Fiberglass radar arch for a CD 22'?

C

C spot swim

New member
I was just wondering if anyone has gone this route for a radar arch rather than metal; I am considering it.

Any thoughts pro or con?

Thanks.
 
C spot swim-

These are not very commonly discussed around here at all, if ever!
(To my memory!)
Do you have any examples of commercially available, ready-made, fiberglass radar arches?

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Many production boats use Fiberglass/polyester radar arches. But the tooling for one would be relitatively expensive. Many of them are actually aluminum, with paint--rather than glass. The arch has to be hollow, for the wiring (and weight).

It certainly could be done--but unless you want to make your own molds, It would be expensive. My Radar mount is PVC pipe--and I have done 4 Radars that way, and it works well. (and cheap).
 
The ones I have seen are on larger boats, appear heavy and lack the flexibility and modification characteristics of tubular aluminum or stainless.
 
Fiberglass arches are ususally used to blend the arch into the overall boat design. Since the C-Dory "look" isn't about sleek and sexy, I would think a fiberglass arch would look odd on the boat.

It would certainly be interesting to see one done, though.
 
I have a call out to fiberglass shop to see if it can be done locally. There are a few images on the internets but none that really strike me as proper for a C-Dory yet.

If I can't get it done locally, I probably won't do it at all and just stick with a bolton stainless radar arch.

I'll keep you all posted when I find out.

Cheers.
 
Are you going to glass a fiberglass radar arch onto the C Dory roof? If so, consider how your are going to do that. To make it blend in, will not be easy or cheap. If you are having a fiberglass shop build an arch, then I assume that you would have them also apply it to the boat. You will still have to deal with a hollow structure, for wiring. You will have to have access into the center of the arch.
 
Just an update, couldn't find a willing fiberglass expert to make an arch. No worries, went with a nice stainless. Sometimes money won't buy everything. :?

Cheers
 
I haven't seen any of this in a long time but they do make fiberglass electrical conduit. It's often times used on cooling towers and smoke stacks. What I installed many years ago was 1 1/4" trade size. It might be handy for some applications around a boat.
 
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