Sun tops for wakeboard towers
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Category: General Correct Craft Discussion
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Discription: Anything Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=17281
Printed Date: May-08-2024 at 7:59am
Topic: Sun tops for wakeboard towers
Posted By: ultrarunner
Subject: Sun tops for wakeboard towers
Date Posted: April-26-2010 at 11:39am
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Hey folks, I have a '99 Sport Nautique with the factory wakeboard tower. I am interested in putting a sun shade top on it. Any recommendations? I think I am generally leaning toward a 'fixed top' as opposed to a retractable bimini.
Thanks, Mark |
Replies:
Posted By: SN206
Date Posted: April-26-2010 at 12:15pm
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http://towerbiminis.com/ - Tower Biminis
Great product, good customer service. ------------- ...those who have fallen and those who will. |
Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: April-26-2010 at 12:18pm
| Thanks SN. I'm on it! |
Posted By: johnlonker
Date Posted: May-11-2010 at 12:06am
I just purchased a 2005 SANTE 226 which has a rigid frame black bimini that I am interested in selling. The wife says we bought the boat to be in the sun, not in the shade! She does want a foldable bimini, just not the rigid variety! She doesn't like things that are rigid, apparently!! I will be happy to get additional dimensions and pictures. I will include every screw, nut, bolt, and the best instruction I can put together to whomever is interested! This bimini is a custom and the previous owner towed the boat with it at full mast...@75 mph and not a tear or stitch out of place! I need to figure out how to post pics on this post...I'll put some up as soon as I figure it out! In the mean-time, email me and I'll send pics via email! ------------- ~JL~ |
Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: May-11-2010 at 12:17am
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Hey John, I am interested to see if it can be adapted to my tower. Your email is private, but mine is not, to hit my profile and send me off some pictures and dimensions when you get a chance.
Thanks, Ultra-- |
Posted By: TX Foilhead
Date Posted: May-11-2010 at 1:37am
| You need to wait till your out in August and see if she still feels the same way, my wife demanded one shortly after Memoral day last year. Please post up some pics, I'd lim to seethis towable Bimini, I looking for ideas for the next vesion of my Bimini. |
Posted By: johnlonker
Date Posted: May-11-2010 at 2:32am
Let's see if this works! Here are some pics of it...
    ------------- ~JL~ |
Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: May-11-2010 at 2:40am
| That rig took some thought! Thanks for the pictures. |
Posted By: SN206
Date Posted: May-11-2010 at 3:08am
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Looks like an OSU fan's boat! Looks good ------------- ...those who have fallen and those who will. |
Posted By: TX Foilhead
Date Posted: May-11-2010 at 12:02pm
| I like that, that's one of the best looking over the top biminis I've seen. It does look like something that you put up once it gets hot and leave it, mine is too, but not towable. I'd hold on to that at least for the first year to see if you like it or need it, that won't be cheap to replace if you decided you wanted it back. |
Posted By: Mojo
Date Posted: May-11-2010 at 12:05pm
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John,
Whats the going price for the fixed canopy ? I have an 05' 211 with the same tower set up... Moj' ------------- 05' SV211 TE 73' Martinique had:96' SNOB had:76' Nautique had 77 Tique |
Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: May-11-2010 at 12:20pm
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I got a quote of around $750.00 from Tower Bimini for a fixed top. Haven't made time to call them yet to get more details on if it's an over-the-top type unit, or mounted below the top of the tower.
Below and slightly forward would seem to be more practical, as you would still likely have use of the pylon on top of the tower. No so with a fixed, over-the-top unit, like John's above, especially went mounted that far aft, I would think. Is that the case John, can't use that upper pylon knuckle as it interferes with the rope? |
Posted By: johnlonker
Date Posted: May-11-2010 at 7:56pm
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Honestly guys, we just took delivery of this boat, so I do not have any experience with how this setups works. I do not know how the previous owners were able to reach the upper pylon with the amount of distance there is from the aft edge of the bimini to the pylon! Unless of course they were very good at throwing a lasso! There really is no wear to speak of on the bimini, where you might think a rope contunually rubbed across that last aft bimini support bar either. Maybe they never used the upper pylon??
We are at odds on the top, as I stated previously. She doesn't like it or want it. I really like it and think it adds quite a bit towards the boat's looks. I'd love to compromise and fabricate a way to collapse the aft half of the bimini up tight against the tower?? I think that might be my best bet, then as you guys mentioned, I wouldn't be required to buy a whole new bimini. Not to mention the fact that the bimini frame is screwed directly to the tower vs. now it looks like they use clamping collars on everything! If I removed all the mounting hardware I'd have 20+ holes in the tower to contend with! Let me look into this whole modification thing a little more ...I doubt that it will work, but it'd save me some money, I'm sure! ------------- ~JL~ |
Posted By: TX Foilhead
Date Posted: May-11-2010 at 9:37pm
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I'm shooting in the dark here, but is there maybe an opening that would allow you to reach that from underneath? I have also seen people use a short piece of rope that stays attached to the mount and a caribener on the end that can be reached from the back of the top. It looks like the back edge is made of some different material probably to be more resistant to the rope sliding across it.
Once you've used the tower you'll understand, but the only one that doesn't get hooked to mine are slalom skiers and the ocasional tube, but I try to avoid pulling those at all costs. |
Posted By: SN206
Date Posted: May-11-2010 at 9:57pm
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Keep in mind it will also keep the sun of your dash and interior. Once it gets real hot she'll want it back. ------------- ...those who have fallen and those who will. |
Posted By: bigwavedave
Date Posted: May-12-2010 at 11:10am
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i have the clips for the tower dave 8159531823 ------------- bigwavedave |
Posted By: emccallum
Date Posted: May-12-2010 at 11:40am
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A friend of mine bought a custom bimini, maybe from these guys, for his SN with a tower. He paid a good price for it. He has been less than impressed. The clasps that go around the tower didnt fit the tubing well and had to be adjusted, and the bolts that held it together were too short to get many threads. Then, the press fit Al tubing to the plastic connectors kept coming loose, and we finally drilled them all out and put in set screws to keep the frame from coming apart.
Before I bought one, I would want to see some close up photos of the hardware, if it is plastic and pressed on thin wall tubing, dont expect much. I have seen some really nice heavy duty looking hardware on higher end boats, so I know the good stuff is out there. It is just a matter of a company using it. I guess most folks wouldnt pay the premium for it. Just my anecdotal opinion. |