Top ordered! WOOT!

[RussGW270]

Just got off the phone with Jerry and the order is being placed!

We opted for them to run the "channel" for the enclosure, but we will buy the actual enclosure later, to keep the costs down. We went ahead and got the storage bag, was $400, as it is hand-made to fit the top before it goes out.

Jerry is having the folks add a 2nd "run" for electrical lines on the port side, they will use the starboard side for the stuff they run.

They say 6-8 weeks, but he says I caught them at a slow time so who knows, could get started soon and get here sooner!

$1,600 for shipping.. blech.. heh.. but, it is all good, because Daddy will have a hard top soon! BAM!

Going to take lots of pictures and videos as we bring this baby up to brand spankin new looks and equipment

Russ

 

[Ky Grady]

Congrats!!!! That new OEM top will set your boat off. I love the lines of my boat with the hardtop.

 

[ocnslr]

Here is "C-Time" when first delivered, new, in March 2002. Also some shots of her when the custom top was installed by S&S Marine seven months later. Finally, what it looked like after some additional customization.

Just to provide some ideas to folks.

 

[RussGW270]

That is beautiful!

Being I had to write a check for 100% of the purchase.. heh.. I tried hard to keep it to a bare minimum, but, got everything except the actual enclosure for just over $9,800....which while expensive.. as you all know.. WELL worth every penny in so many ways.

We will probably order the enclosure itself before the end of the summer. For now, we got:

-- The frame
-- The top
-- Electronics box
-- LED Spreader lights fore and aft
-- Wiring for all of it
-- The "channel" for the enclosure itself (that is something you do not want to add after the fact he stated heh)
-- The storage bag
-- 2 more rockets down each side (4 total)
-- LED Dome light
-- LED Anchor light
-- The fuse panel/wiring harness to tie it all in
-- They are adding a 2nd electrical run to accommodate the extra electronics we plan to add. They normally use one, but will make a 2nd for us to use.
-- They are adding mounting plates for the future outriggers.
The shipping crate (had to be added on heh)
The shipping was like $1,600 alone

So, will see how it all looks and add all the stuff we already bought, but... pretty stoked to get it all started. Check will be in the mail tonight and they will start it as soon as that gets there... which I am sending UPS to get that started faster.. lol

Every day is a day closer!

R

 

[RussGW270]

Here is "C-Time" when first delivered, new, in March 2002. Also some shots of her when the custom top was installed by S&S Marine seven months later. Finally, what it looked like after some additional customization.

Just to provide some ideas to folks.

BTW - Love the rod storage under the top... seriously great way to store rods etc.

 

[ocnslr]

BTW - Love the rod storage under the top... seriously great way to store rods etc.

Russ, in that same photo you can see what I mentioned a while back. The aft end of the frame is at the back of the top. The OEM frame has the aft end of it about one foot forward of the back of the top. Top is same length as OEM. The difference is that my aft drop curtains (which you may never have) are vertical, and allow a person to stand on the raised boxes behind the seats and still be inside the curtain. The OEM curtains come down at an angle from the aft frame member to the aft side of those boxes, and you can't stand inside. We had it made that way on the strong recommendation of a bunch of GW owners that we met at our first GW fishing tournament a few months after we bought the boat. They correctly predicted that we would get a hardtop...

We intentionally skipped the under-top bag in favor of the space for rods. Ten sets of Lee rod holders up there, and the lifejackets were in a dedicated bag on the V-berth.

I will not tell you what the custom HT cost in October 2002, with the cockpit lights, E-box, welded bases for future outriggers..... plus a seven piece full enclosure from a separate vendor. But a lot less than current pricing.

Also, we had six people sit up there to watch holiday fireworks and it never even groaned.

Best wishes with your fabrication, delivery and installation.

 

[RussGW270]

Russ, in that same photo you can see what I mentioned a while back. The aft end of the frame is at the back of the top. The OEM frame has the aft end of it about one foot forward of the back of the top. Top is same length as OEM. The difference is that my aft drop curtains (which you may never have) are vertical, and allow a person to stand on the raised boxes behind the seats and still be inside the curtain. The OEM curtains come down at an angle from the aft frame member to the aft side of those boxes, and you can't stand inside. We had it made that way on the strong recommendation of a bunch of GW owners that we met at our first GW fishing tournament a few months after we bought the boat. They correctly predicted that we would get a hardtop...

We intentionally skipped the under-top bag in favor of the space for rods. Ten sets of Lee rod holders up there, and the lifejackets were in a dedicated bag on the V-berth.

I will not tell you what the custom HT cost in October 2002, with the cockpit lights, E-box, welded bases for future outriggers..... plus a seven piece full enclosure from a separate vendor. But a lot less than current pricing.

Also, we had six people sit up there to watch holiday fireworks and it never even groaned.

Best wishes with your fabrication, delivery and installation.

Oh yeaas with all things, the cost in 2002 would have been a LOT less.. lol. I got a top done in .. oh.. 2006, and it was 3k....so.. eh.. is what it is.

Now, the idea of the curtains going al l the way back.. that may be worth looking at the extra cost later of having a local company (I know a few) that can take the back panels and add some length to them and then have a small 1ft extension added so they fit the channels, but drap out and over the small yube extension, then go down, like you stated. Would be a pretty easy change later, but for now... keeping it simple and the initial cost below 10k... so the wife is happier heh.

Also.. I know I am all Garmin.. but holy cow... found this drone video that says Raymarine has a built in app for drones.. man! I may have to rethink the 2nd screen and get a raymarine chartplotter.. lol

If only Garmin had this

Problem is.. no idea what I would do for my redundancy plans if the backup chartplotter was raymarine.. yet transducers were Garmin, antennas were Garmin.. radar garmine.. .. well, the nmea backbone is raymarine

R

 

[RussGW270]

21 pages of paper, 2 trips to TPWD, 2 trips to Bastrop County Tax Office, 3 trips to the auto parts store, 2 trips to the trailer inspector...and countless hours gathering it all..30 days after the sale...

The damn boat, motors, trailer FINALLY transferred into my name.

Easier to buy a damn gun lol

Russ

 

[Mr.crab]

Russ when my drone comes in, will let you how it works.

 

[RussGW270]

Sweet. I have a Mavic Pro and like six batteries so I can charge and keep them going heh.

Looking forward to getting some nice footage on the first trip