[kevo]

pics of boat with bimini top.

[WetWilly]

Thanks for the pictures Kevo,

I see a few things I am going to do a little research on and I'll be right back.

But just off the top of my head, judging from the plastic hardware on the Bimini, it should mounted to the rear (plastic) hinges as well.

Be back soon!

WetWilly

[Mariah_in_636]

Kevo,

its pretty hard to try to suggest things after seeing some small pictures, and I am not nearly the expert that I am sure are lurking in the background waiting to see if some idiot such as myself were to get lucky enough to say what the problem is.

So that being said. I would do the following (this is assuming you have not already done this) I would carefully inspect all the poles for minor dents, dings and bends. Secondly I would measure the distances once the top is up (prior to any binding) to see where you are. Check for differences in bends and space between the support struts

If that shoots craps, grab a beer and call a local Bimini shop and ask them to help you through. Most will be helpful because they all know that biminis go bad and they would obviously like your business. In return you could start off the relationship by picking up your boot that you need for the top.

Good luck.

[kevo]

Thanks Mariah_in_636.. There are no bad suggestions. I'm not sure I even have the thing on correctly. I'll try anything right now. Thanks again.

I hope it's ok if I grab the beer first..

Originally Posted by Mariah_in_636

Kevo,

its pretty hard to try to suggest things after seeing some small pictures, and I am not nearly the expert that I am sure are lurking in the background waiting to see if some idiot such as myself were to get lucky enough to say what the problem is.

So that being said. I would do the following (this is assuming you have not already done this) I would carefully inspect all the poles for minor dents, dings and bends. Secondly I would measure the distances once the top is up (prior to any binding) to see where you are. Check for differences in bends and space between the support struts

If that shoots craps, grab a beer and call a local Bimini shop and ask them to help you through. Most will be helpful because they all know that biminis go bad and they would obviously like your business. In return you could start off the relationship by picking up your boot that you need for the top.

Good luck.

[indykoch]

Every bimini top I've seen that doesn't mount to the windshield frame, mounts to the outside of the windshield. I also noticed there's not much of a ledge on your boat, which explains why the previous owner must have tried mounting where they did. Problem is (as you know), the windshield has a slight lean towards the inside of the boat.

My only suggestion would be to find a place that sells or fabricates fasteners to the outer side of the boat, or buy a narrower bimini frame?

Sorry this isn't much help, I'm basically pointing out the obvious.

[WetWilly]

Hi Mariah_in_636, your absolutly right, unless the Bimini frame is straight, nothing is going to really help. Good thing is, the frame looks like it's made of aluminum so it shouldn't be too hard to straighrten if Kevo finds a bend.

Kevo, where exactly is it rubbing, from the forth picture with someone's legs in it, it appears the the forward pivoting pole on the passenger side is slightly twisted or bent towards the window frame and rubbing.

So do as Mariah_in_636 suggested and you might want to loosen the front and rear support straps to insure ther're not adding any twist and get back to us with the results. Once we're sure the Bimini is straight as possible, I have a few ideas from looking at some of the other members Shabahs.

I'm sure we can get it to sit correctly when open, but since it mounts inside of the windows, I doubt it will ever lay back flat as bpfirrman stated so like he suggested, this is where the rear support poles come in handy.

Good luck and we'll be waiting,
WetWilly

[kevo]

Ok. I've made sure all the support poles are straight and no gaps are present in the layout. I still have that rubbing on the sides when the bimini top is being placed in the hinges initially. When I spread it out in the coverage position the rubbing and pressure it puts on the windshield is better but still rubbing. I may be reliquished to ordering a narrower top. Any further suggestions will be appreciated.

[Mariah_in_636]

Not trying to beat the dying horse here but...............

Those are issues that a custom top would resolve for you. I would suggest talking to the local boat shops to get some idea of who is trustworthy, reliable and "gots skills".

You could get color, length, width, height and frame type all custom designed for your boat.

I am anxious to get it done for my boat but what I want is gonna be like 1200. According to the wife I have to "prioritize" my toys. Guess we will see what she says when she gets burnt every time we get in the boat. LOL

[kevo]

Something I never noticed until I laid the top flat and looked at it from a distance. When I put the bimini on initially, the top and support bars looked straight. As I look at this now I can't line one side up on the top. Shouldn't both sides line up flush; right on top of each other. Take a look at the photos and any feedback would be appreciated.

If they should be flush, how in the world do I get them straight? I tried to bend the poles a little, just testing and couldn't hold the other side still. Maybe it's a two man job - or man and wife...

[Mariah_in_636]

OK, its kinda hard to tell in the photos for sure but the third photo posted seems to offer the best clues.

in looking at them and seeing that they do not line up it would appear that something is obviously not lining up correctly. It appears to be the lower or what would be the rear most support strut. It appears to me that the support is not positioned evenly from top to bottom. It could just be an optical illusion due to the camera angle etc. but thats what I am seeing.

Would it be too much to ask you to take the fabric off all together and try to get some shots of the top inverted and resitng on the supports. That may help you get going in the right direction as well.

Ill take more time with the photos in a bit gotta run back to work for a few hours.

Chris