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I had planned to leave the tower this year and replace down the line. However the boat is 45mins from my house and buisness and I'm not getting any work done. It's going on a trailer this weekend and moving within a minute of my restaurant and 5 from my house!

So I've got to pull the tower. I'm just starting to think that once it's off maybe it's time to suck it up and build a new 1/2 tower. Would save having to spend money on tower controls........

Question 1: What do i do with the dang thing?

Question 2: Does anyone know a good source for a fiberglass 1/2 tower top? Two of my aluminum guys would be looking to farm that part out. Capt. Pat do you fabricate that?

I'd try to sell it while it was still on.
If not sold before you remove, store it if you can or sell it for scrap.

Any local fiberglass shop should be able to build a top for a half tower given dimensions.

Any tower shop who doesn't do the fiberglass part should already have a shop they sub too.

If you want to save money, cut upper part above the FB header and have the pipe shop weld cap the pipes.

Capt. Pat do you fabricate that?

Whoever does the fiberglass top should be geographically close to the aluminum fabricator, so that somewhat lets me off the hook.

Llano ain't the end of the world but, like Port Eads, you can see it from here...

Have you thought about a sawsall job and make it into a half tower? Seriously, it would look as good as a new half tower and waaaaay cheaper.

UV, the always helpful.....

Fishlook

Sent you a PM.

Towers are a funny thing .... when you want one, it's many thousands to have one made .... when you want to get rid of one, half the time they are sold as scrap. Store it if possible, there is someone out there looking for what you have.
My initial meeting with Randall was while he was viewing for a friend a tower that I was getting rid of.
If not for distance of transport (another problem with selling towers) and in my case Florida ICW bridges, I would go it for my Bahia.

Cut and hinge at the base legs with locking retaining pins on the front ones, then trail it to where you want to moor it and sell it at your convenience.

Just wondering but, could you use the tower as your raw material for the top?
As a disclaimer, I was told by my welding guy that usually the materials cost was nothing compared to the labor in repairs. But...if you cut it up yourself and ground the old welds off...you would use up a bunch of the labor expenses. But you have to have time to blow for that. A bunch of aluminum tubing takes up less space than the tower as a whole.

Where the existing tower could be cut down and used for a hardtop...I think the finished product would look like a shortened tower with a hardtop.

What to do with it...try to sell before you take it off.

What stinks is the tower is lots of bucks to have made and installed...but may go for scrap value when you try to sell. You may get more for the helm setup then the entire Tower.

Scott,
I know that you're looking for a tower. Ed Tovar has his Bertram 26 at my place in Freeport. He'll probably let the tower go cheap if you're interested.

I had a similar dilema as i have a tower nearly as high as yours and wanted to move the baot to my house anout 20 miles inland. I took the tower off, and had the boat transported up to my house. No problem there..B31 w/o tower is a bresze to move. But...no one would touch the tower. Fortunately I live in an area with a lot of local good ole boys that do wood cutting and logging for a living. I was able to get a local guy take the flat bed that he moves his log skidder on and throw the tower on that and transport it to my house. (I made a wooden brace structure ot keep things from moving dureing transport) Following it while the guy manuvered through traffic was a trip. Fortunately my logger friend could really drive a truck rig wioth an oversize load on it...and while I throught he was going to take out power lines , on coming traffic and mail boxes, he actually had the situation under control, and got the tower to my house w/o incident. Two years later, i repeated using the same guys to get all the parts back the othe baot yard.

I almost ditched my tower due to the hassle...but in the end, I am glad I kept it...makes the boat a bit unique, and the tower is really a great place to hang out and check out the sights. I woulden't put a tower on if I didn't have one already...but that said, I would not get rid of the one you have if you already have it. Moving it only hurts for a little while. My 2 cents.

Will post some pix of the tower remove and replace. Here is the boat (sorry guys, I just love this shot.)

nice shot...i dont get tired of seeing it.

Worth loving!

Assuming I get the tower hauled over tomorrow safely I think I'll keep it for a season and see what I think then. It was a fun day taking it off and hauling it over on the ferry.


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Now the fun begins! I've already been to the boat more times this afternoon than the last 2 months!

ex. Sarita, going to be the E. King Gill, interesting story if you google E. King Gill and Texas A&M.

Jay

Beautiful boat. I looked at her about 1.5 years ago near Port A. I like the look of the tower. What kind of power and deck are you going to go back in with.

JR

pair of rebuilt cummins 300's. maybe a nextgen 3.5kw...... it has a glasteck deck that is in good shape. just needs paint. Looking at adding a transom livewell also.

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How many bottles of whiskey did you have to slip the ferry crew to let you drag her aboard?

Very clever way to remove the tower. Swift and sure.

My vote is keep the tower, its a nice one.

UV

Jay,

I agree with Uncle Vic. I think these boats are beautiful with a full tower. Good luck and keep us posted. Great running shot giff.

JR

Thanks John,

I'll take a look on my next trip down.

When I saw your pix for a second I did a double take, thought it was my tower getting yanked. Anyway did virtually the same thing with my tower using a big crane. If its gonny be off for a while, I suggest the building a frame to keep the legs square. That way if some kid decides to climb up you won't buckle a leg. (A concern for me since mine spet 2 years in the driveway.) Mine seemed to hang off the trailer a lit more (sideways mount as I had too much height lying the unit on it back),,,it was a pretty scary trip home as it hung way off each side

Looks like a great project!...Have fun with it

where was the boat at?

Island Moorings Marina when I bought it. Then to House of Boats between Rockport and Aransas Pass. Now in downtown Port Aransas.

jay