cockpit table

These are typical of what I found on the internet for cockpit tables (I cut and pasted this right off a couple of retail websites). One is made of composite material and the other of Teak (maintenance intensive), both are almost as expensive as a dining room set for the house. I can do better than this in my own garage for a fraction of the cost.

Table, Classic Cockpit

A beautiful addition to the cockpit of your boat.

Click to enlarge

Model #: 2001241

Stock Status: In stock

Pricing

Our Price: $700.00, List Price: $700.00

Qty:

General Information

This table is made for easy stowing and unclipping with the quick release hinge pin.

Cockpit Tables - Teak Fold-Down Drop-Leaf Cockpit Table

$726.36 - $771.82

Turn your cockpit into the social center of your boat with a Cockpit Table. Easily removed and stored, this Teak Cockpit Table will increase the versatility of your Pedestal and creates a comfortable dining area.

This Solid Teak Cockpit Table measures:

	Leaves closed: 27" x 13" with fiddle rails
	Leaves folded out: 27" x 26"

Teak Cockpit Table features include:

	Non-Magnetic Stainless Hardware (Fasteners are Stainless and Bunged)
	No legs to get in the way
	Quick-Release pin for easy removal
	Clips hold Cockpit Table firmly to Pedestal Guard when folded down
	Natural Teak--ready for the finish of your choice
	Expand Cockpit Table by adding Teak Trayables (see accessories below)

This sounds good, but I don't like the price.

Here's the cockpit now. The boat originally came with what was left of a cockpit table. The table portion had fallen off. It was made of plywood and stapled together with ferrous metal staples which had completely rusted away. It didn't stand a chance in a saltwater environment.

It's winter in North Florida, 45 degrees and rainy. Perfect weather for a boat project in the garage.

	Here you can see what remains of the original table, a cup holder and some stainless hardware. I'm using PVC wood substitute that I had much success with in previous wood replacement projects.
	Cut and keyed now all I have to do is slap on some PVC glue and join them.
	The table surface is assembled and the parts for the cup holder have been cut. The table surface measures about 16"x30".
	Here's the initial assembly and installation of the stainless hardware needed to connect it to the pedestal. I'll counter-sink the stainless screws and cover them with bungs.
	Screws counter sunk and plugged. Now I just need a hole saw to cut the drink holders into the top.
	Here's the basic concept. I have to drill some holes through the ribs for the PVC to slide through. I also need to stiffen up the PVC pipe by putting a wooden dowel and some epoxy down the center. The table should support drinks and dinner though I wouldn't try sitting on it.
	Here's the slide assembly. I've cored the pipe with wood dowels to stiffen and strengthen them. I've also managed to drill the holes through the ribs.
	Here it is assembled and locked in the open position. You might notice the red on the sides. It's a glazing putty I used to level and seal the porous cut ends of the PVC material for painting.
	Here it is in the folded position. I'm going to have to rework some of the engineering. There's still too much flex in the support structure. If I can't solve that problem I may need a support leg at the end. I have a couple of ideas: 1st - Replace the wood dowel with a metal tube inside the PVC pipe. It will be stiffer but about the same weight. 2nd - Widen the ribs to increase the support area and as a result reduce the distance between them to minimize flex.
	Here it is installed for the test fitting. It is going to require a leg. Other than that, all is functioning and it installed exactly as planned. I measured for the leg, so I just need to cut, install and paint. I'll be sucking down cocktails off this table by next weekend.
	The cocktail holder holes cut.
	The Leg and trim installed.
	The edging installed around the table surface. Wiped down and about ready to paint.
	The painting begins. It's going to be tough to meet a Friday night dead line to get it on the boat.
Click the picture for full size view Click the picture for full size view	The table is worthy of drinking cocktails from and the Friday night self-imposed deadline was met. It still needs a little tweaking and maybe some hardware to lock the leg in place, but for all practical purposes it's complete.