Replacing Canvas With Hardtop...

[DougLas]

Here is a thought to throw in. Surf boards are made of foam then covered in fiberglass. Seems like a way to form a hard top out of foam with some wood framing. Then fiberglass it.

 

[firecadet613]

Would anyone have any pictures of custom hard tops on Sundancers 320, 340, 380?
I'm looking for some design ideas for my planned conversion on my 340.

I've found a fibreglass shop that can do the work and they already did a 340 conversion a few years ago.

I'm looking to get something like this added to my 340 this winter.

Looks like a hardtop off a Formula.

 

[jmauld]

View attachment 71964 Building molds for FRP structures is very labor intensive and each boat model and size would require a different mold. Custom work is what you likely would be looking at along with additional support.
The obvious solution these days would be carbon fiber structures for the weight savings but the cost of laying up those structures would be prohibitive. Most economical tops are going to be canvas even though there is built in obsolescence.
I’ve designed a new top for my 44DB to be done in Carbon fiber. I estimate at least 150 man hours in building a modle, then a mold and then the part. Materials would approach $1000 and that’s doing it myself. Instead I bought a commercial sewing machine and am teaching myself canvas fabrication. I now have a very real appreciation for professional canvas fabricators!

I just had my new canvas built and there are tick marks/numbers printed on the bottom side. I think They used some kind of automated equipment to do the layout and cutting of the material.