Vendor for T-Top

A conversation among Whalers
jimh
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Re: Vendor for T-Top

Postby jimh » Tue Jul 30, 2019 4:29 pm

PIP — I doubt you can find a T-Top that is made specifically to fit your 36-year-old Boston Whaler boat and is sitting on a shelf at a retailer in 2019 ready to be sold.

More likely you will have to buy a generic product and try to fit it to your boat.

If you are in Michigan the value of a T-Top for creating shade is limited by the relatively low height of the sun at our latitude. The T-Top is very popular in more southern waters where the sun is almost overhead and there will be some shade under it.

A further problem with a T-Top is the wind loading forces it creates and the lack of a specifically engineered attachment point on the deck of the cockpit for attaching a T-Top. The turning moment created by wind loading will require a very strong attachment point and strong fasteners. You will have to design, engineer, fabricate, and install the necessary reinforcements to the deck.

Is your boat an OUTRAGE 25 Cuddy?

I believe the CENTER CONSOLE CUDDY was only made in the 27-foot hull.

Which center console does your boat have: standard or super console?

biggiefl
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Re: Vendor for T-Top

Postby biggiefl » Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:24 am

After getting a T-Top in NJ I would not do it again even though I live in FL now for reasons that Jim points out. On a classic Whaler they are difficult and sometimes impossible to secure correctly. When the temp drops a bit you will freeze your ass off under it. The radio box is nice but you can have one made that does would bolt to the console and have room for a box, ants, radar, etc but no top for shade. I wish I had a pic to show.
On my 24th Whaler. Currently in the stable: 86 18' Outrage, 81 13' Sport(original owner), 87 11' Sport, 69 Squall(for sale cheap).

jimh
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Re: Vendor for T-Top

Postby jimh » Wed Jul 31, 2019 12:32 pm

When the deck reinforced fastening system is being designed, the designer should calculate the wind loading based on the speed on the highway the boat will be towed.

If towing at a modest 55-MPH speed, factor in headwinds that might be 20-MPH or more, thus wind speed on the boat will be 75-MPH. The T-Top structure itself must be strong enough for that loading, and the attachment points similarly strong.

On modern day Boston Whaler boats that have fixed hardtops, there is very careful mechanical design and stress analysis done to create the supporting framework and attachment points.

In addition, Boston Whaler uses sophisticated numerical moment analysis to predict the flexing of the hull at the attachment points, and then designs the support frame for the hardtop to have matching flexibility. If the hull and frame are not similarly non-rigid, then whichever element was more rigid would come under stress by the other element’s desire to flex. This mismatch would lead to cracking and stress failures, either in the hull or the frame.

The one classic Boston Whaler boat I have encountered with a home-brew T-Top installation suffered from chronic failures of the attachment points between the T-Top and the deck.

If you never tow the boat on trailer at highway speeds and the top boat speed is a modest 30-MPH, you might avoid excessive wind loading. But there is the shock loading when the boat gets some air under the hull and slams down into a big head sea.

Also people tend to grab onto things like a support for a hardtop to steady themselves in rough seas. Design the T-Top so if a 200-lbs adult is hanging on to it for his life in rough seas the structure will tolerate those side loads.

Best of luck with the project.

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Phil T
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Re: Vendor for T-Top

Postby Phil T » Wed Jul 31, 2019 3:26 pm

In addition to the comments above.

Last weekend I spent the day aboard a friend's Nantucket/Outrage 190 with a large bimini on the Potomac River in Maryland. It was very warm, 89-92, full sun and only a light wind.

I was pleased that I was relatively cool and did not get a nasty sunburn.

I would highly recommend a bimini rather than a t-top. Mounting it to slider tracks will allow you to position aft for better shade and storage.
1992 Outrage 17
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Jefecinco
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Re: Vendor for T-Top

Postby Jefecinco » Thu Aug 01, 2019 9:51 am

A bimini top is far superior to a T-top for providing shade. The benefits of a bimini over a T-top include the ability to fold the top down when not needed, much lower cost to buy, stock boat covers can be used, weight aloft is avoided, easy removal, etc. The only advantage of a T-top is that it does not interfere with an angler moving around the boat when attempting to land a catch. A T-top also offers additional mounting space for some electronics and storage fro PFDs although it is not clear to me that this is an advantage. Oh yes, T-tops look cool.
Butch