Close on the heels of a project which saw us design and build a bridgedeck enclosure for a Tollycraft 48, a local Tiara owner saw this as a solution for his soft top blues. Fibreglass boats are not our primary business, however new construction using wood and plywood in concert with some composite materials is very much a part of our routine.
With overall dimensions and criteria in mind the project began by building plywood window frames extending above the existing aluminum ones at the front and sides. Aft the side windows fair into the arch. We vacuum bagged the top from two outer skins of 3mm plywood and Core cell foam.
A frame and eyebrow of similar construction formed the sides. Two foam raised panels (on the underside of the top) were bagged on next to provide relief and frame in the hatches and lights. Fillets and fiberglass were applied last.
The top was finished with Awlgrip polyurethane paint then bedded and bolted to the existing frame and arch. Glass was tinted to match the existing windows and a ceramic frit or border applied to keep the appearance of the factory frames..