outriggers and factory hard top

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jeffg

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This may be a question for center console owners as i am not sure if the pilot house/walkarounds have the same top (they may), but has anyone installed outriggers on a factory hardtop? I have tried to do some reasearch and the consensus I am getting is that it will be necessary to remove the fiberglass top from the frame and weld in mounting plates to the frame to absorb the tourque created from the outriggers. I thought a large backing plate might do the job but the factory top only appears to be about a 1/2" thick (i assume 1/4" plywood encapsulated in glass) and a squidbar on a long rigger creates a ton of drag. Incorporating the services of a marine metal fabricator doubles the cost of the job, but I want to do it right if I do it at all.

Any thoughts or personal experiences? I can snap some pictures of teh top if it would be helpful...

Jeff
 
Here are the outriggers I used. They take up the least cabin space and can hold 1.5" riggers. I used a 9" x 12" Starboard backing plate to distribute the load:

DCP_1125.jpg


DCP_1123.jpg


BTW, I had to custom make those wedges, which was done by a friend who had a wood shop.
 
John, b/c of your pics I have decided to order those riggers for mine. Thanks ! Do you have any pics of the haylards attached ? I would like to see the set up.
 
John, nicely rigged. Can you run two lines from each? What type of backing plates did you use? I think I'm going to order those.Thanks.
 
I went with an older (no longer made) set of Tournament brand outriggah mounts for my boat, only $60 from eBay. Taco Sport Slams are of a similar mounting type.

I positioned mine back towards the cockpit more than John did, for 2 reasons. 1) So I could deploy them from the cockpit and (2) for strength, as the mount straddles the verticle bulkhead, 2 bolts ahead and 2 aft of it. I used very hard 1/4" 316-L electropolished stainless steel as backing plates. Remember though, the main roof (inside of the "overhang") is about an inch+ thick, at the overhang it's ~3/8" glass layup.

You can't see it in the pictures, but the ring for the halyard attachment is mounted on the rear of that angled block the riggahs are mounted on. Works slick!
 

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Hi John. I am familiar with the Lee t-top mounts you have and I like them, although they require getting up on the gunnel on my friends' boats who have them, which on occasion can get a littel hairy. Still, I am considering those and taco grand slams.

My concern is that it is not an apples to apples comparison between a cc t-top and a pilot house hardtop because they later is built into the superstructure of the pilot house, so the whole thing is aborbing the tourque of the outrigger. oN a cc t-top, there are about 15 bolts holding the fiberglass to the frame. Not sure if that is enough...
 
jeffg":1rrk95vh said:
My concern is that it is not an apples to apples comparison between a cc t-top and a pilot house hardtop ... on a cc t-top, there are about 15 bolts holding the fiberglass to the frame. Not sure if that is enough...
Jeff, you're right ... we all missed addressing that point :roll: .

Here's thought ... is there a place on the CC top frame where a tube of the frame lies against the CC top material on the underneath? Is it in an area where you could mount the riggah mount above it?

Was thinking about using a large backing plate on the top of the CC top and then stainless steel "U" bolts (like used on trailers) that would go around the tube, from underneath, thru the glass top, and thru and hold the riggah mounts from the top. You could also design a "saddle" of starboard or nylon to staddle and bear agaisnt the top tubing where the "U" bolt goes around it.

Hey ... here's thought, contact Parker Marine's engineering department, they'll set you straight!
 
John, what angle did you use to taper those standoffs?

I have the same holders, and am re-rigging them this year to add a backing plate. I might as well add the leveling feet while I'm at it.

And yes, I do run two lines off the riggers.
 
Gerg: Sorry, but I completely forgot what angle those wedges are set at. I could have gone a little more as the outriggers have a slight outward tilt.

John
 
Parker engineering finally got back to me. Apparently, they farm out their t-top work on center consoles, so a different company is manufacturing the hard top portion of my top. So, parker wasn't sure how it was cored (balsa, plywood, foam, something else) and strongly recommended welding plates onto the frame structure to support riggers.
 
B-Faithful":8dog5ld7 said:
What size and length outriggers are you considering?

In my case, I want a set of 2" Lee Jr Wishbones mounted to the side of
the pilothouse with a set of 19' double-rigged poles.
Maybe next winter.... :(

Here is a set mounted on a Grady Sailfish.

Image-81C326FE673B11D9.jpg
 
I am only looking to add 15'ers and will probably go with an easy install of taco sport slams. I would assume the size rigger you go with would affect what type of base would be best for you. Obviously larger the diameter and lthe longer the ength will put more stress on your bases/boat.
 
Man, those Grady's got it all... :D

Greg, the rigger bases I had on the 204 were Taco Grand Slam. Those could be deployed from under the top so you didn't have to go out into the weather. The only downside is you have to cut a big hole (3" in diameter) in your top to install them.

I was very happy with those bases, it was the cheapy poles I used that I didn't really like.

Don Battin told me the general rule for top-mounted riggers is to size them so they stick out about 2' behind the transom. Of course that depends heavily on the angle that they lay back.

Based on your photo I think I would be looing to put the bases at about the halfway point on your hardtop. That way you could gain additional support for the mounting of the bases from the bulkhead that is located right there. Then go with 16' to 18' poles. I'll help you with the install if you want. I like cutting holes in my friend's boats... :D
 
gw204":1og40jaq said:
Man, those Grady's got it all... :D

Yea... everytime I go down to the yard, I look at the jewelry on that Sailfish and think it'd look much better on my boat. :wink:
I don't care for the satin finish rigger poles though. When I do mine, she is getting a set of polished poles. :D

gw204":1og40jaq said:
I like cutting holes in my friend's boats... :D

Oh... I know!

Image-A8AB2CC2A06C11D8.jpg-thumb_269_202.jpg
Image-A8AB9F8EA06C11D8.jpg-thumb_269_202.jpg


Image-A8ABEB02A06C11D8.jpg-thumb_269_202.jpg
Image-0EC282D7F14A11D8.jpg-thumb_269_202.jpg
 
Brian, I think the extended hardtop support has a backing plate between the rungs. i have seen on yachtworld that that is where they put 'em. I have to look at my top again but it may even be predrilled. Being the amount of time I use the riggers, I am not sure I want to drill the holes or spend the extra money on the grand slams over the sport slams. A lot of times rod riggers work just fine :wink:

Here is the support...
http://www.thehulltruth.com/photos/get-photo.asp?photoid=14284
 
Greg, It looks like Wiley is restricting access to photos.
Here is what we're seeing.

restricted-picture.gif
 
Here is the picture that shows the supports on the extended hard top. i will have to take a picture of the backing plate this weekend when it is 60+degrees :D

(I noticed the links to the albums were blocked on TF too)
 
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