questions regards a bimini top i want making

[lanerboy]

I am thinking of having a bimini top made for my phantom 40 and Harris hoods have come recommended to me, so has anyone else on here had anything like this made by them???

Also chris has asked me what diameter tube I would like the structure made from he has mentioned 1 inch and I am unsure so all input appreciated on this please, also do you think I need a 3 or 4 framed structure on a phantom 40 flybridge

Any other ideas or comments welcome regards a bimini top and the way they are made / fitted etc etc

Thanks

 

[jfm]

25mm tube would be ok but 30mm for the main goalposts would give a more quality feel. Can you post up a sketch of what he proposes to make, then we can critique it?

For a quality job you want end fittings that go inside not outside the tube. Try mostly to avoid wires and straps- use tubes even when in tension. But a drawing would help

 

[Nick_H]

I don't know Harris Hoods, but it would be worth asking Flexicovers for a quote as they are the OEM supplier to Fairline since 2002. They could probably make one from existing patterns without the need to measure up your boat.

http://www.flexicovers.co.uk/fairline/products.aspx

I've always been happy with the service from them, though i've never really compared prices.

edit: the prices are on the web site http://www.flexicovers.co.uk/fairline/boat-model-detail/phantom-40-13.aspx

 

[lanerboy]

will try and get some sort of a drawing to look at and ask the questions regards end fitting and straps etc etc

nick
I have seen those people before and I am sure their product is superb but its 3 times the price I have been quoted and yes I know it wont be the same quality for a 3rd of the price but I cant justify spending that sum on a bimini top for this country that I will use now and again

thanks for the input though :encouragement:

 

[rafiki_]

Shawn, you'll have no worries with Chris's quality or fittings.

 

[lanerboy]

After speaking with a few people I decided to ring fairline and ask them if my boat will have any strengthening sections built into the sides of the flybridge at build as apparently some do some don't but Fairline were unable to confirm if mine has or has not. When I get who ever to do the job Fairline say that they must fix it where the strengthening sections are, so I now need to find out if mine has them or not so out with the metal detector next week to check

has anyone else had an after market bimini top fitted to a flybridge and if so how did you get on with the job

cheers

 

[Hurricane]

Try Jim at JB Covers
Actually I think his company is J.B Yacht Services
He is on the Hamble but I'm sure he works along most of the south coast.
I think his number is 01489 572487

He has mad two biminis for me - One for our old Sealine T51 and one for our current P67
He will produce the cover and the tubes - you can discuss the tube size with him and get his advice.
The one he made for the P67 is quite large.

The thing I like about his biminis is the shape - he doesn't just make a square flat sun shade - he gives some thought to the curves etc.
Quite a lot of biminis look awful flat constructions.

EDIT
Have a look at this post of mine http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?161698-Biminis

 

[jfm]

Shawn the factory reinforcing usually consist of aluminium pads about 15mm thick glassed in. You can drill and tap them, which can help the installation. But if you don't have them you'll still be able to fit a bimini just by carefully selecting the mounting points and where possible getting behind the scenes so you can use plywood pads and penny washers. You might have to have s/s pads made for the heavily loaded fittings, to spread the load on the GRP, and attach them with polyurethane adhesive as well as screws/bolts

I'd recommend that you consider fitting down lighting. Lights are really nice at night and I now wouldn't be without them. It requires all the wiring to be threaded inside the tube so it is a bit of a fiddle, but the effect is really nice. You can get LED light units that sit nicely on the bimini tubing

 

[Hurricane]

I'd recommend that you consider fitting down lighting. Lights are really nice at night and I now wouldn't be without them. It requires all the wiring to be threaded inside the tube so it is a bit of a fiddle, but the effect is really nice. You can get LED light units that sit nicely on the bimini tubing

I agree about the down lights
We don't have them and it can get quite dark up there at night
We have 4 lights in our radar arch and 4 low level LEDs but that isn't enough

JFM
any ideas on supplies of suitable tube lights - low cost and easy to retro fit?

 

[jfm]

These are never going to be low cost and easy to fit Mike - it's a boat!

Fitting is the hard part. You'd need to run switched 24v power to the base of your tubing where it attaches to the flybridge, the V in the tubing I mean. Stbd side might be ok on JW as you can hide the wires on that side more easily. Then you'd have to drill the tube and thread the cable, using grommets to stop chafing. Ideally you want the lights on goalposts 2 and 3 of your 1,2,3,4, and ideally you want them where your canvas tunnels happen to be, so that's a sewing job urgh.

As regards the fittings there are now several. Flexicovers in Bournemouth did mine so they can supply; pictures here (though personally I would not have lights on the front-most goal post as they show on the Princess pictures on this page) http://www.flexicovers.co.uk/custom-bimini/gallery.aspx. Palagi (Italy) make some very nice units http://www.palagi.it/articolo_ing.php?cod=L0186. Even walmart do them http://www.walmart.com/ip/SeaSense-Bimini-LED-Strip-Light-Clear/16778465 and also see here http://www.tohatsu.us/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=50000_50004_50310

You could have battery operated ones to avoid the wiring hassle http://www.budgetmarine.com/Catalog...+LED+Bimini+Light+¬/product.aspx#.U3trz7NwZkg

 

[MapisM]

JFM
any ideas on supplies of suitable tube lights - low cost and easy to retro fit?

These are never going to be low cost and easy to fit Mike - it's a boat!

LOL, I wouldn't dare challenging jfm on a led lighting debate, if it were about the highest CRI, or the most flush installation.
But if low cost and retrofit easiness is what you're looking for, I feel entitled to throw in my 2 cents.
This is the result I got with a 24v IP66 led strip, very flat (2 or 3mm), attached to one of the tubes with a few cable ties.
Of course you can see it's not a job up to megayacht standards, when looking very close.
But that was 25 Eur all in, and the installation took me less than half an hour....
...though admittedly, I had the wiring pre-installed when I made the top structure.
That's possibly the more time consuming part of the job, if not already available.

 

[lanerboy]

thanks for all the replies, cant believe this myself but I think we are going to may be change the boat for some thing a tad bigger preferably with passerell, bimini, genny and may be even air con if I can stretch it, I know I have not had the boat that long but hey ho you only live once lol

 

[rafiki_]

thanks for all the replies, cant believe this myself but I think we are going to may be change the boat for some thing a tad bigger preferably with passerell, bimini, genny and may be even air con if I can stretch it, I know I have not had the boat that long but hey ho you only live once lol

Shawn, I think we need a new thread. Reasons for changing your boat. So yours is you need a new one because this one doesn't have a Bimini

 

[jfm]

thanks for all the replies, cant believe this myself but I think we are going to may be change the boat for some thing a tad bigger preferably with passerell, bimini, genny and may be even air con if I can stretch it, I know I have not had the boat that long but hey ho you only live once lol

Haha, love it! New thread Shawn please!

My old (2009) Sq 58 has just come up for sale (this one http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?188252-In-build-sort-of-pics-of-Sq58-long-lots-pics). The family who bought it from me just ordered a bigger new Fairline from Essex. It is listed on Essex's website as ES2070 but the ad there is rubbish until they upload proper pictures and spec, maybe in next few days. It is Essex stock so you can do a trade in, and it is sitting in the South of France ready for your new life in the Med . Though it could come to UK on a lorry. Shawn this is a really good boat, 2009, 5 cabins, and the spec list far exceeds any other Sq58 ever. One of the last 10 built. It had 250 hours when I sold it and it now has 700 afaik. The family who bought it from me had a full time pro captain who has really looked after it and it is mint - it has lived in a marina just along from me since I sold it so I see it often. If the boat design floats your boat, this is the best thing on the market and Essex will take an offer on it. I realise I have gone into "salesman mode" in this post but I make no apology - this one is a really good boat. And it has TWO biminis Of course, if it aint what you want then no worries!

 

[lanerboy]

Shawn, I think we need a new thread. Reasons for changing your boat. So yours is you need a new one because this one doesn't have a Bimini

or a genny or a passerell or air con or a jet ski lol

cheers John that looks stunning but it will be out of my price range I am afraid, not sure what I want yet swmbo needs convincing on which way to go fly or sports as she was cold sat on the flybridge the other week on our way back from Lulworth and said it would have been nice to be behind canvas ??????????

 

[harstonwood]

thanks for all the replies, cant believe this myself but I think we are going to may be change the boat for some thing a tad bigger preferably with passerell, bimini, genny and may be even air con if I can stretch it, I know I have not had the boat that long but hey ho you only live once lol

As Kwacka would say ......."Kinnel!"