I hope to make the bridge of my DeFever 49 PH the social activity center by making a few modifications. I especially would appreciate your thoughts and advice on the first one, which is to replace the bimini with a fiberglass hardtop (for a more secure and weather-proof top). The fixed top will eliminate the great circle route, but that's OK with me. Any other things to consider? Can you recommend anyone in the St. Petersburg area for this work? I'll probably attach or have built in to the underside of the hardtop a lockable box for instruments, binoculars, etc., and I will add a full canvas enclosure. On the port side I plan to remove the two-person bench seat and replace it with L-shaped seating for five with a high-low table that will convert to a double berth for those nice nights in the Bahamas. All suggestion are welcomed. Thanks. Ron Jones M/V Bilbo Baggins DeFever 49 PH

It would be nice to include in the design a method to run wires (power, antenna cables, etc) from the helm to the hardtop, either in a conduit or support designed for this purpose. You will undoubtedly want to mount antennae on the roof and getting all those cables down to your electronics box or helm station is something to plan for. Also, allow for getting power to your electronics box. I found that my hardtop, at about 6 feet, 6 inches high on the interior, is too low for an electronics box, at least to me. I'm 6 feet tall, so the electronics box would interfere with my view forward when I stand at the helm. I think a hardtop is great, though, for all the reasons you mentioned, and I have a complete enclosure as well. The hardtop is a great place to mount all that otherwise difficult-to-mount stuff like radar, satellite dish, etc... At 05:00 PM 5/12/99 -0400, Jones, Ron wrote: >I hope to make the bridge of my DeFever 49 PH the social activity center by >making a few modifications. I especially would appreciate your thoughts and >advice on the first one, which is to replace the bimini with a fiberglass >hardtop (for a more secure and weather-proof top). The fixed top will >eliminate the great circle route, but that's OK with me. Any other things >to consider? Can you recommend anyone in the St. Petersburg area for this >work? > >I'll probably attach or have built in to the underside of the hardtop a >lockable box for instruments, binoculars, etc., and I will add a full canvas >enclosure. > > Frank H. Timpano ftimpano@richmond.infi.net