Full Bimni Top for 37AVH
 

Does anybody have/or getting a full bimni top with side and aft curtain for their 37 AT. Where do you store it when not in use? I definately will be getting one and have an idea where and how I want to store it. I don't want the camper top, I will get more of a convertible top that is a little less funtional but more sporty looking in my opinion. I think the bimni top is a must for overnighting and bad weather driving. A good friend of mine had one made and one of his requirements was he wanted to be able go 65MPH with it up. It was definately more robust then the normal bimini but he never had any problems with it. I also had one on my last performance boat and never had any problems but I did not drive that fast with it up.

3 things I would look into- 1" stainless tubing on all sections, .040" Stratoglass for the clear, and there are new snaps that will not open unless pulled a certain way. The new snaps are great because you have to pull them, let's say toward the bow, in order to get them loose. If the wind tries to lift them they will not undo(unless your going 60 in reverse:D ). I have seen the canvas work on Active Thunders (first hand), I suspect whoever does it for them can do a great job on canvas. Check www.sailrite.com or www.outdoortextiles.com for all the goodies.:cool:

Oh yeah- NO PLASTIC HARDWARE!!!!!!!

:D :D :D

My 37 is suppose to come with a bimini top only, more of a sun shade, no side curtains, Im axious too see how it turns out.:D

I plan on having a full Sunbrella bimini/camper built for my 28 when I get it back to IL. We used the custom one on our Formula a lot! The only difference will be windscreen on the AT vs. windshield for the Formula.
We're not too concerned about the high speed running, but I would strongly recommend beefing up all the supports/hardware if you plan on doing any running above 45Mph with a top up.

I think we're going to have some removable sections so the whole thing can be shortened and stowed in the engine bay.

Insptech
Thanks for the tips! I was planning on using Sunbrella material any recommendations on canvas material?

hey roughstuff,

Let me know when you get it all figured out and ordered. I may have to jump on your back and look at one as well. I might as well let you do the legwork.:p :p :D :D

Hey Dan no problem!
I had a convertible bimni on my last boat and loved it but was looking for some ideas to make this one even better. Other things that I will add are a zipper in the shape of a frown in the plastic window in front of the helm. Many times when drive in the rain the only way to see because of the water on the window is to zip open the window then the plastic will lay over the gauges and keep then from getting drenched. In the aft curtain I like to have a screen so you can zip down the plastic window and let some air in. Anyway will be at AT on Tuesday and I am excited to see you ride! I will be talking to Steve about graphics, bimini top and a bunch of other things.

Oh, I won't forget to take my shoes off!

There are others but I think Sunbrella is the first and the best. They also have some new colors this year-adding to a whole bunch they already had. Don't go for the Sunbrella 2 it has a vinyl lining but tends to hold in condensation and sweat. I would seriously consider a long slope on the front clear piece-if it is straight up it will take some serious abuse at speed. Something I have seen but never on a performance boat is a hard plastic called EZ2C. If you could incorporate this into your front panel it will increase visibility-it looks like glass and is very clear. Since AT is such an innovator and their customer service is so good, I would think they would jump into this little design problem with both feet. Steve doesn't have enough to do anyway :D :D :D

Or you could just get some helmets-work great in the rain:cool: :D :cool:

BTW Dan, better plan on having some type of big old honkin' vents so your bimini doesn't get sucked down those sweet KE motors :D