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Greg Guimond
07-15-2014, 01:12 PM
I know very little about fiberglass layup techniques and I know that are lot of you guys have done it all. Capevettes thread about his cover getting blown off got me thinking. If someone wanted to make a full cockpit cover out of fiberglass what could it/should it/would it weigh in at if it were vacuum bagged and infused using current materials. Not money no object space age stuff but very high quality and costly production stuff.

It would need to be strong enough to take a rogue wave coming across the bow on occasion too. And yes, I'm thinking of the old driver only zipper race covers on our old Donzi 16s which along with 5 straight days of rain got me to wonderin.

What would one weigh, with a slight crown to run water off?

gcarter
07-15-2014, 01:27 PM
Sorry, but I wouldn't touch that w/a 16', 18', or 22' pole!:)
Maybe I'm not understanding what, exactly, you have in mind.....do you mean something like a deck w/sides that would lower down over your deck?

Ghost
07-15-2014, 02:58 PM
107 lbs.

Greg Guimond
07-15-2014, 03:18 PM
Sorry, but I wouldn't touch that w/a 16', 18', or 22' pole!:) Maybe I'm not understanding what, exactly, you have in mind.....do you mean something like a deck w/sides that would lower down over your deck?

A gentleman I thought might have a comment. I'm kinda creating this as I go but ...... think of a normal co_kpit cover Mr. Carter for any 16/18/22 that is held in place via all those snaps around the perimeter that tear and corrode and that has the old style "wood slats" underneath, to crown the cover and let the water run off. Now replicate that but in fiberglass. There would be no "sides" per se, and no rain lip sides or gutter required like my rumble seat hatches, just the 1" thick (is that enough?) fiberglass roughly identical in length and width to a canvas cover although it would rest inside the grab rail.

It would need to be bagged and probably have a couple of strength ribs imbedded.

aseredin87
07-23-2014, 04:56 PM
I know very little about fiberglass layup techniques and I know that are lot of you guys have done it all. Capevettes thread about his cover getting blown off got me thinking. If someone wanted to make a full cockpit cover out of fiberglass what could it/should it/would it weigh in at if it were vacuum bagged and infused using current materials. Not money no object space age stuff but very high quality and costly production stuff.

It would need to be strong enough to take a rogue wave coming across the bow on occasion too. And yes, I'm thinking of the old driver only zipper race covers on our old Donzi 16s which along with 5 straight days of rain got me to wonderin.

What would one weigh, with a slight crown to run water off?

Like the idea.
Vacuum form with plastic sheets would be sturdy enough, probably wouldn't hold more than 50 lbs but your not going to walk on it and it probably would weight less than your cockpit cover. Just a standard video of how it works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3LVPRHmkcU

Conquistador_del_mar
07-24-2014, 12:27 PM
Along the lines of cockpit tonneau covers, my 1971 Donzi 18' has had the same cover since it was a new boat. I used to pull the boat with the tonneau snapped down from Dallas to Miami, etc. with no problem. It is an extremely thick vinyl with a cloth backing and is as tight as Dick's hatband when snapped down. In rain, a little water would sneak under the leading edge going down the highway, but not much.

Conquistador_del_mar
07-24-2014, 12:48 PM
Here is a link to the tonneau cover on my 1971.

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?52903-1971-18-2-3-getting-started&p=499297#post499297

Greg Guimond
07-24-2014, 01:29 PM
Like the idea. Vacuum form with plastic sheets would be sturdy enough, probably wouldn't hold more than 50 lbs but your not going to walk on it and it probably would weigh less than your canvas cockpit cover.

A fixed vacuum bagged cover is what I was thinking but I guess as you say the correct technique is called "vacuum formed". I did not realize that the technology has advanced to where it might weigh less than a 16s canvas cover would. Wow!

aseredin87
07-24-2014, 04:02 PM
A fixed vacuum bagged cover is what I was thinking but I guess as you say the correct technique is called "vacuum formed". I did not realize that the technology has advanced to where it might weigh less than a 16s canvas cover would. Wow!

Yea its pretty cool the only issue is you need an oven big enough to heat the plastic, if your going to build your own form. LOL