Last night I spent a couple hours down at Saltwater Specialties with Tom and Barry.  Tom is doing a great job on the tower and making steady progress, while Barry is solving electrical challenges and assembling our awesome package of Simrad networked-electronics!

We have made several in-line decisions regarding the tower floor which will only enhance the functionality of the finished product.  Tom is really pushing to make this boat an absolute show-piece of fiberglass and aluminum, and has added many special touches to his part of the project.  Pictured below is the plug for a molded fiberglass housing that will hold all four of our flush-mounted cockpit lights.  This box will be glassed in on the underside of the tower floor facing aft under the rod holders and will allow us to individually light the cockpit up at night for extended swordfish battles or night time bass fishing at the islands and down south.


Tom also constructed a custom radio box for the bottom of the tower floor which will hold 2-meter radio, vhf and speakers...

Tom has finished one set of rocket launchers and will be adding another behind the first set.  All of the tubes are the larger size to accomodate big butt caps and heavier rods.  He will be welding a special out board holder on each side for in-the-holder jig fishing for seabass, or for drop back rods during a bait stop on tuna.


Here is a side view of the full tower with the radome placed in location, but the floor not yet finished.  The upper console and seating are also yet to be installed...




Barry Talbot has been very busy installing all of the electronics and networking black boxes.  Here is a view of the custom polyethelene mounting sub-bulkheads he designed to handle these heavy components, and to keep from drilling too many holes through the house bulkheads.  The boxes are all in and waiting for wire...


Here is a shot of the back of the control console with the big Simrad monitor in place, and a final shot of the front of the helm pod with the Simrad GB40 monitor, auto pilot, control head and multi-function gauges installed.




Over the 4th weekend we should see the seating in the tower completed, the tower floor should get a coat of glass and the light and radio boxes should get glassed in place.  Tom will also get the second row of launchers done and be finished with the upper roll bar and aluminum fabrication.

Barry will continue his electrical wizardry and will be installing the electronic engine and binnacle controls.  We might even see the finished product at the end of next week!

Stay tuned...