Bimini Support

[willy]

;)

[Blue_Runner]

Hey Mac, nice bimini support mod ;) Very creative indeed.

You two hang in there. I have all the faith that you both will be feelin a - ok in no time flat :D Once yer able, a little fishin will be all you need to get back to 100%.

[willy]

Thanks Blue ;)

[Mac_Attack]

Thanks B-R! The wait is killing me. Billy Mac ;D

[Geekie1]

This thread couldn't be more timely. I had a problem with my bimini last fall when some axxhole climbed onto my boat using my main bimini aluminum top bow as a handle and bent it seriously. I made a temporary repair by cutting the bow and inserting a heavy aluminum tube inside the bow and Marine Texing it in. I decided that I was going to replace the straight sections of the bows with 1" SS. I am going to cut the 7/8" aluminum curved bows leaving enough straight to fit inside of the 1" straight SS sections. (I will need to have two bends made in the SS on one of the secondary bows) I want to replace the rear straps with a SS 1" tubular support. I haven't decided what to do with the front straps yet, keep them or replace with SS. I came into enough 1" 316 SS tubing to do the job with some left over. Bought all new 1" SS bimini top hardware to replace the nylon fittings. I haven't started to do this replacement job yet because I want to spend more time in the ocean, not working on the boat all summer.

All of the recent ideas on bimini top configurations in this forum have given me alot of ideas on how I am going to set my top up. I like Mac's forward position using plastic tees as a support. Crusher's setup is good also. One other problem I have with the gunnel mounted bimini is I also have gunnel mount outriggers and I can't have the outriggers and the bimini up at the same time. I think that I am going to move the mount for my bimini from the gunnels to the side windshield so the outriggers will clear the top. Of course if I do that I will also need to have the top material resown or have a new top made. Boy, it's really amazing how one thing leads to another. I have already spent alot of money only on ideas! A hole in the water you pour money into!!!

[willy]

Geekie that is the story of my life with boats brother. Only boat I ever owned that didn't constantly need something fixed or replaced is my 16.5 Mohawk canoe :-/

[reelapeelin]

Geekie...can't have bimini and outriggers at same time?...I'd be workin' hard to correct that ;) :) ...

[Geekie1]

Yeah, I am in a dilemma. My wife and her family are 100% Irish and have the complexions to go with it. That means I can't troll out to Bug Light without frying them. If I am trollin I leave them onshore, which with their temperament, is a problem, or make sure they have their max sunscreen on. No one on my wifes side has any engineering talent and they don't get why I can't troll with the top up. (I love them to death besides that!!) However, they do understand walking and chewing gum at the same time and feel it's the same thing, so why not. Bug Light is about a 8 nautical mile run and that is where I fish for fluke, stripers, drum, etc. a good bit of the time. Since I have that 8 mile run anyhow, why not troll out and back?? Who knows, I may pick up a lost Southern fishie. My outriggers are gunnel mounts and moving the mounts further out would require new mounts (expensive) or major tupperware surgery. (plastic surgery) Moving the bimini mounts more inboard is my only shot to accomplish tollin under cover without paying a plastic surgeon.

[reelapeelin]

I love draggin' bait around off my outriggers...wouldn't consider doin' it w/ out the top up and I tan like a NATIVE...post some pics of the set-up and let's look at it...sometimes that ''plastic-surgery" ain't so bad as ya think ;) ;D ...

[Geekie1]

I will post some pic's when I get into the project. Plastic surgery probably won't be the solution, bimini modifications probably will. I am already committed to the bimini parts-wise and I am more of an orthodontist than a plastic surgeon!!