bimini top troubles

[doug glass]

i know i'm not the first but my bimini does not want to fit correctly--i have a 1987 bayliner capri 1700 cr-- i bought a westland bimini from iboats that i looked up according to year and make of boat-- i put the frame and top together per instructions and when time to mount to boat the frame will not go inside of the side glass--too wide--if i try to bend it, the ends of the frame will stick way to far in the boat to attach-- i thought about mounting to outside of boat under the glass but the swivel mounts are screwed from inside out--so i would not be able to mount frame once mount is in place--i have e-mailed westland and iboats but i have always found sound advice from this group-- i'm thinking only option to do it correctly is to shorten the center bows and try again but not hurt warranty--any ideas are greatly appreciated

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: bimini top troubles

i thought about mounting to outside of boat under the glass but the swivel mounts are screwed from inside out--so i would not be able to mount frame once mount is in place

I am trying to figure out what you meant when you wrote that.

I do not think cutting and shortening the center bows would be a good idea because the bimini fabric is shaped to hug the outside corners of the bows and that requires them to be a specific shape and size. Can you shorten the vertical frame sections and mount them to the top of the side glass? Lots of boats use this method and there's hardware available to connect the bimini frame to the aluminum side glass frames.

http://www.iboats.com/Bimini_Top_Mo...2534793--**********.591972837--view_id.257689

 

[doug glass]

Re: bimini top troubles

thanks mischief-- i will look into glass frame mount that may be my best bet

 

[RollingWanderer]

Re: bimini top troubles

I'm also having a hard time visualizing the "swivel mounts" that you are referring to. Are you referring to the hinged mounts that attach to the boat that the frame then attaches to? If so, I hate to sound like an *****, but can you just spin them 180 degrees? When I mounted my bimini, I also mounted on the outside of the glass and had to spin my hinged mounts 180 so they would screw from outside of the boat to inward.

If not, could you take a picture of post a link of the mounts you are using?

-RW

 

[doug glass]

Re: bimini top troubles

rolling wanderer-- you are correct in assuming that you can spin the hinged mounts 180--but instructions specifically state that hinge needs to go toward inside of boat--that was my confusion--and no you don't sound like an *****-as is hopefully there are no stupid questions the hinged mounts do not hinge both directions--can i still turn them 180?

 

[doug glass]

Re: bimini top troubles

update--tried to turn mounts but would not line up correctly--so i drilled the threads out so i could use bolt and wing nut for easier access--used double-sided tape to temporarily mount to to make sure it was where i wanted-- secured with bolts and voila!! we now have shade thanks for all those that replied--only sad part is that iboats nor westland have contacted me back yet but there is still hope-- if they don't then i know where i stand as a customer