another trawler conversion

[1dixie]

so I'm 70 years old, just retired and my wife told me to pick up a project to keep me busy. we'd had a 32' trawler a few years back but trailerable and easy to handle it wasn't. So I read about trawler conversions for compac 16s, picked one up on an ebay charity disposal auction for $795, in one piece cut out the entire cabin top and 18" of the outside seating area. Built a 48" tall pilot house out of 1/4" scrap mahogany marine ply. Used dry wall screws and steel mechanic's wire for my first effort at "stitch and glue". Fitst time ever using fiberglass cloth and resin. This stuff is "hateful" for a novice. Anyway, I have 6'2" of headroom when standing on the cement ballast. I'm proud of my progress and think some will be impressed at my radical disection and tall pilot house. Urethane glued three '95 ere F-150 xcab side rear glasses across the front ( 14 wide by 21 tall). the entire pilot house weighs less than the original section removed. I'll post some pics after I paint it. Gary

[frank]

Sounds great

Look forward to seeing the pictures!!

[deisher6]

Hey Dixie:  Looking forward to the pictures too... thanks for posting.
regards charlie

[Tim Gardner]

Well,Gary, where's the pics?

[Citroen/Dave]

Paint does not make a boat: pictures please before everything is covered up.

Thanks,
Dave

[brackish]

Yep, pics, without them it didn't happen.  However, I'm also just turning 70 and recently had my initial foray into the stitch and glue epoxy composite world.  I too believe the stuff is "hateful" for the novice and I fear my initial build did not take me out of that classification just made me more wary of getting involved again.  I did have to use a few drywall screws for stitching that were removed before glassing, but I used zip ties for most of the stitching and found them to be very easy to use and control glue gaps.

[Tim Gardner]

Hey Gary, Where are the pictures you promised?

TG