Fitting the Hardtop We hauled the hardtop down to the dock with help from Nina’s sister and brother-in-law who lent their hands and their big truck. We set it in place on the wooden supports and eye-balled its position until it looked right. We decided to take a little off the back edge to blend the curve so it didn’t look so straight. Boats are curvy, right? We didn’t have the cockpit grate built yet, which would add another inch or so underfoot, but we tried to decide how high it should be for visibilty from the wheel and for headroom from beneath. The blue skies make the weather look idyllic in this photo but it was HOT! A typical summer in Sacramento...

We plan on having a canvas/vinyl enclosure built which will attach to the coaming on the cabin top. These photos should help us design the structure. We usually do sketches on the photos and try to visualize the final result so we can communicate our desires to the canvasmaker. The bigger problem is how to construct the stainless steel support for the top. What diameter tubing should we use? How many legs? Should there be a full perimeter rail? Welded or fittings? What kind of radius can be bent into the material? How much will it cost?

Here is how we solved the cutout around the mast. The halyards must be accommodated, plus the travel of the boom when under sail. We hope we’ve allowed enough space for both without creating problems down the waterway. The top is still only primed. Paint will be applied when the final shaping is completed.

Life on the River...

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