Capn Craig
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2010
- Messages
- 519
I Have seen some pretty amazing design and build work on the forum over the years, and thought maybe we could have a place to showcase our projects.
To start it off, here is my latest. I was never happy with the factory swim platform on my Californian 34LRC. It was too narrow to be of much use for more than one person at a time. Mine was in fairly rough shape. The PO had glued Nautilux down on top and was peeling up and looked like hell. Alas an excuse for a project. I had built a swim step for my old Trojan with a welded aluminum substructure and a Starboard plastic top. It was a good success but I didn't think much of the Starboard. It would tend to stain and grow a green tint of algae or mildew. It did clean up with the up close and personal use of my 4000 psi pressure washer, but the washer is big and heavy and a lot of work to get on the dock. I don't use it that much as a result. I still have the old Trojan, but I am slowly scrapping it out.
The swim step on the Californian is about three feet wider than the Trojan and although both have curvature to the transoms they are not exactly the same. My plan was to cut the Trojan swim step in half, add about 3 feet to the center, and adjust the fit of the curve to best fit the Californian transom and weld a new center section. I needed a new 36 x 36 piece of 3/4" starboard for the center. Starboard is NOT cheap. For the original, I ordered a full sheet thru my local plastic supplier. It came out about half the cost of buying thru a marine source, but still was Expensive. I had no source for a half sheet. so I began searching for an alternative decking material. I'm not too impressed by the composite decking I have seen, but found wood grain powder coat painted aluminum extruded decking. What could be better on an aluminum frame. I found two manufacturers on t he web and ordered color samples from both. The stuff I chose came from Lastdeck from Jackson MN. The stuff is designed to be screwed down to a wood frame in home use, but I used aluminum Pop Rivets. My new platform is 100% aluminum for elimination of galvanic corrosion potential. The mounting bolts are aluminum as well. The only non aluminum is the PVC dock edging I used as a rub rail. It is fastened with aluminum pop rivets. I'm just guessing but this might be the first or only aluminum swim platform on a glass boat.
To start it off, here is my latest. I was never happy with the factory swim platform on my Californian 34LRC. It was too narrow to be of much use for more than one person at a time. Mine was in fairly rough shape. The PO had glued Nautilux down on top and was peeling up and looked like hell. Alas an excuse for a project. I had built a swim step for my old Trojan with a welded aluminum substructure and a Starboard plastic top. It was a good success but I didn't think much of the Starboard. It would tend to stain and grow a green tint of algae or mildew. It did clean up with the up close and personal use of my 4000 psi pressure washer, but the washer is big and heavy and a lot of work to get on the dock. I don't use it that much as a result. I still have the old Trojan, but I am slowly scrapping it out.
The swim step on the Californian is about three feet wider than the Trojan and although both have curvature to the transoms they are not exactly the same. My plan was to cut the Trojan swim step in half, add about 3 feet to the center, and adjust the fit of the curve to best fit the Californian transom and weld a new center section. I needed a new 36 x 36 piece of 3/4" starboard for the center. Starboard is NOT cheap. For the original, I ordered a full sheet thru my local plastic supplier. It came out about half the cost of buying thru a marine source, but still was Expensive. I had no source for a half sheet. so I began searching for an alternative decking material. I'm not too impressed by the composite decking I have seen, but found wood grain powder coat painted aluminum extruded decking. What could be better on an aluminum frame. I found two manufacturers on t he web and ordered color samples from both. The stuff I chose came from Lastdeck from Jackson MN. The stuff is designed to be screwed down to a wood frame in home use, but I used aluminum Pop Rivets. My new platform is 100% aluminum for elimination of galvanic corrosion potential. The mounting bolts are aluminum as well. The only non aluminum is the PVC dock edging I used as a rub rail. It is fastened with aluminum pop rivets. I'm just guessing but this might be the first or only aluminum swim platform on a glass boat.