'74 Tsunami Pilothouse and Rehab

[DonV]

Man o man......very nice!!!

[Handful in NC]

The cabin has 6' 5" head clearance in the middle and is an inch thick. At 6' 3", I've had enough head bumping and stooping!

[strick]

Your boat is super slick. I like the way your top slopes back. You obviously have put a lot of thought into it. When you are finished if you dont mind I would like to see exactly how much visibility you have from the helm and how the top is bolted to the top cap of the boat.

strick

[Bryan A.]

That thing is hot!!!!

Very nice.

[Handful in NC]

Strick, I'd be glad to show you the connection of the top to the top cap, and the cabin view, as soon as I do another photo session. Thank you so much for the complements. Your projects have been a inspiration and an incredible education.

[strick]

Thanks! I'm partners with a buddy on a 1973 Tsunami and in the past we have talked about doing a full fiberglass enclosure. That or a radar arch and removable full canvas. Yours is very nice and it's tempting to copy it.... EXACTLY!

strick

[Handful in NC]

Here are images of where the cabin joins the top plate. The cabin fits right into the flat previously occupied by the aluminum windshield frame, so the new cabin/top is truly a direct replacement.




The cabin was positioned to maintain a constant distance from the edge of the top plate on the exterior and this left a small interior gap of varying width. A 1/2" varnished teak quarter round molding will cover the gap. (The dangling wires will be secured when the engine wiring harness is installed.)




Here is the view more towards the bow. To soften the lines and to add a horizontal component, a varnished teak band is going to to cover this junction. I really like a touch of wood and am willing to pay the maintenance price. The teak will be installed for easy removal later. I'm at varnish coat number 5 and still going. Someone in one of the other threads said "There is no scrap teak." How true!!!




The engine wiring harness was short by 2 feet, so a new one had to be ordered, pushing the splash date back a week. That gave me an excuse to do some things that weren't essential for launch, but needed doing anyway. I installed the QL trim tabs (more on that later), placed headliner and teak trim in the forward cabin, installed the magic box (Garmin 740 that does it all), and finished wiring the electrical system. It's always a rush, and a little scary, the first time one powers up the elecrical system. Thankfully, there were no fireworks.

[strick]

Thanks for that. How will you be accessing the bow? is there a flush mount hatch that is not visible in the pictures? Page 2 had something that looked like one. Did you replace the headliner in the cabin your self? Tips on that would be nice as I still have to do that in my 25. How was the inside of the enclosure finished? sanded ? or something else?

Thanks for the documentation...really appreciate it but size your pics to 640x480 and they will be easier to see.

strick

[Handful in NC]

You get to the bow by walking around the cabin rather than through the front window. To make this easier, there are grab rails on the top, the cabin sides are canted inward slightly, and all deck hardware is flush mounted so there's nothing to stumble upon. All of this will be apparent in future photos.

I replaced the headliner myself. Go to www.sailrite.com and search for "headliner". I followed (mostly) their video installation instructions posted on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHLq6FxQiI0

I would suggest using new scissors - not ones ruined by cutting fiberglass - and having lots of fresh box cutter blades. The tip of the blade dulls quickly trimming against fiberglass and then the headliner pulls and tears instead of cutting cleanly. The scissors are better if you have access and clearance. I had better luck placing the headliner, marking the edges to be cut with a marker, pulling it away while the adhesive was still wet, and then trimming away the marked line with the scissors. (You may have to spray a coat of adhesive on the headliner backside if it doesn't want to stay in place after trimming.) The carpet type headliner material is actually pretty easy to work with and stretches a lot to compensate for mistakes and/or deal with irregularities. Start on vertical surfaces, or smaller areas, before you tackle a big piece like the overhead, to refine your technique and become familiar with the process. Seams are hard to perfect, so try to place them in areas where they are less visible.

It took me a couple of hours to do the forward cabin in the Tsunami, and half that was spent tryng to figure things out, and because I foolishly started out with the overhead. It was like working under a tent and very awkward, but one continuous piece did the entire overhead.

The interior cabin enclosure was finished with rolled gel coat and has a lightly textured surface, which looks clean and nicely finished. You can see the texture in the following image (as well as the small gap that is being caulked and covered with 1/2" teak quarter round molding).

[Handful in NC]

Oops. Trim tab issues. Lenco edge mount 12X12 tabs won't work without cutting holes in the bracket (though Capt Chuck did this on his 23' with good results). A 9" wide tab would allow the cylinder to fit outside of the bracket, but it still is quite high.





Solution: QL tabs. I'd never heard of these. Volvo Penta has a history of pushing the design envelope and these certainly are different. They basically have a blade that drops straight down and creates a hydraulic wedge. Installation is a challenge as they must mount to a perfectly flat surface so the housing isn't distorted, which jams the blade. (Yes, been there, done that.) One nice thing, the thin profile makes them impossible to smash at the dock. They are a perfect fit and work really well.