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jud
United Kingdom
113 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Jan 2020 : 17:42:00
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Happy new year to you all. I'm thinking about making a hardtop for my Norman 20 as the top
of the canopy is beyond repair. I'd like to utilise the canopy sides and
frame so I can still open up the back deck.
Any suggestions please?
Jud.
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MACH1
United Kingdom
22 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jan 2020 : 22:40:10
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mine been fitted with a land rover roof fits great right width
doug
DOUGLAS MARTIN |
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trevork
3949 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jan 2020 : 23:54:13
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| Where do you use your Norman 20 Jud?? I'd think carefully about limiting any cruising area by increasing your height. The beauty of the 20 is its go anywhere design. |
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Mad Harold
United Kingdom
228 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2020 : 18:12:42
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A very valid point.However,if you limit the height of your hardtop to the maximum height of the canopy you should be ok going through bridges and tunnells.
If memory serves,didn't Cliveshep make a hardtop for a little Norman,some years ago.It will be in the archives somewhere,but I can't find it. |
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Fred
2007 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2020 : 21:57:11
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Clive posted this in June 2017:
Your topic is locked so cannot post a reply. Perhaps Trevor shut the door on leaving?
Anyway, not a 23 but an old 18.5, essentially made it of 25mm thick white oak (you can use any good hardwood but I was trimming in oak on this boat) and bonded to the superstructure with Sikaflex because (a) the hard top is too springy and thin for screws and (b) it is double layer with the cabin moulding making it almost impossible to get between the skins.
The bond was so good I think you could almost have lifted the boat by it's wheelhouse, just two screws, one each side through the cockpit coaming to hold the side frames until the Sika cured.
Cheated on the framing - resin glue and biscuit joints, stainless screws and pellets, glass bedded on mastic tape as used in caravans, beaded with screwed oak beads.
I used my 1/2" collet Silverline router, a power plane, Hitachi circular saw, and Bosch jig saw along with a 3" Bosch belt sander and a Bosch pad sander plus of course a pistol drill and the cordless screwdriver.
The roof was a sheet of aluminium, sprayed white before fitting, bonded down to the curved oak roof bearers with Sikaflex, trimmed all round with painted aluminium angle "pop" riveted down. Before final fixing cables were run for the ceiling light, and compass light (the compass mounted on the windscreen centre mullion. Note - the folding mast on the cabin coach roof had to be high enough so the anchor light was still visible above the wheelhouse roof.
I treated myself to a brand new Janome sewing machine (recommended because the inside parts are metal unlike Singer which have plastic parts) to make the bunk cushion covers. I bought some blue vinyl covered pram hood material, literally for perambulators, to make the hood because it wasn't too heavy for the Janome to sew. It is simply a tonneau cover but Norman cockpits are not so large that there wasn't sufficient headroom with it fixed under the leading edge of the wheelhouse roof.
Maybe this will give you some ideas? Hope it helps.
Finally living the dream! |
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trevork
3949 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2020 : 22:59:08
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| That was a topic that took an unpleasant turn in comments. Possibly Ian may recall this. It is very rare that I either edit or delete anything from this forum. In this case I had no hesitation! |
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jud
United Kingdom
113 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2020 : 01:30:44
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I was thinking more of an easily demountable back deck cover with hard top and canvas sides, (maybe stow hardtop on cabin roof?). Headroom isn't a concern as screen doesn't drop and we're not tall people
I've recently sold my N23 after 5 years on the Staffy, so I know a bit about low bridges, but the 20 is on a trailer on my drive and I'm intending to do rivers when it's finished and I ain't got it wet yet.
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Edited by - jud on 05 Jan 2020 01:51:35 |
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stratford4528
United Kingdom
414 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2020 : 17:04:13
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| I have built a fold down centre cockpit on my 32. It works superb giving my clearance for bridges and tunnels and standing room when its up. |
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df
United Kingdom
5994 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2020 : 07:35:59
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How about designing something like the dawnie setup with pivoting support poles that can swing over to the cabin roof, at least the poles will take half the weight when shifting it.
NBAS--The communal colostomy bag of the boating community.
 Visit leomagill.co.uk |
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IanM
United Kingdom
2238 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 05:04:50
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quote:
Originally posted by df
How about designing something like the dawnie setup with pivoting support poles that can swing over to the cabin roof, at least the poles will take half the weight when shifting it.
NBAS--The communal colostomy bag of the boating community.
Visit leomagill.co.uk
I've always thought that the Dawny hinged roof was a great idea badly implemented. It's wobbly as hell in operation. |
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df
United Kingdom
5994 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2020 : 07:47:21
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quote:
It's wobbly as hell in operation.
Probably still easier than trying to lift it off without the arms, one of the few things I liked about the dawnie but as you say could be done better, maybe a bar across the roof fixed between the uprights to keep them at the same angle as each other as it moves.
NBAS--The communal colostomy bag of the boating community.
Visit leomagill.co.uk |
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cliveshep
Thailand
1324 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2020 : 13:32:07
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Mad Harold and Fred - just proves the point that getting older doesn't automatically mean dementia LOL. Well remembered. As for me, I remember right back to my early childhood, but I can walk from the living room out to the workshop and by the time I get there I've forgotten what I went out there for!
For those interested in the how-to's of re-building an old £165 E-bay wreck into something fairly pretty - here is the link to my Post Image Norman rebuild folder. Scroll down, loads of pics showing the wheelhouse construction and the finished article.
https://postimg.cc/gallery/1eewazcao/
Finally living the dream!
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Hard top for a 20
