One Year Update - Custom Carbon Fiber Hardtop (26)
July 15, 2026 · 12 min · 60K views
What this video covers
A custom carbon fiber hardtop installed on the sailboat Eva has completed one year of service, including an ocean crossing and 8,000 miles of travel.1:06 The structure consists of three main sections—a front dodger, a rear arch with dinghy davits, and a center hardtop—joined with epoxy and carbon fiber.0:57 The build process required transporting components from a remote workshop to the marina for fitting, a method the owners would avoid in future projects by building closer to the vessel.0:30 Issues encountered include rust at stainless steel screw attachment points due to galvanic corrosion and the delamination of flexible solar panels.6:42 The 1,800-watt solar array, comprised of CIGS panels, suffered damage when the protective ETFE top layer peeled away; the owner advises against removing this layer and suggests sealing panel edges with silicone or butyl tape to prevent further degradation.9:03 Despite these maintenance challenges, the hardtop provides superior rigidity, safety, and weather protection compared to the previous canvas bimini.2:54
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