Anyone know of any companies that sell a kit to convert a canvas top to a roto or fiberglass top?
A fiberglass/welding shop would need to do it.
You may need beefier pipework if the boat’s used offshore also. Hard tops can be pretty heavy.
www.scmarine.org
www.joinrfa.com
Luke 8:22-25
You “might” get away with a fiberglass “surfboard” top, with no modification to your t-top.(other than drilling holes to thru bolt) Usually around 5/8"-3/4" thick and could be mounted to your existing top. With that, you’re looking at adding about 75-100 lbs. of weight up top. A roto-cast plastic top is a little lighter, but would require some cutting and welding to your top to make it fit.
Call Ed Forbes at Engineered Metals & Composites in W. Columbia. They build OEM t-tops for several boat manufacturers. He can probably help you out. Tell him I sent you.
Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069
I forgot to add the phone #. It’s 803-939-4955
Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069
Why on God’s green Earth are all T Tops not thru bolted…? It’s crazy. I have spent hours doing it on my boat. All screws will work loose eventually.
I was really talking about thru bolting the surfboard top to his existing top ring.
As far as why all tops aren’t thru bolted, the smart boat manufacturers do thru bolt t-tops to the deck before it’s mated with the hull. Same goes for leaning posts and deck mounted poling platforms. In a lot of cases, the tops are installed after the fact, making it near impossible to do, at least to the deck, unless access holes are used. In all my yaers of working in the marine industry, I have always thru bolted where ever and when ever possible. And used a good amount of 5200 sealant at all mounting points. It’s then up to the boat owner to check all of the fasteners on a regular basis.
Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069
doesnt the sun tamer hat people make that sort of thing. I think alumapole.com or pro trim maybe???/
Pro Trim is not really a “hardtop”, but a 60 mil. thick vinyl that laces on with tie wraps. It seems like it would be more durable than canvas and a heck of a lot lighter than fiberglass.
Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069