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Building a Fiberglass Sailboat Hardtop (Solo DIY Boat Project)
2 November 2025 · 21 min · 8K views
What this video covers
Nova Loman constructs a custom fiberglass hardtop for her sailboat to replace a deteriorating soft dodger.▶ 0:01 She builds a temporary mold frame using thin boards and joists, working intermittently in a boatyard workshop while contending with rain and 30-knot winds.▶ 8:10 To ensure the fiberglass does not adhere to the wooden mold, she wraps the structure in thick plastic sheeting.▶ 13:13 She tests the release properties of this plastic by curing a small batch of polyester resin on a sample piece, confirming the material peels away cleanly.▶ 14:55 Loman plans to use a textile-based composite material for the hardtop, opting to glass the structure in two sections—the front window area and the arch—to achieve a smoother finish on the plastic-wrapped mold.▶ 19:11 She intends to join these sections after removing them from the frame.▶ 19:22 The project remains ongoing as she prepares to apply the fiberglass layer.
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