A27 Hard Top Project
Aesthetically if there's one thing I find slightly off about the Albin 27 I think it would be the forward angle of the aft sides of the pilot house. Is it me or is it just not....shipley? From the factory, the pilothouse for the Albin 27 was never fully enclosed. In fact it didn't extend over the entire cockpit, just over the helm and engine compartment hatches. If I could extend the pilothouse hardtop over the entire cockpit and most of the aft cabin, it would essentially create another 8x 10' living area. Under a covered cockpit, I could have a versatile living space that might serve multi-seasons as a catch all indoor/outdoor dining area. Next to designing the stand alone shower, building a hard top was key to maximizing the form and function of my Albin 27.
How Do I Get that Look...
the look like it belongs there?
Its no secret that as a matter of convenience, many owners have installed variations of fabric covers and bimini tops. Some owners even crafted hard tops that extended over the entire cockpit. Usually these designs involved flat expanses of plywood and fiberglass. Many hard tops require wood or metal ribbing and stringers on the underside of the top to give it rigidity, thereby greatly reducing headroom. Hard top leg supports are anything from 2/4 exotic woods to metal supports. I know one owner that used 1" stainless tubing at the aft end of the boat and amidships in the center of the cockpit near the engine bay hatches in a sort of "cockpit-stripper-pole" arrangement. Exciting! Great mods, I thought, but terrible aesthetics.
I made a few sketches as I worked out exactly what I wanted.
I made a few sketches as I worked out exactly what I wanted.
I wanted something that looked like it came from the factory, which meant it needed to match the lines of the pilothouse and hull in subtle ways. I also wanted to make use of any potential storage space underneath the very aft end of the hard top where it over hangs the aft cabin.
My hard top leg supports would be "columns" with storage bins or shelves. The leg supports for the hardtop had to match the sides of the pilothouse, otherwise it would look like an add-on. This meant there had to be some consideration of the leg angle and placement, as well as the "fillets" or "fancies"(curves near the top of the pilothouse). In addition the hard top is not square, tapering from approximately approximately midships to something narrower covering the aft cabin.
The hardtop need to match the camber of the original pilothouse, and match the outer-most curve of the roof edges and hull form. It had to be relatively light weight, so as to not add too much weight above the biat's center of gravity. And it had to be relatively easy to assemble on the boat, some 13" off the ground while on the trailer.
My hard top leg supports would be "columns" with storage bins or shelves. The leg supports for the hardtop had to match the sides of the pilothouse, otherwise it would look like an add-on. This meant there had to be some consideration of the leg angle and placement, as well as the "fillets" or "fancies"(curves near the top of the pilothouse). In addition the hard top is not square, tapering from approximately approximately midships to something narrower covering the aft cabin.
The hardtop need to match the camber of the original pilothouse, and match the outer-most curve of the roof edges and hull form. It had to be relatively light weight, so as to not add too much weight above the biat's center of gravity. And it had to be relatively easy to assemble on the boat, some 13" off the ground while on the trailer.
Option 1: leave the pilot house alone and add a hardtop with pipe or wood supports that match the pilothouse angle. Been done very successfully on many A27s. Considered a standard mod with variations in angle and type of hardtop supports.
Option 2: is modify the pilot house so the aft wall angle is vertical (second blue drawing). The windows would also be made to have an aft vertical angle. This would require a new piece of aft glass, add some coosa board to the pilothouse and adjust window trim. This would also allow an enclosure of the cockpit and fed cabin. The hardtop support would match the old pilothouse angle.
Option 3: in red, is a slightly more swept back look with a "fillet" to mirror the leading edge of the original pilothouse.
Option 2: is modify the pilot house so the aft wall angle is vertical (second blue drawing). The windows would also be made to have an aft vertical angle. This would require a new piece of aft glass, add some coosa board to the pilothouse and adjust window trim. This would also allow an enclosure of the cockpit and fed cabin. The hardtop support would match the old pilothouse angle.
Option 3: in red, is a slightly more swept back look with a "fillet" to mirror the leading edge of the original pilothouse.
Update: Winter 2015... still experimenting with the design of the hard top & pilothouse modification. I gace up on the idea of modifying the aft edge of the pilothouse. Instead I think the hardtop legs to match the slanted side and "fillets" of the pilothouse.
I've always been partial to Defever boats and older Grand Banks that have a distinctive side support or strut that works well with a fillet and pilothouse design. I always wondered what they were called and it turns out the supports are referred to as "fashion boards", "fancies, "style boards" or fashion plates. Some merely cosmetic and some are structural. I started thinking about making fashion plates as my hard top supports. Studying the lines it seems like the plates need to be moved forward. In this way the leading edges of the hardtop supports compliment each other.
These are the latest sketches on the pilothouse. The width is approximately 93" at the center line and I'm guessing I will need 96" long. That's two sheets of 1/2" coosa board which I will bend to a frame to get the slight camber. I plan to use my "staple & glue" method and then cover with fabric & glass similar to my sailboat pilothouse project. I've been on top of the existing pilothouse roof several times now during cleaning and it's pretty robust considering my 300lb gorilla carcass was up there. The coosa board will a light but stiff structure. Not sure if I will make the aft roof removeable or glass to the existing room.
I've always been partial to Defever boats and older Grand Banks that have a distinctive side support or strut that works well with a fillet and pilothouse design. I always wondered what they were called and it turns out the supports are referred to as "fashion boards", "fancies, "style boards" or fashion plates. Some merely cosmetic and some are structural. I started thinking about making fashion plates as my hard top supports. Studying the lines it seems like the plates need to be moved forward. In this way the leading edges of the hardtop supports compliment each other.
These are the latest sketches on the pilothouse. The width is approximately 93" at the center line and I'm guessing I will need 96" long. That's two sheets of 1/2" coosa board which I will bend to a frame to get the slight camber. I plan to use my "staple & glue" method and then cover with fabric & glass similar to my sailboat pilothouse project. I've been on top of the existing pilothouse roof several times now during cleaning and it's pretty robust considering my 300lb gorilla carcass was up there. The coosa board will a light but stiff structure. Not sure if I will make the aft roof removeable or glass to the existing room.
Building the Hard Top
My plan for building the Albin 27 hard top involved building a timber frame, and then bending pieces of coosa board around the frame. By applying fiberglass to the coosa board I would duplicate the camber and edges of the original hardtop and hopefully create a an extended hard top that looked like it came installed from the factory. My hard top would consist of a single top piece (approxmately 93" wide and 96" long) and two L-shaped legs (each approximately 12-18" wide on each side and 40" tall). The top piece would screw into the aft edge of the original pilothouse hardtop. The L-shaped triangular column legs would be thru-bolted to the aft cabin deck, and then to the underside of the hardtop. The L-shape would make the legs especially strong, and cosmetically make up the aft end and sides of the cockpit enclosure.
By using fiberglass covered coosa board bent over a frame that would later be removed, I hoped to create a smooth surface with gentle curves, uncluttered by traditional ribbing or stringers. This would maximize the headroom in the cockpit and give the entire space an open and airy feeling. The hard top would weigh approximately 80 pounds or less and the two support legs, under 20 pounds each.
By using fiberglass covered coosa board bent over a frame that would later be removed, I hoped to create a smooth surface with gentle curves, uncluttered by traditional ribbing or stringers. This would maximize the headroom in the cockpit and give the entire space an open and airy feeling. The hard top would weigh approximately 80 pounds or less and the two support legs, under 20 pounds each.
The aft edge of the original Albin 27 pilothouse has a teak piece of trim cut to match the camber of the deck and curve of the hard top edges. I used this trim piece to set my pattern for the lateral frame supports. The Albin 27 hardtop is approximately 93.5" inches wide at the aft most edge, and if you extend that plane back to cover the aft cabin, you realize it needs to be approximately 96" long at its longest point along the the center line of the boat. Perfect, this meant I could use two sheets of 48"x96" coosa board, seamed together. My frame was built using a nail gun and approximately six pieces of 1x2x" stock and four pieces of 1x6" in eight foot lengths. I cut the frames to match the aft edge trim piece, reducing the width slightly on each frame since I wanted the hard top to follow the curve of the hull. On the Albin 27, the hull is widest amid ships at the aft edge of the pilothouse and then reduces 1-2 inches to the aft edge of the aft cabin. I made three lateral frames: 93", 92" and 91" long respectively. I placed the second lateral frame approximately 48" from the first so the coosa board seams can be joined on top of something.
Why Coosa Board?
I chose coosa board instead of other fiberglass coring materials because I've consistently found it to be easier, cheaper, and more efficient to work with than other fiberglass coring materials such as plywood, Divinycell, balsa, honeycomb, AirEx, etc.
If you want to build a large hard top that is relatively cheap, light weight, easy to build, rigid enough to walk on, and has no ribbing or underside support frame, coosa board is the clear answer.
Plywood is heavy, and unless properly sheathed and waterproofed, it risks water deterioration in the long run. In my opinion marine plywood is not cheaper when you consider the total cost of time and materials.
The lighter foam cores and balsa are excellent for "sandwich" boat building, but they require large amounts of fiberglass resin to properly wet out and they can suffer a lack of compression stability. Some honey comb panels can be a challenge to bond to epoxy resin. Many of them really need to be constructed using vacuum bagging which doesn’t lend it self to the DIY garage boat builder. In addition you still have to “finish” the edges to give a proper look and you can’t “bend” the edges to match the existing pilothouse.
Coosa board on the other hand is already 30-40% lighter than plywood, it won't compress like structural foams, its rot proof, water proof, and bonds with fiberglass resins amazingly well. It costs slightly more than good quality marine plywood and it comes in a variety of thicknesses.
You can cut coosa board with hand tools, and in some instances thermo-mold it or bend it using relief cuts. Coosa board absorbs less than 1% moisture, so water will never be an issue. You don't have to seal the "end-grain" edges, or "hot coat" the surface to apply fiberglass cloth like marine plywood. You could literally paint bare coosa board and not even coat it with fiberglass or resin.
I like how you can sand or route the edges to a gentle curve or bull nose. It can be hand sculpted with a grinder or sander giving excellent complex curves or a custom fit. And most importantly, coosa board is extremely forgiving of sloppy cuts and measurements.
If you want to build a large hard top that is relatively cheap, light weight, easy to build, rigid enough to walk on, and has no ribbing or underside support frame, coosa board is the clear answer.
Plywood is heavy, and unless properly sheathed and waterproofed, it risks water deterioration in the long run. In my opinion marine plywood is not cheaper when you consider the total cost of time and materials.
The lighter foam cores and balsa are excellent for "sandwich" boat building, but they require large amounts of fiberglass resin to properly wet out and they can suffer a lack of compression stability. Some honey comb panels can be a challenge to bond to epoxy resin. Many of them really need to be constructed using vacuum bagging which doesn’t lend it self to the DIY garage boat builder. In addition you still have to “finish” the edges to give a proper look and you can’t “bend” the edges to match the existing pilothouse.
Coosa board on the other hand is already 30-40% lighter than plywood, it won't compress like structural foams, its rot proof, water proof, and bonds with fiberglass resins amazingly well. It costs slightly more than good quality marine plywood and it comes in a variety of thicknesses.
You can cut coosa board with hand tools, and in some instances thermo-mold it or bend it using relief cuts. Coosa board absorbs less than 1% moisture, so water will never be an issue. You don't have to seal the "end-grain" edges, or "hot coat" the surface to apply fiberglass cloth like marine plywood. You could literally paint bare coosa board and not even coat it with fiberglass or resin.
I like how you can sand or route the edges to a gentle curve or bull nose. It can be hand sculpted with a grinder or sander giving excellent complex curves or a custom fit. And most importantly, coosa board is extremely forgiving of sloppy cuts and measurements.
Once the frame was built I did a dry fit on the boat just to ensure that my overall measurements we good. I was able to screw the frame directly into the fiberglass aft edge of the original pilothouse hard top. The frame was support by two jack stands placed on the aft cabin, which allowed me to adjust the height in increments.I didn't want the hard top to too be narrow/wide, or too low, or have it stick out too far at the aft most corners by the rear of the aft cabin. A key measurement was ensuring that the hardtop would cover the cockpit seats right in front of the aft cabin. I didn't want to get wet during a morning rainstorm while one day sipping my coffee.
I estimated that the entire hard top project would require three full sheets of 1/2" thick 4x8' Coosa board Bluewater 26. Two sheets to make the hard top, and one sheet to make the support legs. To get the curves on the sides of the hard top I cut a series of 1/4" deep relief cuts and then used a wood clamp and open jaw pliers to bend each cut until it the board conformed to the lateral frames. The beauty of using this method is that the underside of the hard top remained smooth.
I estimated that the entire hard top project would require three full sheets of 1/2" thick 4x8' Coosa board Bluewater 26. Two sheets to make the hard top, and one sheet to make the support legs. To get the curves on the sides of the hard top I cut a series of 1/4" deep relief cuts and then used a wood clamp and open jaw pliers to bend each cut until it the board conformed to the lateral frames. The beauty of using this method is that the underside of the hard top remained smooth.
The relief cuts were eventually filled with thicken epoxy and sanded smooth giving the curved edges of the hard top considerable strength. This is where coosa board really shines. Because you can sculpt the material with a grinder or sander, it possible to get sweeping curves and remove the unsightly "hard edges" that affect many post production hard tops. The hardtop was seamed using my "staple and glue method". By forcing thickened epoxy into the seam between the two sheets and then stapling them together I created a smooth joint which would sanded before fabric was applied.
Once the curved sides were set and sculpted, I laid a single layer consisting of two pieces of 6 oz bi-axel fiberglass cloth laterally across the hard top so that the two pieces overlapped over the center seam which joined the two 4x8 sheets. Multiple layers of bi-axle cloth was draped over the open aft corners. Once the initial cloth on the top side of the hard top had dried, I flipped the it over and applied more layers to the underside. Fiberglass layers on the underside are what give the hard top it's strength.
The underside of the hardtop received 2-3 layers of 6oz cloth. But since the cloth was approximately 60” wide, I was able to double layer it in the center, building up at least 6 layers along the center seam. Meanwhile the corners were filled in with thicken epoxy, built up to a match the hardtop’s overall ½” thickness. The hardtop was then removed from the frame entirely and dry fitted a second time on the boat. This time, I needed to determine the height of the hard top and the how tall the support legs would be. Having studied the original line drawings for the boat, and numerous DIY hard top projects on other Albin 27 boats, I suspected the original pilot house roof sloped aft. Many Albin 27’s have hard tops that are “too level” for my tastes. They assume the pilothouse roof is parallel to the ground, which it’s not.
By using two boat stands on the aft cabin top, I determined an optimum height of approximately 36” off the aft cabin deck at approximately eight inches aft of the forward aft cabin edge. This gave the boat a sleek sloping roof. Because the underside of the hardtop had no ribs or stringers, there ample 6’+ headroom throughout. Dry fitting the hard top a second time also confirmed the right angle along the stern edge, as well as the correct camber along the aft edge of the pilot house. Immediately it was obvious that the hard top was a massive improvement over the fabric bimini.
By using two boat stands on the aft cabin top, I determined an optimum height of approximately 36” off the aft cabin deck at approximately eight inches aft of the forward aft cabin edge. This gave the boat a sleek sloping roof. Because the underside of the hardtop had no ribs or stringers, there ample 6’+ headroom throughout. Dry fitting the hard top a second time also confirmed the right angle along the stern edge, as well as the correct camber along the aft edge of the pilot house. Immediately it was obvious that the hard top was a massive improvement over the fabric bimini.
To determine the height of the hard top leg supports, I designed a coroplast plastic pattern which consisted of separate tops and bottoms that matched the forward sloping angle of the aft edge of the pilothouse. Coroplast is a plastic composite similar to cardboard in that it has a honeycomb interior. Its must more rigid than standard cardboard, and next to artists foam board is an excellent pattern making material.
By joining the coroplast pattern in the middle with two adjustable bolts in a pair of slots, I created an adjustable pattern that could expanded and contracted to get just the right height. These supports match the exact angle of the aft edge of the pilothouse. Once I had one leg support done, it was simple matter of flipping the pattern to create the opposite side leg support.
By joining the coroplast pattern in the middle with two adjustable bolts in a pair of slots, I created an adjustable pattern that could expanded and contracted to get just the right height. These supports match the exact angle of the aft edge of the pilothouse. Once I had one leg support done, it was simple matter of flipping the pattern to create the opposite side leg support.
Fancy Columns
Whereas the pilothouse edge was 10 ½” wide, the supports would be 14” wide on each side. I originally wanted 16”, but the two opening hatches I installed in the aft cabin top got in the way. I’ve dubbed these leg supports for the hard top: “fancy columns”. Fancy boards are the proper names for the2D flat supports seen on classic Grand Banks or Defever trawlers. They’re generally panels cut at an angle with curved fillets or "fancies" at the top and bottom, then fixed to the deck and hard top. My fancy columns are the same thing, but a 3D triangular column. My fancy columns were constructed from patterns—basically a side panel and an aft panel, with an upper and lower fillet on the aft panel and a single upper fillet facing forward on the side panel. When the two panels are joined along their inner edge, they form a column with a cross section like an “L.” A facing panel can then be added to completed the triangular column.
To construct the fancy columns, I joined them at the inner edge with epoxy, using scrap pieces of coosa board cut at the proper angle to mimic the aft edge of the aft cabin. This angle is not 90 degrees but closer to 100-110 degrees at each corner. Once the initial joint set, I was able to remove the scrap pieces and lay in a thick fillet for the inside joint of each column. I then covered the inside of the column with two layers of 6oz fiberglass cloth. I also installed a length of ¾” PVC pipe as conduit for future electrical wires for any overhead/stern lamp lighting. A piece of ¾” thick coosa board served as the base and top of each column, in a triangle shape approximately 14”x14”x22”. Each column was designed to have three storage bins, so I added two shelves to each column, and then a facing with storage bin cutouts. The bin cutouts were 7x10". with 2" radius curves, angled to match the slant of each column.
To construct the fancy columns, I joined them at the inner edge with epoxy, using scrap pieces of coosa board cut at the proper angle to mimic the aft edge of the aft cabin. This angle is not 90 degrees but closer to 100-110 degrees at each corner. Once the initial joint set, I was able to remove the scrap pieces and lay in a thick fillet for the inside joint of each column. I then covered the inside of the column with two layers of 6oz fiberglass cloth. I also installed a length of ¾” PVC pipe as conduit for future electrical wires for any overhead/stern lamp lighting. A piece of ¾” thick coosa board served as the base and top of each column, in a triangle shape approximately 14”x14”x22”. Each column was designed to have three storage bins, so I added two shelves to each column, and then a facing with storage bin cutouts. The bin cutouts were 7x10". with 2" radius curves, angled to match the slant of each column.
The fancy columns were screwed together and epoxy laid into the corners and all joints. Because I planned to add some interior LED lighting and a stern lamp on the aft edge of the hard top, I installed conduit along the back inner corner of each column. The columns measured 14x14" on the sides. and approximately 18" across the front, at about 36" tall. The base and top of each column was constructed of 3/4" coosa fiberglassed board, and would be bolted to the hardtop and cabin top via 5/16" bolts.
Final prep of the hardtop consisted of fairing the top and bottom side. I've found a quick way to fill in the surface of coosa board during finishing. I use Sherman Williams Fast Flow Glaze, which is a glazing finish that flows much better than Bondo or similar products. You can skim coat the coosa board or fiberglass to fill int he weave. It dries in about 20 minutes and sands perfectly with little effort. The hardtop was primed with Original Killz primer, and was then coated with White Gloss Rustoleum Marine Topside paint to match the rest of the pilothouse and deck. On the aft edge of the hardtop, I added a small raised block where I will mount the LED stern light.
Working with coosa board continues to provide impressive results. Once the coosa board is sanded with 220 grit and receives a primer coat, you can easily see pinhole imperfections in the surface. In cases where my fiber glassing skills were lacking, I easily repaired the surface with Flow Glaze (bondo) and then sand smooth. Final painting of the fancy columns and hard top required about a gallon of Rustoleum Marine Topside paint. Then I mounted the new stainless steel grab rails and everything was ready to go.
The stainless grab rails are a piece of art themselves. After removing all the original teak hand rails and I had serious reservations about remounting all that teak. Yes, its beautiful, but the it so much work to keep it looking good. I was able to locate a marine fabrication shop in the Detroit area that produced fantastic quality stainless grab rails, custom built to dimensions I gave them. My rails are 7/8" stainless tubing, with 90" down angles and drops usually at 16-18". The bases of the grab rails have 1 1/4" washers welded in place, tapped for 1/4" bolts, making for an extremely clean install. Now the entire boat will have stainless grab rails from stem to stern.
The stainless grab rails are a piece of art themselves. After removing all the original teak hand rails and I had serious reservations about remounting all that teak. Yes, its beautiful, but the it so much work to keep it looking good. I was able to locate a marine fabrication shop in the Detroit area that produced fantastic quality stainless grab rails, custom built to dimensions I gave them. My rails are 7/8" stainless tubing, with 90" down angles and drops usually at 16-18". The bases of the grab rails have 1 1/4" washers welded in place, tapped for 1/4" bolts, making for an extremely clean install. Now the entire boat will have stainless grab rails from stem to stern.
The final hardtop weighs approximately 100 pounds. The individual fancy columns are about 25lbs a piece. Everything came together perfectly, thanks to the all the dry fitting and pattern making early on in the build. I secured the new hardtop to the old pilothouse hardtop along the leading edge using eight 1/4-20 stainless lag bolts. The fancy columns were mounted to the cabin top using 5/16" bolts approximately 2" long, three per leg, and another three bolts per leg on top. The end result is a rock solid hardtop that looks and feels like an original component of the boat.
I have to say this project, while one of the longest in planning and construction, yielded some of the best results so far. The first thing I noticed after installing the hardtop was that the cockpit seemed much bigger than before. Because the entire overhead was bright glossy white, its now open and airy. The original bimini top really made the cockpit feel "closed in" and the new hardtop has the opposite effect.There's massive storage inside each fancy column for smaller items such as dock lines and life jackets. Overhead above the aft end of the aft cockpit there's plenty of room to store fishing rods, or a boat hook clipped to the ceiling. In addition, its now easier than ever to get into the boat, because the entire side of the boat is open and you have overhead grab rails. In the future I will add drop down bug screens or winter/summer sides which should turn the cockpit into a 3-4 season living room.