Time to change the canvas

Several Albin owners had asked me for detail on Vagabond's new hardtop. I hope that this blog will answer some of your questions, and even inspire you to duplicate our effort. Be forewarned, however this is a significant commitment of time and resources. For me it was worth the effort. I have to give credit to my step father, Dean McTavish for his guidance. He is truly a fibreglass wizard!
So....after 3 years of ownership, I was quite satisfied with overall performance of this Albin, but I did not like the canvas arrangement. I found myself rolling the whole thing up onto the doghouse whenever the sun came out. The canvas reduced visibility, it consumed precious living area in the cockpit, and the custom frames required gymnastic manouvers to enter/exit the cockpit. Besides, the canvas was nearing the end of it's useful life. Simply replacing it was out of the question.
I'd looked at several Albins with hardtops, and though they functioned well enough, I wanted to design something that would look a more "factory" and enhance the appearance of this handsome little vessel. I was determined to emulate some of the more striking design elements I'd admired in some modern pleasure tugs, and to incorporate the boats original lines into the rear supports. I'd retain the curvature of the original doghouse, and expand living area by extending well out over the aft cabin. Strength was critical because main sheet loads would be carried through the hardtop. Also, I pictured an upper deck and addional storage on top.
Improved access to the cockpit was not just a convenience, but a safety issue for me, thus I decided to add the "hatches". This increased the complexity of the job, but was well worth the effort. This feature is unique to Vagabond.
You might say that keeping the canvas sunroof defeated my weatherproofing objective, but on a sunny day, it is one of the best features of the boat. I did split the huge sunroof into two managable sections, so closing it when the wind picks up is far less a chore.
Anyway, I'll post photos and explanations of the construction process.
Hope y'all find this informative!