*THE HULL TRUTH is the world's largest FREE network for the discussion of Boating & Fishing. Whether you're researching a new boat, or are a seasoned Captain, you'll find The Hull Truth Boating & Fishing Message Forum contains a wealth of information from Boaters and Sportfishermen around the world.
Welcome to the updated THT!
If you are having trouble signing in, please email feedback@thehulltruth.com with your username and we will help you. We thank you for your patience as we help you access the new site!
Random Quote: BOAT NAKED, SHOW OFF YOUR DINGHY !!!!
Location: Quebec, Canada and Pirates Cove, OBX, NC
Posts: 17,813
Design Contest - - - Miss-Be-Haven - - - Prizes
My boat builder and I are at a loss to come up with a design for the tower . . . this is not his area of expertise . . . may even end up having the tower built elsewhere and then installed when I am in the OBX . . . bolt on?
The tower has to be hinged so that it can be lowered for trailering.
The contest is the best design gets three free days of fishing with me in May, either before or after the OBX derby.
The cabin is 5 1/2 feet wide
The overhang is 16 inches
Ladder must be at the back as the doors are at the side of the cabin.
Steps can be built into the left back of the live well, with a ladder to get to the top starting above the top of the bait well.
I will have a 48 inch radar array and two VHF antenna on the top. I would like a buggy top to protect the noggin from frying. Will have throttle and autopilot controls on top, nothing else.
From the pic you can see two seats. They are attached to the top of the engine cover. The engine cover is hinged at the back, tilting towards the transom when lifted.
There is about two feet between the live well and the seats
The live well is attached to the cabin and does not move when the engine cover is raised.
I will answer all questions. The contest is over in two weeks. Post your designs here on this post.
Climb up on the front of your cabin. Most towers arent' exactly easy to access. The rest of the design will be straight forward without worrying about a ladder.
You should have enough room to install a small dome on the front of the roof with the seating a control station at the rear of the roof. Your station may be slightly over the top of the radome.
What do you need a 48" open array for? A 24" dome will give you 36 miles.
I have no way to draw your tower, but I don't see any problem making it look sexy. You have good rake on your windshield that would allow for good rake on the front tower legs.
Being in Canada, I doubt you have any experienced anodized alumimum welders that specialize in tower building. Look through all the salt water magazines you can. You should find just about any design possible.
I used to build towers so I feel confident in my opinion.
Just off the top of my head, not having details to work with. It seems to me that the tower could be mounted to the gunwales fore and aft of the pilot house with a ladder to it coming off of both aft corners. This would require stepping up on the gunwales to climb the ladders. Ladders would actully be the aft supports which could be hinged and pinned. The forward supports would be pinned to allow the tower to fold to the stern. Since the boat is aluminum the tower could also be of tube aluminum. Probably will have to add some structural support under the gunwales to act as a foundation for the tower.
Location: Quebec, Canada and Pirates Cove, OBX, NC
Posts: 17,813
Design Contest - - - Miss-Be-Haven - - - Prizes
Good questions DevilDawg
I will be standing on the roof of the cabin so the top of the tower will be about 7 ft to 7 ft 6 in above the roof of the cabin
The design is a full walk around so no legs out past the sides of the cabins . . . I want to be able to walk from the transom to the bow of the boat without taking the rod out of the fighting belt . . . my fishing philosophy is "chase the fish with the pointy end of the boat"
pimpin aint ez
I want the 10 kw array to have improved target definition . . . higher radar power desired for offshore fishing
Auguste--why don't you contact Island Design Welding in Wanchese, just up the road from Pirates Cove, at www.idwnet.com to get their thoughts. Maybe you can work out a design and have it installed while you are down in North Carolina. Peter
Auguste, to achive what you are trying to do, means that the entire tower has to be supported off the roof on the cabin. If that's the case, then why not a small ladder between the 2 outside front seats. However, trying to lay the tower down for travel is going to be the real challenge. Of course, if it is light enough, it could be taken down and set on the stren for travel. But, if your going to have controls up there the problem is going to be compounded , how do you connect and disconnect them everytime you trailer.
Auguste--I just checked out the URL from my post and it doesn't seem to work. Try islandwelding@earthlink.net to see if they still have an internet site. Peter
Can you cut the top off or create a port and put the steps on the inside. The legs could go to the inside then and might give you some different optiions
Aprox how much room is between the side of the cabin and gunwales? One option is to mount 2 ladders on both sides of the cabin standing off about 4" or so and going through the overhang of your roof, and then of course 2 legs in the front following the rake of your windshield. After coming through the roof is where it gets tricky, since your looking for something that is colapsable, there is going to be some serious geometry there. I'll get back to you on that one.
What about having some rungs attached to the side of the cabin and then the tower is on the roof? The steps could just be aluminium pieces bolted on and you climb ub the side, holding on to the step above you until you get onto the cabin roof.
Cooper that's a great idea, only problem is that the doors need to slide back to access the cabin. If it was my boat I would also try to stay away from mounting the tower directly to the cabin roof, it's amazing what the right amount of leverage can do. The deck itself would be the best foundation and build up from there.
For the ladder I would look at the front like someone else said. That way it wont be in the way. Radar, well you wont be able to see boats much more then 6 to 10 miles anyway and my 2kw radar can see 2" marker stakes at 1/4 mile and crab pots at 1/8 mile. Not sure what gain you get with the big unit except tracking storms. Now are you going to have full controles up there?
Hawkeye hit the nail on the head. Talk with Harbor Welding in Wanchese. Ronald is the welder and he is a genuine artist when it comes to this stuff. Harbor Welding is part of Broad Creek Marina. They will be able to help you out, definitely.
You might have them look at it when you are down there. They could measure and design and start building. What a great excuse to make another trip for the fall yellowfin chunk bite.... "but Admiral I have to go back down there.....I gotta get my tower installed, eh?"
Location: Quebec, Canada and Pirates Cove, OBX, NC
Posts: 17,813
Design Contest - - - Miss-Be-Haven - - - Prizes
I talked to my boat builder last night and he is happy that I am looking elsewhere as he knows that it is not his area of expertise
He says that the cabin can support a tower attached to it with no problems what so ever . . . when you see Miss-Be-Haven this summer you will see why, it is truly built solid
I know that glass boats need the legs to the deck or gunnels to have a solid base but this is not the case for Miss-Be-Haven. I believe that a smaller boat like mine would look cluttered with the long legs as it does not need them.
Of the ladder options, the one I like the most is the suggestion to place it between the two rear facing seats . . . have to figure out how to raise the cover for the engines. There is no room to place it at the side of the cabin, we looked at that option for quite a while and it is just too tight of a fit.
Compromise While I would have prefered a fold down option, I may have to give up on that and have a removable tower instead. I should not be having to remove it too often.
Question From Buckaneers village (rudder's canal) in Pirates Cove, can I get to open water without having to lower my tower ?
Contest is still on The best design will be submitted to someone near Pirate's Cove e.g. harbour Welding to get it built locally
Tom Bare Darn I like the way you think. Now, do I have a temporary set up for the radar until I get the tower built or do I fish without while at the tourney? September October fishing sound good to me while I supervise the installation of the tower and then test it while fishing for the next couple of weeks
Location: Quebec, Canada and Pirates Cove, OBX, NC
Posts: 17,813
Design Contest - - - Miss-Be-Haven - - - Prizes
Jay A
You could be onto something there.
If the front and rear legs are hinged onto the roof, the tower could be split vertically, with the front half going forward and the back half going aft . . . giving the lowest profile for towing OR maybe once disconnected, both halfs fold aft hmmmmmmmm
DevilDog
What if I left the radar array and such mounted on the back-half of the tower, with the cables etc in a large protective hose which would feed into the back of the cabin, that way I would not have to disconnect any of the electronics etc. on the tower ? hmmmmmmmm
Ladder Could it be mounted on the engine cover, and rest against the top. That way the ladder would not be in the way when we open the engine cover . . . hmmmmmm . . . still thinking
Design Contest - - - Miss-Be-Haven - - - Prizes 
