Bimini Top; Factory install or after-market add?

[Nautique211]

We currently have an order in for a SV 211 sport edition. Our first new boat purchase and our first Nautique! What's the general thought on ordering the bimini top directly from the factory? Are there after-market bimini manufacturers that are considered a better way to go? FYI, our boat will not have a tower included.

[skiinxs]

RE: Bimini Top; Factory install or after-market add?

I had installed aftermarket tops for the last few years until my '04 196. Last year and this year I ordered the factory top. I was pleasantly surprised. Nice Sunbrella tops with very good hardware. I don't see any reason to go anywhere else for a bimini any more.
Dave

[Christopher-W.-Becker]

RE: Bimini Top; Factory install or after-market add?

I purchased my top through my dealer. Nice selection of colors, and cording. Was able to match the colors to the boat. Best part is the whole Bimini clamps to the tower.....so no holes in the boat, no holes in the tower. Four quick release pins and tw screw knobs and it is up, tight and ready for the water.

If intereted, dealer is Silver Spray Sports. Great bunch of guys out there.

~$700 if I remember correctly.

P.S. If you want an opinion on the CC tops Call Midwest Correct Craft. See what the employees run on their boats. My guess is non CC. Funny considering they are CC.

[skinautique]

RE: Bimini Top; Factory install or after-market add?

The CC tops are very nice. No doubt about it but the price isn't very nice. I know of a dealer in FL that orders the tops from the same company that CC gets them from and they save money on them by cutting CC out.

[Grant_West]

Depending on what the factory Bimin looks like, I would go with what ever looks the nicest.

I havent seen the New Bimini's but the old ones were not as nice as the ones from www.towerbiminis.com, check my website for more info and option's I can highley recomend these guy's they specalize in Nautiques, and have them bent up ready to ship. They test fit each bimini on a factory FCT tower just as if your boat was there. Just pick your color /colors and they will ship it right out.


click here. http://svtsupercharged.com/gallery/album03

you can chose everything from the type of hardwear to the color of the hardware. I went with Black leg's and polished S/S end's check it out for your self.

Make shure the hardwear you get is not a drilled in or permanit location hardwear, The reason is I have had to adjust my Bimini and change the way it was or is mounted as my tower acessory's have added up. If you add speakers or anything you can adjust the bimini mount locations to diffrent spots to make room for your acessories

[Grant_West]

ask for John or the owner, help me out on the way it is spelled he is spanish and his name is "Hi-Me" LOL tell them grant sent you.

[TwinTip]

Hi-Me in Spanish would be Jaime.

[Tony-M.]

I am with whitechocolate. The towerbiminis top is awesome. Their tops are longer and get closer to the tower on the edges than the CC tops. I had my dealership get one for me and they were very impressed with them and order several more tops. Depending on what you get, stainless hardware, sweeping strip, these tops will be a bit more expensive, but IMO well worth the expense. I got all stainless hardware...what a minute, I just went to their site and where did that custom wind break come from? I think that I might have to check that out.

[WakeUp]

Nautique211,
I had my dealer design a bimini like he'd done on a demo boat. The bimini is integral to the tower, zips on in the back with stress areas sewn in. The top fits around the anchor light and board pylon head. When in use, you can walk under it and it doesn't interfere with your speakers since they hang below it. When not in use you can boot it and strap it to the front of the tower. If you don't want it on the boat at all you can take out the quick release pins and leave it at home. Easy to use with all stainless tubing and hardware. You can get any color Sunbrella you like. Mine is Red on a Black tower, Silver Cloud hull with Black primary and Red pin stripes. After Christmas I'll try to post some pictures.

[NautiqueJeff]

Towerbiminis is a great company, but he said in his original post that his boat will not have a tower.

[Christopher-W.-Becker]

All,

Opps. Sorry. Missed the no tower. W/o the tower, I would get a custom built tall enough to stand under and one that extends as far behind as possible.

[Nautique211]

I'm figuring on going with the factory install. I thought I saw somewhere that the CC bimini has the Nautique name (silk screened?) on the fabric which would be cool. It also seems most of the the after market bimini's mentioned related to tops with towers associated. Thanks for the replies, this site is great for gathering useful Info on CC.

[skiinxs]

Here is my '04 with the factory bimini. I haven't received my '05 yet but I was told it would be the same. Notice the front bar instead of a strap, which allows you to leave the top on and rolled up if you want. I also comes with a nice quick release for the front supprt. I ordered my '05 with an additional quick release for the main support bar. easier to remove and leaves a nice stainless smooth flush bracket when the top is off instead of the bracket sticking up.
Dave