BB:
Yuh, it's an Atlantic Towers, the small one. I wanted to install it myself, wanted a hard top, elec. box, 2" tubes, and, most importantly, one with feet that were multiples-of-16-inches apart. (The boat's ribs are 16 inches apart). It wasn't easy putting it in the boat last spring. Running wires was the worst part. I love it.
But I got awfully cold out at SW Ledge a couple of weeks ago and decided my Xmas present to me would be an enclosure, ready to go before March. I have a little Coleman propane heater at Wal-Mart that worked great to thaw finger tips but in a 360 degree enclosure it should be at least a little warmer than the outside world. I don't want to cremate myself with alcohol or white gas.
BTW, the best part of the whole rig is, to me, the leaning post. It's a custom one from Nautical Design in PA. It has two tackle lockers and six tackle/gear drawers (all with locking doors), room for a big cooler aft, removable seat back with 4 rocket launchers, GG Schmidt folding footrest, map storage locker, sliding cutting board. It's fantastic. I Installed some LED lights in it, too, and a fire extinguisher holder. AND, my downriggers stow inside it, just forward of the cooler (they're a pain in the butt when you don't have a place to get them out of the way).
Check out
www.nauticaldesigninc.com for some nice stuff. Mine's the LPC model, with modifications.
Don:
Wife keeps telling me she can build one but she seems to have a motivation problem over actually doing it. I think I could jimmy one up, too. I got her a commercial sewing machine years ago that'll do the sewing in canvas and Lexan. I'm at the stage of seeing what a professionally built one will cost. I'll haul up to Warwick and get an cost idea from Peter in a week or so.
The problem with DIY is getting the right parts: snaps, zippers the right length and sizes, fasterning strips, and so forth.
I have drawn what I want, and it'll have zippers in several places, and zippers to attach/detach pieces. I want to connect the forward enclosure to back pieces that'll connect to the leaning post so that I'll have 360 degrees of Lexan/canvas. Then I'll take the back off in the warm weather.
Anyway, thanks for your ideas, guys. I'll think through the DIY Lexan system BB talked about. I've worked with Lexan on the plane and it's good stuff.
Believe it or not, I have yet to get wet from spray in that little thing. But I'm sure I will. The bow design actually works--how straaaaaange is that: a boat maker's claim that might actually be TRUE!!!
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