Bump.
Pondering an aft deck cover of some sort. Appreciate the information here, and was wondering if anybody has gone this route in the two years since this thread petered out.
What sort of extension, hard or soft, do you want to build?
That's pretty hard to pin down right now. For now I'm trying to see what others have done, how they solved this problem, then come up with a plan.
If the 10 yacht buck estimates for a walk on deck with rails is any indication, it won't be that. It wouldn't suit the boat anyways.
Me-thinks a hard top would be better for rain.
In the photo below you can see the wrinkle we have to work out...the saloon deck/roof is at about chest height when standing on the aft deck. There are windows facing aft in the pilothouse which I don't want to block anyways, so I'm envisioning the height of the canopy/hard top to be about 6" below the pilothouse roof (at about the bottom of the pilothouse 'visor').
An even bigger wrinkle is dinghy storage. We might be getting a 12' dinghy, which is big for our 11' beam boat. (Want to explore the outer coast and exposed beaches after the mothership is safely anchored, so the dinghy has to be up to the job).
The framing for the canopy/hardtop will have to be plenty robust to support that much weight and wind forces. We'll tow for the most part, but would prefer to have the option of having the dinghy up and out of the way, such as when entering marinas for example.
A 12' dinghy would reach from the mast to just past the transom.
Maybe some of the guys on the Sundowner thread of the Tug Design Section will be able to help.
Check that link I attached. They seem to be able to custom fabricate most anything to your design..
Missy is putting some pics together, u could go to Ferlin marine. What ever. Joey built the tops and has a no. Of pictures he is kind of proud of the project too.Got some pics of this upgrade? I'd sure like to see your work. You must be talented with fiberglass and gelcoat.
I matched up floor thickness and crown, went to stern, then fwd both sides about 18"past cabin rear wall to make wing doors that zip out. I also framed up bridge and built top for bridge. I think a pic under my name shows topsI am looking to extend the upper deck aft to the stern to make more room up top to sit and enjoy drinks with friends.
Yes sir, joey is very talented, his boys are too. Joey is a friend of mine, and taught me a lot.,, I didnt say he was cheapJoey des great work. He put a friend of mines Key West 21' back together after a jet ski crashed into it. I thought the boat was ruined. Joey fix it and you could not even tell it was ever damaged!
Missy is putting some pics together, u could go to Ferlin marine. What ever. Joey built the tops and has a no. Of pictures he is kind of proud of the project too.
Joey has a websit, I think its through facebook. Try that way and ill go back,try to find itI Googled Ferlin Marine but get no luck. Do you have a full company name and location? Maybe a link to the pics?
joeys website in title. I think pics of d.m. Are on his facebook page. Im going to try to send some pics. Aint to good on this new phoneI Googled Ferlin Marine but get no luck. Do you have a full company name and location? Maybe a link to the pics?
Hey mr. Mainship, got a buddy round the corner with a 34 m.s. Think its a 84 model,with a single big perk in it. The bridge floor goes back a foot short of stern. Lookin at his bridge floor, bout 4" thick, u wont have any trouble if u have top on bridge. We built upstairs frame work for my top out of 1&1/2 & 2" aluminum pipe. At the back we used2&12" for corners. That with tieing in hand rails and useing 1 6" by 8" oval flange for base,top of pole welded to roof frame. U can pick up your tender, beer cooler, and a fat girl no trouble.I have a hard top extension on my Mainship 40 and am considering adding a crane and dinghy cradles to get the 9' dinghy off the swim platform...not sure how much weight the fiberglass will hold without reinforcement. The dinghy and motor shouldn't weigh over 100 lbs, plus the weight of the cradle, but I still don't know if it will hold it all. Any thoughts?