C-Otter as a dive boat it was important for me to use a different mount so I can do a back roll off the side and have room with the side rails. Height was also important for me. Custom on a 25 is the way to go.

One thing...when they make your canvas for the top be sure to add a zippered "frown" so that air gets through. I don't open it all the time but under some conditions the fumes get blown in. Opening the frown takes care of that.

Again ....enjoy your cover! Tom
Click to expand...

TOM- thank you, great advice. Did you use backing plates where you attached the frame to the boat? I was thinking of using aluminum and trying to isolate the stainless fasteners with nylon washers and caulking to avoid contact of dissimilar metals....or perhaps some type of nylon collar around the bolt, but I have not been able to locate such a thing.

Again thanks, Ben
 
For the forward edge of the side curtains, consider putting vinyl awning railing, with a zipper between the part which has the bolt rope and the panel which you flip up or over. This will make the forward part water tight--with snaps, water can come in between the snaps.

Also many of the boats with hard tops and frames, bring the side panels in and velcro them to the top, rather than rolling them up. This is easier on the clear vinyl and allows you to easily use one of the high quality clear "window" such as Stratoglass, or EZtoC.

The other reason for the zippered frown that Tom mentions is ventilation during the summer months--when it is hot--it is great to have that air flow.

Tom's camper canvas is really first class. He has utilized the space back there extremely well.
 
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