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Picked up BluBert from the T-Top shop last week. The guys were very creative with the designs and the workmanship seems quite good. The "trick" hidden swim platform ladder works great and I really like the stainless railing. Moving on to the upholstery work now along with many "do before you splash again" items!

https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/cA ... x50Wo-LhQL

Question for the brain trust: The swim platforms have a lower brace made from anodized aluminum that will be submerged at all times. How would you protect this metal from sea growth? I'm think about using the same metal anti-fouling as I just applied to the lower parts of the jackplate. Anodizing should make a good substrate for paint, correct?

Upholsterer just called...he'll be here tomorrow..awesome!

Wow, that just looks awesome.

Was it a condition for them to use a matching ladder to work on your boat?


Those small side swim platforms are so nice. Had one...maybe two on one of my boats. Mine was a piece of garbage plastic with ladder someplace. But have to say I really made a lot of use of it. Beach, occasional jump in...or just a ridiculously hot day bottom fishing I'd sit out there.


Enjoy it, it looks awesome

Cam, you nailed it on the T-top, the lines and proportions are perfect in my opinion. Congratulations, all your hard work is bearing fruit!

Cam

Looks great. You did a fantastic job.

As far as the bracket goes, I would try the zinc prop coat on them. Not sure how well it will stick, but it is the transom and when the boat is running there may not be a lot of water flowing over them, so it might last all season.

The t-top looks great. The lines are perfect. Again, amazing work.

Unbelievably awesome. So far

Thanks!

Carl - I liked your fish story! Did the bluefish or flounder special interest groups object?

LOL it was a Summer Flounder or what we call a Fluke, which was a fluke as I was playing around chunking lil blues.

The swim platform put me off on a good memory tangent and this is your post about your awesome looking boat and your progress.
I objected to derailing that this morning.



Looking forward to seeing what you have up your sleeve in the upholstery department.

Keep it coming!

Nice work Cam!
Best,
Stephan

Cam,

You may need a handle on the transom to pull yourself up. That existing vertical mount that could serve as one, is blocked by the flipping white surface, or at least that’s how I see it in the pic. Nevertheless, very nice work!

looking great

I’d recommend the zinc coat as well on all submerged aluminum.. and if possible, run a grounding wire to the swim platform on like one of the through bolts... I’m in the marine aluminum fab business, and have seen how fast electrolysis can eat aluminum when being submerged for periods of time.

Yannis wrote:Cam,

You may need a handle on the transom to pull yourself up. That existing vertical mount that could serve as one, is blocked by the flipping white surface, or at least that’s how I see it in the pic. Nevertheless, very nice work!

Yannis-

I think the flipping white surface is the door/hatch or cover for the ladder.

Lift cover (as pictured)
- pull out the ladder
- extend ladder and swing down
- lay the cover down and handle is accessible.

That's correct, Carl.

I did apply metal anti-fouling to the swim platform struts that will remain underwater. Will need to keep an eye on these. My bonding arrangement is limited to the fuel tank/fills. I did not bond the thru hull for water intake or the thru hull transducer, and the bow thruster system is 100% isolated into it's own electrical system with a zinc anode on the impeller. Motor is out of the water at the dock. I did not notice a change in zincs or thru hulls (unpainted at the time) after about a month in the water.

Thinking about this gigantic metal structure - T-top. Wondering if I should run a bond wire to that piece. It is possible that it could become electrically charged by static or some external source, i.e. lightning. Do you guys bond your towers, top frames or ladders?

Cam

Carl, you're right, I hadn't seen this logical sequence...

However, given I have the exact same ladder on my swim platform, it is infinitely easier to have a handle to grab that is DIRECTLY forward of the person climbing, as opposed to being offset to the left out of the persons gravity center. For heavier or older people this is very important, for kids its a non issue.

Cam-
I have heard all kinds of answers as to how one should attach an aluminum structure to boat. In my case the tower with 22' outriggers...might be 19 I think I gave'em a trim.
Anyway, I had heard about heavy bonding wires, then cables to the bonding system. Heard about attaching an actual heavy chain from ladder rung to water if lightning was in the area. Not sure how that helps when your not at boat...or just leave it that way all the time???

Yack yack yack, so what did I do

...we had just finished transferring gasoline from Marks leaking Starboard tank to his Port. The last few gallons we put in mine, the rest went to another friend. It was a hot muggy stagnant day and it started raining. The girls had already gone in my boat to get away from the fumes that just hung in the thick air. As we walked over to mine...all 3 steps...I heard a buzz, looked up and I'd swear I saw a bolt of light go from water, to tower and up. It was a split second at most, I just kept walking into the boat. Grabbed a cold one for me and Mark, we made ourselves comfy in the helm chairs as rain now started to come down. Didn't say a word for awhile..just sipped the beer for a bit. Then I tried to turn on the VHF, it went on. Depth Finder, went on too...As I got to the GPS Mark says you saw it too huh???!! Yeah...Everything work? Yeah...went back to sipping the beer letting it all sink in.
My Boat was hit by lightening dockside in a plume of gasoline fumes...

So what does that mean...well I had nothing going from tower to bonding or water...the lightening found its own way. Does that mean I'd be so lucky again...who knows?

I should snap a picture of the Outrigger tip...

A friend was hit running home from offshore, small aluminum hard top and was struck. Boat stopped dead, blew the electronics in everything. Everything but his phone and handheld VHF. His top was bonded. Does that mean he was unlucky or lucky...or maybe next time it will not do any harm. Maybe it could have been worse.
Me...I'm leaving well enough alone till someone can prove otherwise.

Yes. Lightning ground and bonding system have separate purposes. I'm not installing a lightning ground system on this boat. The bond to the T-top would help ensure the metal pipes are at the same ground potential as the electrical circuits. If I have a short somewhere that touches the pipes, the bonding might prevent a shock.

sigh....so that big long drawn out ol' story for nothing. Eh, I guess I have to re-tell it every few years.


But, what your saying makes sense.

The idea of the heavy chain is so that the lightning follows the chain to the water rather than decide to take out a thru Hull or just leave a large whole in the bottom of the boat.

The scary thing about lighting is that you are holding a metal steering wheel, the lightning hits the water and the current travels up to you holding the wheel. that is the most dangerous scenario.

By the way, you do not need a direct hit to blow out the electronics. The hit just needs to be close enough to set up a big static charge. Think EMP. I actually know someone who the hit was near by and took out all the electronics.

Carl

That day you saw that lightning, you should have bought a lottery ticket.

Tony Meola wrote: Carl

That day you saw that lightning, you should have bought a lottery ticket.

I think that may have been pressing my luck.

The chain, in theory, makes sense, but do you know anyone who has done this? OR if they did not do you know anyone who blew a hole through the bottom of their boat?

In lightning, I avoid touching the tower and maybe the wheel at times...but since my wheel has no connection to other metal objects I am not sure what the worry is. My wheel is alum, SS up top...but connected to a helm pump that goes to hydraulic lines. The old push-pull cables...is that enough of a route for so much juice to follow?

Oh Myth Busters, where are you!

Carl

We have had a couple of lighting strikes in my neighborhood. One actually did exit a thru hull and took out. Sunk the boat. Believe it or not a sail boat got hit a couple of blocks over, it hit the mast and set the cabin on fire.

I have never run across anyone who has used the chain. I have only read about it in various articles In fact when you are bored and need to fall asleep try this one.

https://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/magazi ... ection.asp

After reading it you will realize that you have a better chance of winning at the crap table in Atlantic City than protecting the boat.

But lighting strikes are normally few and far between. As I said, what scares me more is lighting hitting the water nearby. If you feel the hair on your arms or head starting to stand up, start to worry you are becoming the target.

A long long time ago I used to race sailboats competitively around the Great Lakes.
We always had a couple sets of heavy gauge jumper cables on board.
When lightning threatened, we'd clamp one end on to the standing rigging and let the other end dangle in the water.

Yes, you knew the lightning was close, when the hair on arms and legs stood on end.
Talk about dumb-ass moments.

John Swick wrote:Yes, you knew the lightning was close, when the hair on arms and legs stood on end.
Talk about dumb-ass moments.

Oh boy do I have plenty of those....


Like the time we wanted to sleep out on a mooring. Storms were called for...but it seemed nice, so me and Dor my buddy Mark and his wife loaded up the boats with dinner, breakfast and a bunch of adult beverages than headed out to a mooring. Find one nice in back of harbor between sailboats off the beaten path. We fire up the grill, microwaves heating the sides and enjoy a great sunset with some cocktails...and maybe a few more playing games into the wee hours.
It's sack time, we say our good nights, check our tie up and mooring ball then go retire.

I heard the rain start and that's always soothing till the crack of thunder has me sitting up. A few more and I go out to investigate...standing under the tower Lightening is striking all around with thunder pounding. Then came one bolt to the top of the mast in the sailboat just forward of us...white arc, buzzing turning orange lit the sky. With that I saw my buddy and his wife standing at their helm looking back to me with the We should have listened to the forecast look. I gave my usual OH Well to late now shrug...the lightening subsided, we went back to bed and had a great breakfast a couple hours later after sunrise. We had some interesting conversation over breakfast...but my wife believed non of it...she slept right through it all.