Hello,
Several sailors have asked us for photos of our polycarbonate structure, which allows us to "walk" on the roof, maintain the solar panels, install rows of multicolored LED lights, and, most importantly, protect ourselves while sailing in rough weather.
Here are some photos of this 316 stainless steel structure, composed at the front of 3x3 L-shaped bars, all 3mm thick, and 3cm x 3cm x 3cm U-shaped bars.
First arch: L-shaped bar backed against a U-shaped bar.
Second arch: two U-shaped bars backed against each other.
Third arch: U-shaped bar backed against an L-
shaped bar. Rear: U-shaped bars
. As you can see, the U-shaped bars create tracks for the polycarbonate panels.
For the roof, we used 3mm flat bars, 3cm wide.
I felt the "metal look" was too harsh. So I covered the arches and most of the stainless steel with resin and fiberglass fabric, using fiberglass powder for the rounded edges (fill) to try and give it a cohesive look. My technique leaves something to be desired, but the principle is sound. This also allows me to run the power cables for the solar panels, lights, etc., through the uprights.
You'll notice that the stern is reinforced with round bars and further strengthened by mid-height supports. This is for suspending the dinghy, and I recommend this setup. I reused 2mm thick round bars from my old installation. I suspend the dinghy and then, using stainless steel ratchet straps, I secure it to the aft bench seat bars (this photo was taken before I realized that the dinghy can be lowered quite low without any problem, thus improving visibility). The only drawback is that you have to lower the dinghy to lower the swim platform bench, but it's rare (almost never!) that you'd want to do this while underway.
I should point out that without Laurent Vincens, this project would never have seen the light of day. His ability to bend stainless steel U-shaped bars and perform all the welding on-site clearly demonstrates that you'll need a skilled professional for this type of project.
Lastly, the railing is 4 cm square except for the openings, which are reclaimed. My wife is right, 3 cm square would have been sufficient, but experience has shown us that this provides very useful protection against the "harbor mishaps" of novice sailors. I can assure you that sailing with this type of protection allows you to go on deck with complete confidence, and as far as I'm concerned, the usual railings with mid-thigh wires are a disgrace because they are very dangerous. Our railing also allows us to rig nets to prevent the loss of equipment and to secure our fuel reserves, etc., during long passages.
The budget for materials is around €20,000, not including labor, which is around €30,000. 316 stainless steel is expensive, and Palsun is not cheap at all! But I was able to benefit from contacts, as you may have. Laurent estimates he spent a good 15 days preparing and 15 days installing this project, an additional cost if you don't have the resources. I got a quick estimate from a shipyard who quoted over €50,000 for this type of custom work, so I declared this figure to my insurer.
We could sell the boat tomorrow by restoring it to its original condition because we made sure to use ONLY the existing holes from the old railing installed by Beneteau. This explains the plates at the base of the arches. On the stern, we added stainless steel plates to reinforce the structure and, more importantly, to allow us to suspend a life raft and the dinghy's outboard motor.
Finally, if anyone wants to undertake a similar project on a 45-footer, I'm happy to assist you with your project in the form of advice.
Photos
Several sailors have asked us for photos of our polycarbonate structure, which allows us to "walk" on the roof, maintain the solar panels, install rows of multicolored LED lights, and, most importantly, protect ourselves while sailing in rough weather.
Here are some photos of this 316 stainless steel structure, composed at the front of 3x3 L-shaped bars, all 3mm thick, and 3cm x 3cm x 3cm U-shaped bars.
First arch: L-shaped bar backed against a U-shaped bar.
Second arch: two U-shaped bars backed against each other.
Third arch: U-shaped bar backed against an L-
shaped bar. Rear: U-shaped bars
. As you can see, the U-shaped bars create tracks for the polycarbonate panels.
For the roof, we used 3mm flat bars, 3cm wide.
I felt the "metal look" was too harsh. So I covered the arches and most of the stainless steel with resin and fiberglass fabric, using fiberglass powder for the rounded edges (fill) to try and give it a cohesive look. My technique leaves something to be desired, but the principle is sound. This also allows me to run the power cables for the solar panels, lights, etc., through the uprights.
It's made of 5mm polycarbonate on the roof and sliding panels, using PALSUN material with a UV-resistant coating (the same used for bulletproof car windows). The front curves are 3mm thick, which is more than sufficient given our experience with sea spray, as the curves reinforce the structure. I've never been able to bend 5mm or 4mm polycarbonate because it's a complex shape, including the cutting process, which took two days just to calculate the shapes. Side protection can be installed as an option (we've never felt the need for it). If you want to install polycarbonate side panels (which require lateral reinforcement) and make them slide, be careful to maintain the same distance, down to the millimeter, along the entire length of the U-shaped sections.
You'll notice that the stern is reinforced with round bars and further strengthened by mid-height supports. This is for suspending the dinghy, and I recommend this setup. I reused 2mm thick round bars from my old installation. I suspend the dinghy and then, using stainless steel ratchet straps, I secure it to the aft bench seat bars (this photo was taken before I realized that the dinghy can be lowered quite low without any problem, thus improving visibility). The only drawback is that you have to lower the dinghy to lower the swim platform bench, but it's rare (almost never!) that you'd want to do this while underway.
I should point out that without Laurent Vincens, this project would never have seen the light of day. His ability to bend stainless steel U-shaped bars and perform all the welding on-site clearly demonstrates that you'll need a skilled professional for this type of project.
Lastly, the railing is 4 cm square except for the openings, which are reclaimed. My wife is right, 3 cm square would have been sufficient, but experience has shown us that this provides very useful protection against the "harbor mishaps" of novice sailors. I can assure you that sailing with this type of protection allows you to go on deck with complete confidence, and as far as I'm concerned, the usual railings with mid-thigh wires are a disgrace because they are very dangerous. Our railing also allows us to rig nets to prevent the loss of equipment and to secure our fuel reserves, etc., during long passages.
The budget for materials is around €20,000, not including labor, which is around €30,000. 316 stainless steel is expensive, and Palsun is not cheap at all! But I was able to benefit from contacts, as you may have. Laurent estimates he spent a good 15 days preparing and 15 days installing this project, an additional cost if you don't have the resources. I got a quick estimate from a shipyard who quoted over €50,000 for this type of custom work, so I declared this figure to my insurer.
We could sell the boat tomorrow by restoring it to its original condition because we made sure to use ONLY the existing holes from the old railing installed by Beneteau. This explains the plates at the base of the arches. On the stern, we added stainless steel plates to reinforce the structure and, more importantly, to allow us to suspend a life raft and the dinghy's outboard motor.
Finally, if anyone wants to undertake a similar project on a 45-footer, I'm happy to assist you with your project in the form of advice.
Photos
