Mark42
Fleet Admiral
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2003
- Messages
- 9,334
Some of you may remember the hard top project from a few years ago where I covered pink foam with epoxy & glass to make a hard top on a Bayliner (see sig below).
Never had an issue with the foam and glass, and it has taken some serious pounding on that little bayliner that can break 45 mph with the new 90 hp Johnson. Flown that baby off the top of some big rollers and crashed so hard I thought the side windows would break off the boat.
About 3 weeks ago I had the boat tied to a really old mooring. Boat broke free and drifted down the bay a bit. Someone was nice enough to catch it and tie it up to a private dock just a short distance from where it was originally moored. I think it was someone from Jimmy Buffetts house because his dock and sea plane were the first thing my boat would have crashed into (sorry Jimmy). So the dock they tied my boat to was not meant for little boats like mine. They are meant for rich *** people with huge boats. The boardwalk of the dock is higher than the top of my boat when its in the water. The wind and waves pounded the boat into the dock pilings for a few hours before I found it. The rear vertical edge of the top (the part that slants backwards slightly) ended up banging into a 2x8 brace repeatedly. At first I was just happy that someone tied up my boat and I motor off and pull it out of the water. Later I discover that the fiberglass was kind of soft and glass fibers were frayed sticking out of an area about 1 inch wide and 5 inches tall. The foam did give under the glass, but the glass never broke through. Will have to cut a small area, fill with expanding foam, reshape and glass over.
The good news is that the whole top was still sound! Not a stress crack anywhere inside or out. There are a few other places where the lines rubbed the paint off, but none of the other wear marks show glass or foam damage.
That top was a lot of work, and I probably won't do that again due to the hours, but mostly because of the finishing skills needed to make it look good. But if you want to give it a try, go ahead, because it still is holding up fine.
BTW, I did see Jimmy Buffet a few days later out on his (approx.) 40 foot sail boat. I honked, he waved. He has no idea who I am. But its nice he waves back. They guy is amazing, he can sail it solo, and everything is power. Its cool to watch the sails roll up as he pulls up to the dock and stops right where he wants to. Like he's driving a fricking car or something. Guy has amazing skills with that big boat.
So I want to extend a big THANK YOU to whoever tied up my boat. I know everyone in that area is very well off so it was nice that they took the time to save this poor guys boat. (they probably thought it was someone's dingy, LOL!)
Never had an issue with the foam and glass, and it has taken some serious pounding on that little bayliner that can break 45 mph with the new 90 hp Johnson. Flown that baby off the top of some big rollers and crashed so hard I thought the side windows would break off the boat.
About 3 weeks ago I had the boat tied to a really old mooring. Boat broke free and drifted down the bay a bit. Someone was nice enough to catch it and tie it up to a private dock just a short distance from where it was originally moored. I think it was someone from Jimmy Buffetts house because his dock and sea plane were the first thing my boat would have crashed into (sorry Jimmy). So the dock they tied my boat to was not meant for little boats like mine. They are meant for rich *** people with huge boats. The boardwalk of the dock is higher than the top of my boat when its in the water. The wind and waves pounded the boat into the dock pilings for a few hours before I found it. The rear vertical edge of the top (the part that slants backwards slightly) ended up banging into a 2x8 brace repeatedly. At first I was just happy that someone tied up my boat and I motor off and pull it out of the water. Later I discover that the fiberglass was kind of soft and glass fibers were frayed sticking out of an area about 1 inch wide and 5 inches tall. The foam did give under the glass, but the glass never broke through. Will have to cut a small area, fill with expanding foam, reshape and glass over.
The good news is that the whole top was still sound! Not a stress crack anywhere inside or out. There are a few other places where the lines rubbed the paint off, but none of the other wear marks show glass or foam damage.
That top was a lot of work, and I probably won't do that again due to the hours, but mostly because of the finishing skills needed to make it look good. But if you want to give it a try, go ahead, because it still is holding up fine.
BTW, I did see Jimmy Buffet a few days later out on his (approx.) 40 foot sail boat. I honked, he waved. He has no idea who I am. But its nice he waves back. They guy is amazing, he can sail it solo, and everything is power. Its cool to watch the sails roll up as he pulls up to the dock and stops right where he wants to. Like he's driving a fricking car or something. Guy has amazing skills with that big boat.
So I want to extend a big THANK YOU to whoever tied up my boat. I know everyone in that area is very well off so it was nice that they took the time to save this poor guys boat. (they probably thought it was someone's dingy, LOL!)
