Justification
Several years ago I built a simple skylight cover of wood and plexiglass. It worked well as far as keeping the rain and sun off the skylight. This kept down on required sanding, varnishing, and fixing leaks. But it was heavy, awkward, and ugly. Also it was starting to rot. It never did complement the appearance of the boat.
It was time to make a new one. But I did not want to repeat what I had done before. I wanted something that was easy to store, light weight, and easy to put in place. Also, some canvas skylight covers I've seen appear to rest against the wood. I wanted to make sure it would dry quickly.
I thought for awhile and came up with this design you will see over the next several pages. I start by making the arches. Then I make some spanner blocks. Next I string it together with bungee cord to make the frame. Finally I make and install the canvas cover.
Making the arches
I start by making a semicircular arch of laminated wood and West epoxy. I made this of some good quality pine that I had left over from a furniture project. I had to saw the laminates thin because of the tight radius.
The next day I pop out the arch. I made a total of three arches. I then dressed these up with a belt sander.