'89 Sportfisher dual console panel

[stuarbc]

Need some help guys.....

First piece of work I wanna do on my new boat is get rid of this ugly panel. First thing that would come to mind is just to strip it and replace with starboard and then have some nice panels made and install.......BUT....

As You can see from the picture...the panel is very oddly shaped....and I do not believe Starboard will work due to the fact that you cannot glue it together....or at least so I have been told

Let me know if you guys have any ideas
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj187/stuarbc/console.jpg

[Bygracealone]

Just build the base out of plywood, fiberglass, sand, primer, paint and then fasten the starboard to the plywood. Or, don't even use starboard. Make the whole thing out of plywood, then fiberglass, cut out the holes for the instruments, sand, primer, and paint...

[stuarbc]

do you really get a nice finish like that?

[tsubaki]

I'll bet Stinks father can pull that dash off with Starboard!
That is a definate challenge.

[Bygracealone]

do you really get a nice finish like that?

Skool's did... Take a look at what he did to his 21 here:

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/community/showthread.php?t=5978&highlight=fiberglass&page=13

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/Skools_Out/Monoco%2021/21Boat-103.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/Skools_Out/Monoco%2021/21Boat-110.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/Skools_Out/Monoco%2021/21Boat-117.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/Skools_Out/Monoco%2021/21Boat-137S.jpg

[macojoe]

I agree with Bygracealone!! That might not be the easiest way but would give the best result!!
To use starboard or anything like that you are going to have to some how level the space then add the starboard.

How about removing the dash, sanding it, using some kind of putty to fill the cracks, and reshape the corners, paint and reinstall?? Maybe some 1/4 round wood under the edges for when you screw it back down? They even sell plastic dash that you cut and stick in cars, with wood like finish and stuff, would cover the old holes if you wanted to remove a gauge or something. Just a thought?

[CaptJJ]

Take the time and do it the right way with glass. It shouldn't be to hard just a little time consuming...... but you will be happy you did it.

[stuarbc]

I do like the look of that....but I just don't want to have to get into painting and putting on a gelcoat....b/c then Im going to want to do the whole boat and I just can't drop that kind of cash......yet lol

I think I am going to take out the old panel....and follow the contour of the console with some starboard and then have some nice switch panels made for me....I'll post some pics when I'm done

[Bygracealone]

FYI... Skool's didn't re-gelcoat... Just primer and paint...

[tsubaki]

Reason I was negetive about the way grace suggested , is it would take someone about as accomplished as Skools to do the glass work and figureing you was in Daphne, you would be near Stink. His father did some great work back some time ago with Starboard.

[stuarbc]

Took her down to Robinson Island in Perdido Pass for her first weekend out.....ran absolutely perfect! Took her out of the Pass into the gulf and she handled the fairly rough water amazingly.

Here's a pic of her on the beach!

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj187/stuarbc/Firstweekendatbeach.jpg

[stuarbc]

Finally got my new panel in from scott at VectorLED.com Gotta tell you guys...his work is amazing.....he worked with me to design the panel custom for my boat...from the measurements.....the heat bent material to fit the odd shaped panel....to engraving the wellcraft decals that I chose

The panel came out excellent...couldn't be happier and didn't drop a fortune also...

also....i included a picture of the new look.....I took the boat out in some rough water last weekend and the cobia tower wasn't put together as well as she looked....busted a weld. So I ended up deciding to take the whole thing down and have until next cobia season to figure out how to make her detachable........on that note....I now have an extra set of stearing, throttle, and gear cables....along with all the steering equipment and a dual handle throttle

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj187/stuarbc/IMG_1750.jpg

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj187/stuarbc/IMG_1751.jpg

[dbetterred]

Your new panel looks very nice. Better than factory. The wellcraft engravings make the piece. Very Nice! Too bad about the tower. Were you on top when the weld cracked?

[tsubaki]

Ditto what db said!!!
Leave the tower off and treat it as a hardtop!!
Add rodholders, curtains, etc.

[bcmarinamanager]

Love the panel too! How was the stability with that tower on there? I know the V's can be pretty rocky with such a deep v and farely narrow waterline beam. I like the concept though. As far as making it detachable, maybe have the ends of the top and the bottom of the tower rounded, and have one side or the other slotted to fit together with pins to hold them together? That way you just pull the pins and presto! the tower comes off. The controls would be another issue altogether though. Maybe hinge it to just fold forward. I'm looking at the possiblity of fabbing up a suedo-keel fin to mount just forward of mid-ships for better tracking, and also fabbing an extension to be mounted and bonded onto the chines for more lift and a drier ride.

[bcmarinamanager]

Oh I almost forgot. The reason your welds broke is probably from lack of angular support. The top should have some 45's welded in there to counter back and forth and side to side movement. With just the straight legs it doesn't stand a chance. CROSS SUPPORT!!

[stuarbc]

As for the tower....it was on when I bought the boat used a few months ago. The issue was the weight. There was a box that housed all of the steering and throttle components and it weighed a good 30-50 pounds with all of the equipment. Then, for some reason, there was a backboard made of solid wood that weighed about 30 pounds or so itself....I meant to take it off as it made no sense to have it on there.

Anyway....all that weight....along with no cross support......and crappy welds......the tower didnt stand a chance. I wanted to take it off anyway....it made trailering a pain in the butt!!

I wouldn't say that it made the boat more unstable....unless someone was up there....but it really wasn't that bad......but the boat feels tons lighter without it and actually got about 5 mph more out of her this weekend.

When the tower goes back up it will be detachable and will not have controls.....just a sighting tower!!

[stuarbc]

Any ideas for a material for the hard top?

Currently there is an ugly piece of some sort of plywood up there that is rotting away...of course (again...not my work....I am fixing all the previous owners short comings)

I know the obvious answer would be starboard....but that is awfully pricy.....was looking for other ideas....and thought about that compressed board stuff that they sell at lowe's for outdoor decks....that stuff is super strong, somewhat bendable, and weather resistant......was think that they may sell it in sheets that I could cut to fit the top....what do you think? other ideas?

[jackman1939]

I redid my 1988 V20 fisherman the easy way (and a little Polish ingenuity).
I removed the plastic instrument cluster form the center console, and figured out where I wanted the gauges to go. Then I cut out the plastic where the gauges were going to go (using an old steak knife and my propane torch). I used the cut out plastic to fill in where needed (again using the knife and torch).
On the upper right part of the dash, I added a push button for the horn, and on the upper left, I added a cigarette lighter socket.
When done, I sanded the unit, sprayed it flat black and covered it with that "no slip" black tape stuff that they sell at any marina.
See pictures for details.

I have not been on this site for a long time, and I forgot how to post pictures, so email me at [email protected] and I will email you the pics.

[spareparts]

for the hard top, you can purchase premade fiberglass sheets that are gel coated on both sides. teh local top shop builds theres like this. just order a size you need(check local fiberglass shops, they may have a layup table to make you one), then lay it over the top, mark and cut as needed, finsih up the edges withgelcoat on a brush. The top only nees to be 3/16-1/4 thick

[spareparts]

oops, I forgot you may wany to stand on the top later. Try the same thing with a local glass shop, get them to use coosa coring material and glass in some reinforcemnts. Try to keep the weight down as much as posible, it may cost more, but it will be worth it

[macojoe]

Starboard will also make a great top!! Just cut to size and router the edges. I think a sheet is 54" X 96" and 1/2" would be more then strong enough!! 1/4 is all you would need I am sure and its like $100 for a sheet of 1/4 maybe $200 for 1/2. And you can make all kinds of good stuff out of the extra.

Welcome back Jackman!!

[mauryc]

As as LSU Tiger from Baton Rouge, i'm hesitant to say anything positive to you :), but if the console isn't cracked, I'd remove it, wetsand it and paint it with a nice satin or gloss black. At least I'd give that a try before rebuilding it. Much less work.

Maury

[stuarbc]

I appreciate the effort.....but like a normal LSU fan....you are missing a few of the important details....ha Just kidding

But actually....the console is fine....its the hard top we were discussing

[tsubaki]

I'm still tryin to come up with something that is as durable as Starboard (I LOVE Starboard) but is paintable in order to add an antislip surface to it. Only thing imaginable is the glass sheet spare suggested. Do you feel that it might be possible to have to be up there?
If not, hell, have a canvas top made till you decide.
Do like the boat without the flying bridge.

[macojoe]

They make a non slip starboard and it comes in many colors also!