Replacing 26 year old Bimini Top

[Jeb]

Originally Posted by phatdaddy

well, after only 26 years in the harsh florida sun, my top has decided to call it quits. actually material is ok, stitching failed. I considered sending it to inaforty for a make over, but all the hardware is frozen to the rails. by the time i replace all of that and get it re-stitched, it would be too much sugar for a dime.

i did a search and saw a site destroyer recommended(feb 2017), looked good and price was right. just wondering if you guys had and recommendations , pros and cons of certain ones, etc.

Destroyer or Jeb, if you see this, which one did u get from the marine & rv direct site.

at my age, if it last 5 years, its like a lifetime guarantee.

What's up?



I got:
BIMINI TOP 4 Bow Boat Cover Blue 79"-84" Wide 8ft Long With Rear Poles

Coming up on a year, I'd say that for $150, I think the quality of the materials is excellent. It's a steal.

The only cons: doing it again, I'd get the smaller one. On the V20, the one I got feels like it covers the entire boat. I have two young daughters, so I imagine the sun protection will be nice, but when it's up, it feels a little long. The width is right.

Also, I'm going to replace the hex screws that attach it to the gunwale with an easily removable carriage pin. Otherwise, you can't easily fold it forward onto the windshield.

Lastly, and maybe it's how I set mine up, but the straps that keep it forward are too long. I'm replacing those with some nice 3/8" double braid straps with stainless quick release clips. I'll post pics when I get a chance to do that.

All in all, I'd def buy from this guy again. If I get 4-5 years out of it, it's $150 well spent.

Note: Looking at my picture, I realize the bimini is sort of "pitched forward". I just like it that way. But, you'll notice that the arms that mount to the gunwale sit pretty damn aft. The big issue here is that it actually makes it a little harder to jump in and out of the boat. This is why, I'd get the smaller one.