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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Really securing the pop top?

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takokichi
Captain

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USA
321 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/29/2005 : 17:02:04

Has anyone devised a way to really secure the pop top? I mean, like turn the boat upside down and shake kind of secure - almost. best I can come up with is padeyes in the deck and straps across the poptop

Edited by - on

Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2005 : 17:33:53

Yes. A fellow at the next marina over screwed, 5200'd, and fiberglassed his to the cabintop.

Brooke

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2005 : 17:33:56

CD sells dogs to add to the pop-top. you can add 2 sets rather easily.
one set with one dog either side of the companionway.

One set forward with one dog ether side of the centerline.

Maybe not what you have in mind but a substantial improvement none the less.

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2005 : 17:36:27

Curiosity got the better of me! Why would you want to do that?
Derek

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Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1768 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2005 : 18:52:31

Frank,

I don't see any dogs in either of your photos ... well, I guess I can just make out one of the knobs in your top photo, but I don't see the latches themselves.

Were you just showing where you would mount them, or am I missing something?

Edited by - on

takokichi
Captain

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USA
321 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2005 : 18:58:27

Thanks for the replies so far guys -

Here's the deal. We're racing the boat pretty aggressively. We do a weekly Wed night series and compete in the season series put on by the Gulf of Maine Ocean Racing Assocaition (GMORA). That series hosts races most weekends between June and the end of August.

Some of the races take the boat out in the ocean. One is an over night that puts you about 10 miles from the nearest point of land at its furthest, which generally occurs at around 0300. So - I'd really, really like not to have the pop-top come loose at an inopportune moment.

I'd also not like to seal it shut permanent b/c someday I'll sell this boat.

So - I have the dogs to hold the top down, but I don't trust them. But I don't want to glass the thing shut b/c I want to be able to sell the boat someday

Edited by - on

takokichi
Captain

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USA
321 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2005 : 19:01:48

From the GMORA awards dinner last fall - Second place, cruising class

Jessica and I race double-handed. More than that gets in the way with no spinnaker to deal with. (The date function on the camera was making things up)

Edited by - takokichi on 01/29/2005 19:07:41

KenO
Deckhand

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17 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2005 : 19:20:31

Is there a problem with the pop top opening up? The damm thing takes 2 men and a boy to open it, and the dogs (factory) self lock when you are trying to push it up. As In see it, the problem is making sure that the top stays up and locked to the mast when you are inside enjoying the added headroom. I have had pop tops on a Catalina 22 and a Newport Neptune 24, and never had water leaks or similar problems. Am I missing something as I consider the pop top a major plus.

Ken

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2005 : 19:25:10

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Buzz Maring
 Frank,

I don't see any dogs in either of your photos ... well, I guess I can just make out one of the knobs in your top photo, but I don't see the latches themselves.

Were you just showing where you would mount them, or am I missing something?

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Just showing the locations. I have no need for such a thing in Kansas.

Edited by - on

takokichi
Captain

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USA
321 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2005 : 19:33:07

I've never had a problem - knock on wood. But I can see the boat getting past 90 degrees. Its going to be a really bad day at that point, this boat having never been intented for such things, but it would get worse in a hurry if the top came loose!!

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2005 : 19:44:27

I have the CD pop-top power lifting kit. My top has 4 dogs, one in each corner. I use a pliers to tighten the bolts. If someone stands on the lid, you can get them really tight.

I've had Indiscipline 50 miles offshore and heeled to 45 degrees and never even thought about the poptop coming loose (thoughts were more about reefing). The 4 bolt setup is very secure.

Make sure you have carabiners or something like that securing the anchor locker and cockpit lockers clasps if you are sailing that aggressively. Make sure the fuel tank is tied down, too.

You have the stainless spreader sockets?

Edited by - on

takokichi
Captain

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USA
321 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2005 : 19:54:28

Jim -

Stainless spreader sockets and compression tubes. Have replaced cockpit locker hasps with screw down type and have a 'biner in the anchor locker. Fuel tank is strapped in place, too.

Edited by - on

KenO
Deckhand

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17 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2005 : 21:09:50

A neat way to hold the 4 nuts (with the large plastic grips) up and out of the way when putting a pop top up, is to use small tabs of velcro on the knut and cabin top. Loosen up the knuts, stick the velcro pieces together, and up goes the top without having to use your third hand to hold the things apart.

Ken

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 01/30/2005 : 09:03:20

You could drill two holes down through the pop top, on each side, and through the cabin roof, and then through-bolt the pop top to the cabin roof. If you want to use the pop top, just remove the bolts. When you sell the boat, you'd only have to fill four bolt holes.

Edited by - on

Mark Loyacano
Navigator

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USA
247 Posts

Response Posted - 01/30/2005 : 09:28:26

I removed the pop top extension arms and hardware from my boat, cleaned the mating surfaces and applied generous amounts of white silicone sealant to hold the top down. It needed weights on top of the boat to hold things in place while the silicone "set up". Wet paper towels were used to "shape" the silicone on the inside so it would look nice. To put it all back as before, slice through the silicone with a thin sharp blade and cleanup the surfaces again.

Steve Milby's advice is good too ... if I were going "offshore" the poptop would be through bolted on six or eight inch centers (the way a deck is set on a hull) and probably use epoxy instead of silicone.
By then, maybe it is time to think about a different boat, eh?

Edited by - Mark Loyacano on 01/30/2005 09:33:47

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 01/30/2005 : 10:03:27

The picture shows plenty of space to mount a barrel type slide lock. Either two on the corners or if space exist in the middle, one would lock the top down. It might have to be self made but could be done out of plastic or aluminum. A 3/16 or 1/4 inch full threaded bolt going through the block would screw into a predrilled hole where the trim piece is. It wouldn't have to penetrate more than a quarter inch to lock the top (depending on any shift play in the top).

If using some nylon or plastic materiel, no tapping would even be needed, just drill the barrel hole tight and let the barrel self tap. All that would be needed to unlock is a philips screwdriver. A piece of 1" aluminum angle would work if it were 1/4" stock and capable of supporting threads.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 01/30/2005 : 10:44:25

There appears to be enough room at the end of the four pop top hinge brackets to simply drill a hole straight through into the coach roof and secure with a detent pin. For a little extra strength, one could put a small SS "L" bracket at the point where the detent pin goes into coach roof to transfer the load to the underside of the roof.

Edited by - dlucier on 01/30/2005 10:51:41

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 01/30/2005 : 12:27:30

Don is right... simple fix

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Mark Loyacano
Navigator

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USA
247 Posts

Response Posted - 01/30/2005 : 13:40:43

It was because all the hardware up there was such an annoyance that I glued my top down, cleaned up the roof and simply enjoyed the better appearance :-)

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takokichi
Captain

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USA
321 Posts

Response Posted - 01/31/2005 : 09:46:57

Thanks for your thoughts, guys. I like the detent pin idea best, I think. I'll post pictures of whatever I get up to.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 01/31/2005 : 13:09:11

Ya know what?...I think I might use this pin idea and remove the stock dogs. Even though the current dogs are rubber tipped, it would be one less thing to conk my head on!

Edited by - on

jlguthri
1st Mate

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USA
93 Posts

Response Posted - 02/10/2005 : 17:04:07

This pulls it down pretty good:

I wish I had a picture of it with the top down, but you can see it mid way down and the clasp thing it screws into.
click on the picture to make it bigger...
http://westmouthbay.com/pictures/album07/0176440_R1_040_18A

i guess the more of them the better...

Edited by - jlguthri on 02/10/2005 17:07:51

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