New tower install - finally!

[Woodytoofl]

Hi all, long time since I posted, so long that I guess my account got suspended. Anyway, I am back had my 2520 since 2003, and homeported now on big pine key in Florida.

We had a direct hit by hurricane Irma, and luckily came through it pretty well, lost our roof, lots of damage to the house etc, but with good friends, outstanding contractors, and a lot of hard work we are back up and fishing!

The parker rode the storm out pretty well, I got a bunch of dents and dings, but they have all been polished out. Seeing how the woodytoo came through so nicely, I upped the game and contracted with fellow big piner Robert Sherman to build a tower. Robert’s shop was completely destroyed, so this job really helped him get his business back together, and he has been really working with me to do it right. The specs .. full marlin tower, console and sunshade with rod holders. I will work on the controls, steering and electronics next.

After 5 months - deliver day came today! This is going to look awesome, and function even better. Will keep this thread open through the install.

At the shop:

f

First time on the boat:






Bo

 

[Woodytoofl]

Back shade installed:





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Rough install done, console next

 

[grouperjim]

Looks good Bo. Glad to hear she made it thru the storm OK.

Was at Oneills recently and was admiring the DV. Nice set-up.

 

[shawnee83]

That looks fantastic. Great design work. Especially like how you did the rear sunshade.

 

[Woodytoofl]

Thanks guys - getting pumped. Robert is working on the console and hopefully that rough install will be done. He really is an artist, and has an eye for the lines and angles, I am really glad I picked him to do the job. We worked through the shade design quite a lot in his shop, I think it will work well. The tower and shade are set for quick disconnect, and the console will fold down. The buggy top is also a fold down.

Sure looks like a different boat!

Jim, glad to hear from you, it has been a while! Did I see right that you bought a 28? Still have your place in islamorada? Give my best to the st Pete gang, we have been down here solid since Christmas putting the place back together. Hope to get back up there after July 4th.

 

[Brent]

Well done

 

[Woodytoofl]

Console box rough in install today

 

[dave-j]

Looks really nice! I may be dense, but how do you get up to the "fly bridge", and is there steering up there? Doesn't look to be, just asking.

Dave

 

[shawnee83]

That really looks great. He should sell these prefab to Parker plant as an option.

 

[Woodytoofl]

Not dense good question. I actually changed the design and am thinking through how to get in. We were going to put a single step on the side of the pilot house. Sounded good in theory, but my wife said nope. So we are thinking about fabricating a ladder on the side, 3 steps and a grab rail. Will see what we can come up with.

Once we get the tower completed I will work on controls, steering and electronics. I plan on installing teleflex Ds boxes, a Morse mt3 controller, and sea star second helm up top. I have gone the Garmin route and have a 7612xsv downstairs, so thinking. 7608 upstairs, another ray marine autopilot remote, and compass upstairs. Problem is the captain says I have spent too much money, so I have to slow roll the rigging.

Robert Sherman (my fabricator) really is an artist and craftsman and really has an eye for detail. Recommend him highly if you are in the keys and need fabrication work!

Bo

 

[PKS1801]

How about a zipper half-circle in the starboard corner of the sunshade, and a ladder on the back of the pilot house?

 

[warthog5]

WHAT? Ladder...... STEP ?

No! You will be sorry. It will be something you will be running into.

Besides.....You already have it there.

Walk forward on the washboard to the forward upright on the Crows nest.

Grab that pipe.....Now put foot on that step in the side of the pilothouse and step up and crawl under.

I can do it faster than I can type this.



It's obvious that you boat sets in the water......IE: No trailing.

I trailer mine, so it has to fold down and no Buggy top.

 

[fannin]

Once we get the tower completed I will work on controls, steering and electronics. I plan on installing teleflex Ds boxes, a Morse mt3 controller, and sea star second helm up top.

Bo

I know others have had success with the DS units. I had planned on using them for my second station but it was going to double the number of cables. Instead I went with Kobelt controls. They’re built much better than the Morse counterparts and don’t require a switch. You would need the Master 2091 and slave 2093 for you single outboard.

[http://www.classicparker.com/phpBB...419/URL] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Woodytoofl]

Good feedback!

On the steps/ladder - let me get the wife out in the boat and have her try it out. I agree I don’t want extra junk in the way, but we are getting older, and I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Reality is, when we are offshore, she is my primary driver, and I work the cockpit, I am lucky to be married to a woman that can smell out the fish, and put us on them! So she pretty much gets that call.

We discussed a ladder from the cockpit early in the design and eliminated that, primarily because the shade was so important to the design.

You are right on keeping it in the water (lift). I only trailer maybe once a year if I need mechanical work. We designed the tower so it breaks down and lifts off (2 person job), and the console box and front tubing fluids down and lays on the pilot house. I am right at 13 foot from road to highest point.

Definitely will look at those controls, was also thinking of using a Yamaha binniacle control instead of the Morse, but I love the look of that old style control. Have to think through trim still.

Love the feedback keep it coming!

 

[dave-j]

Thanks for the detailed answer. I like warthog's idea, but not sure if the side of the cabin is beveled down or a shelf-like structure. If beveled, may be too slippery if wet?

Either way, it is a gorgeous job!

 

[Woodytoofl]

Well we fished her yesterday for the first time. The admiral and I took her offshore and I tried to put her through her paces. So I put the outriggers on, loaded her with rods and reels, and off we went.



The first hurdle is we have to go under route 1 between our house and the Atlantic. Old Flagler made have made one hell of a highway, but he didn’t make it very tall! I have been running under the bridge for the last year trying to gauge the height during all tide cycles and knew we would be close. In theory it looked like we had 2 feet of clearance without pulling the bonnet down, in reality - the pucker factor was huge!



First observation ... shade baby shade! Good lord what a difference!



The visibility of course is awesome!



The boat ride fine, I actually did not notice any difference in ride or handling. Definately have a sail up there now, it will come into play docking and station keeping. As for getting in and out. Warthog, I see the route you talked about, problem is, we open the pilot house windshields, they effectively block the first step. I tried a bunch of different routes with limited success. I am really leaning to a ladder on the pilot side, nice and wide with extra grabs. Like I said, we are not getting any younger, and I have to get the wife up there!

End result - successful trip!

 

[Woodytoofl]

After a bribe of dinner and a lot of sweet talking, the admiral let me order controls and steering. A couple evenings of planning and laying out the design resulted in a whale of an amazon order. I was able to source everything prime! Crazy talk, I know!

Parts arrived over the last week, and I got to dig in a bit yesterday. Looks like everything I ordered is here, will spend more time seeing if I held my tongue right on fittings etc.

I ended up going the mt3 controller and dual station boxes route. Pretty light on instructions though ... uggg

 

[shawnee83]

Congrats on your trials and early parts orders of the fly helm. I actually got some negative feedback from a few CP members on my deck Bimini and dodger but if you boat in the south, shade back there is a requirement as far as I’m concerned. It will also help keep the cabin cooler. Love your set up. Still think it’s the nicest tower ever done for a Parker. Enjoy!

 

[warthog5]

I see you have a High Polished Destroyer steering wheel to go up there.

I have no Buggy top on mine......Just gets in the way for site casting for Cobia.

Anyway....I took the wheel and put it in the blast cabinet. This left it with a Gray dulled down finish.

It stopped the wheel from flashing in your eyes. Note the wheels on the deck's of boats on Wicked Tuna.....They are All dulled down or Blacked out.

 

[Woodytoofl]

Finally back down in the keys to work on her, and take advantage of lobster season! For that pursuit the parker stays on the lift, and the skiff takes top billing! Here is the bait well on our fist run ... tasty!



I started by epoxying all the holes on the pilot house and sanding them down in prep for gel coat. I guess each hole has a story.



Today I spent all frigging day pulling hoses and cables through the pipes between the pilot house and the console. In all 2 steering hoses, the compensating hose, two control cables and an antenna cable. Not much room to work with but I got it done. It gave me also a chance to knock the tower down a couple times. Here are some shots to show the fold down options.

First the bonnet



Here I broke the seat apart and folded down the console. If I was going to trailer it, I would just remove the seat, back rest and shade section off and set it in the cockpit.




So invisible progress, next step steering.