Bimini or Softop

[MikeD@Lightningshack]

Guys,

My Bimini and enclosure ended the season on it's last leg /thread, actually not without the help of few stitches from my sewing awl on the last 3 trips. Bottom line is that a new enclosure and top are on the winter/spring list.

I am considering a soft-top as opposed to a Bimini. I am a gasser so don't want to add a the additional weight of a hard top (range issues).

The boat is high and dry in a yard that doesn't do this type of work and isn't moving till after the freezes end (if they ever start).

Whatever I do, I want to have finished by late June.

My question, who locally is reputable and relatively dependable on a (marine) scale, that should quote on a new soft top enclosure project for me.

Also who would you recommend for having a bimini enclosure fabricated.

and last but not least... I am thinking a Bimini enclosure (4 side) would probably run around (5K) NJ, and that a soft top with radar mount and (3 side) glass may run around ??? .. 6,7,8? not sure.

Is there anything in your experiences that could aid me in my decision making process.

thanks
Mike
www.lightningshack.com

[neil]

mike ,nautical canvas design is in point plesant nj his name is mike messeroll and his work is nothing shy of perfect.his phone number is 732-892-7677 tell him neil sent ya

[Jack]

I used Grahams marine canvas and was very happy with both work and price.
He's in Ocen View, but he came up to Sandy Hook to do mine, so Pt Pleasant should not be a problem.


http://grahamsmarinecanvas.com/

[Dug]

Mike,

I vote for the soft top. It provides more versatility in my mind, with antennas (though I know you have super cool mounts already!) and so on.

But I think you are expecting pricing to be too high!

On the flipside, I am floored constantly by the pricing of my local canvas guys. And in my area, I know it is January, but good luck on such short 6 month notice...

Dug

[JP Dalik]

For 8k you could have a custom fabricated aluminum half tower. My guess is you could get a 3 sided enclosure for that money with it. You would have to use the old rag top design with a fiberglass skin for the top. Look into that they don't need replacing every 8 years.

[JohnD]

Mike, I considered a hard top (canvas on frame or true fg top) before going fwd with my enclosure and I found that here in Baltimore I didn't have a good souce for a hard top that wasn't bookoo $$$ and then still needing at least a front/side enclosure.

For my B35 I went with stamoid/EZ2CY front/sides and straglass back. I'm happy with the job and functionality in the end.

I always thought I wanted the overhead electronics box until I piloted a boat with one in rough water. I couldn't stand up long enough to work the GPS in the overhead. Fortunately, we were in the D. Bay and was able to sight nav off of the channel markers.

If you're near Cape May/Pt Plesant it seems like you've got a lot of chocies. If you're near Brick, Garden St Canvas a sponsor of the A/C rendezvous would be worth looking into (he's a neighbor of Charlie H's ).

br,
JohnD

[Charlie J]

mike
if you dont already have a radar its alot easyer to mount on top of a hard top