Cockpit Hard Spray Dodger kit moves to a final stage

As it turned out we glassed the top surface with close weave 6oz glass cloth and our laminating epoxy (thin) it really stablised the 15mm thick laminated Superform Bending ply core,with the lower surface now sheathed,the sandwich will be very stiff and well able to take the weigt of a man or women walking on top of it,the whole structure is very ligt weight without the use of conventional balsa,airex or nidacores and at a fraction of their prices. too.


Note the Lewmar # 30 deck hatch combing is now bonded and a nice epoxy fillet has been added,when sanded and painted,it will look like part of the roof surface.

We now reach the epoxy saturation (surface coats) stage,this stablises the surface and allows fine sanding for later epoxy paint coatings.The next stage with the canopy roof is to turn it over and apply the close weave glass cloth,this will stiffen the roof up,once the roof is bonded to the sub structure,the roof top will receive the same glass cloth finish.


We have now epoxied the lower ply frames together,the roof will be fixed next week,which will be followed by the addition of epoxy fillets and various hardwood corner pieces.


We supply Lewmar quality marine equipment with many of our kits.


A Lewmar low line hatch,which has the 8mm polycarbonate infill instead of the 12mm infill found in the Ocean range,in this case we are just looking for a water tight hatch to give ventilation when its hot outside,so the Lewmar Low Line deck hatch series is perfect.

At this stage the panels are self supporting,they have not been glued together at all,just a few screws placed on the lower ply edges keep it all together,when we epoxy glue it and finish with fibre glass tape,sand and epoxy fair the tapes,no sign of how it is held together will be visible.


The intention had been to have the front window pane as an opening one,second thoughts say that this compromises the companion way below and also any instruments kept in the space behind it,a rethink says that Lewmars low line deck hatch size number 30 will suit just fine,it will allow light in when its closed and air and light when open,the hatch trim in 15mm marine ply now becomes part of out kit.


One or two days away from being glued up,then its the epoxy saturation and marine coatings from International Paints.


The space inside is huge,lots of space for a mini chart table and your nav instruments,a set of rear doors could make this a very dry and secure area.


Our hard spray dodger kit,dry assembled.

We started this a year back,its designed to suit yachts or boats from around 40 to 45ft,it could be re scaled up or down of course.We are now working on the final product,at act number eight attempts to get the design basics right,even the CNC cut 15mm marine plywood was found to require a final adjustment,some of which you can see in the pictures.

The options will be to have a finished unit,painted or otherwise,tempered glass or polycarbonate,front opening hatch for ventilation,or we supply as a flat pack kit,you assemble,thats the side and front marine plys,the jig to shape the roof,the Superform bending plys,glazing templates,epoxies,glass cloth,tapes and screws,we can ship in a flat pack world wide.