need help with a bimini top system

diveplane

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Feb 5, 2017
Messages
114
looking into a new bimini cover for my glastron 162 futura 1978 boat.

what kit would fit?
 

JASinIL2006

Vice Admiral
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Messages
5,716
The three main dimensions to figure out are width, height and length. Some biminis are "fitted" to certain models, but the those "fitted" biminis may or may not meet your needs, so just order one in the size you want and ignore the model-matching stuff.

For lots of biminis, you can get a width just a bit wider than the distance from one gunwale to another. My bimini was about 5-6" wider than the distance between gunwales.

For length, consider where you want the cover to start over the forward part of the boat (or cockpit) and where you want it to end (by the bow end of the boat). The length usually will determine how many bows your bimini will have. Shorter biminis need only 3 bows, while longer models may have 4 (or more?) . It depends on how much of your boat you want shaded.

For height, you usually will be ordering based on the height of the bimini above the mounting points on the gunwales. I'm 6'3" and I wanted to be able to stand under mine, so I ordered so the distances from (a) floor to the gunwales and (b) gunwales to the top of the bimini added up to at least 6'3" (I actually have about 6'6" clearance).

A few other considerations:
- fabric - it seems that you get what you pay for. Lots of folks like Sunbrella, but it's a bit pricy. It seems to wear very well
- supports - most biminis come with straps for anchoring the forward and aft bows to cleats on the boat; getting support poles in place of the rear straps will allow you to fold the bimini while underway and still have it up and out of the way.
- attachment hardware - nylon fasteners (for attaching the bimini poles to gunwales) tend to be standard, but you often can upgrade to stainless steel hardware for a bit more money. (I trailer a lot, and I think the nylon fasteners actually have a bit more 'give' than rigid metal fasteners, but that's really a matter of personal preference.) Stainless fasteners certainly look nicer, I think.
- storage boot - many biminis come with a boot standard; these are really essential, so make sure the prices you're considering include a boot.

I'm sure that's more info than you wanted, and others may have additional thoughts, but I remember finding the whole process rather mystifying when I first looked into biminis, and it's really pretty basic.

Good luck!
 
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