2005 upgrades for the 23'

I stopped by the Blackman shop today to talk to Steve and the guys about re-doing the windows on my 23'. The windows leak and I'm starting to get some movement in the frame work while underway.

On the 23', the flybridge is supported up buy a pair of 3" post in the front and the fiberglass columns in the aft corners. The glass and aluminum window frames provide the sheer strength for the side to side and for to aft movement.

Over the years, several of the 23' owners wanted to install an arch, despite Don's warnings that the flybridge wasn't designed to handle that type of load. Some guys listened and some of us didn't.

Steve and I kicked around a few ideas on how to beef up the flybridge support, enhance the look of the boat and be relatively easy to install.

He's what we came up with. They'll get started working up a mold for a one piece fiberglass section that will replace the windows and the aft fiberglass columns that currently support the flybridge. This new piece should look just like the fiberglass section on the 26', black tinted windows and all.

If all goes well I will be sporting the new sleeker look by summers end.

Mike

Classic look of the 23'
http://www.followingsea.net/Boats%20...0471753619.jpg

2005 upgraded look of the 23'
http://www.followingsea.net/boats/BO.../Pistolero.jpg

Are the bow fighting chair and radar periscope options for 2005 as well?

I think your new bridge will look sweet, I love those glass tinted windows! :)

Wow... ends up looking just like a 26'. Nice.

I want to get the dark glass windows in mine soooo bad. But like everything on boats, it snowballs. Take out the windows and no way I would put new in until I painted the whole boat and redid the non-skid. Maybe next year. Time to fish now.

Looks great, but will it still get bit??

Here is a mock up I did in Auto Cad of what I hope she'll look like when we're all done.

http://www.bocapix.com/data/512/4new_windows.jpg

Did you ever see a halibut who cared what the bottom of the boat looks like?

It will look hot with that upgrade, better start promoting it to the other 23 owners, maybe they can split the cost of the mold; it's not going to be cheap but I think worth the investment and raise the resale value and increase demand.

Hey Mike,

That's pretty slick! Anyway you can mock up the Secret Spot?

Larry - Secret Spot

http://www.allcoastsportfishing.com/...pot_07-med.JPG

http://www.bocapix.com/data/512/medium/4secretspot1.jpg

THANKS!!! Now that's what I'm talking about! I have contacted Crystaliner a couple of times in the past to see about having them fabricate the same look and windows. I just haven't taken the boat down to them to get a good qoute. I am not sure how they would do the work (mold or plywood/glass composite)?

Larry - Secret Spot

Looks good on the SS too. Get a list from Steve and promote it to the owners he knows. There's a Beige one on Bloody Decks too. ;)