T Top on a 16' Dauntless

[GMAC]

Thinking of putting a T Top on my 16' Dauntless. Has anybody done this, and what are the benefits and drawbacks? (The obvious drawback is storage.)

The boat is kept on a lift and main use is fishing. Rod holders, lighting and electronics box are my main reasons to want this mod.

[Give me your] thoughts.

[Jefecinco]

As a former owner of a Dauntless 16 I advise against a T-Top for the boat. Moving about the boat is difficult due to the lack of space around the console. A T-Top would almost certainly make it a little more difficult. It would also add weight to an already heavy 16 foot boat and some of the weight would be aft of the console where it is most unwelcome and some would be aloft raising the center of gravity. The cost for a specialty boat cover would be almost double the usual due to the fitting problems required by a T-Top.

We owned our 16 for about 10 years and used it mainly for fishing. We added clamp-on stainless steel rod holders to several of the bow and side rail stanchions. Because the Dauntless 16 can almost fish three anglers comfortably that was our limit. The rod holders we added plus the fishing package rod holders and the factory gunwale rod holders we always had room for at least four rigged rods per angler.

We gimble mounted a 10 inch multifunction GPS and Standard Horizon radio atop the console. That was all the electronics we needed for serious fishing in and off shore.

We were able to use a very high quality semi-custom Sunbrella Carver cover for a reasonable price.

[GoldenDaze]

I'd have to agree. While the 160 has a little more space on either side of the center console than a classic Montauk 17, I think a t-top mount would be a tight fit and would be hard to get around. As for weight, I was out yesterday on the Chesapeake running down and across 2' whitecaps and would not have wanted more weight aloft. I'm also not sure if there are any suitable backing plates in the deck for a t-top. I'd say go with the bimini.

Our 14th season this year Butch, we've got you beat. :-) In fact I think we've got all the old 160 owners beat, but it's great to see new discussions come up from new owners! It's a great little boat.

[Jefecinco]

Buyer's remorse is common. I, however, have been suffering from seller's remorse for several years. We enjoy our 190 Montauk but miss our pocket Outrage. The Montauk is faster, newer, larger, etc. but at the ramp and during clean up the remorse is always present.

[GoldenDaze]

Hang in there a while longer and maybe I'll have a deal for you. Trying to build spousal support for a bigger boat. :-)

[Ridge Runner]

The some T-Tops fit very close to the console. I believe that most of the weight will be directly over the console area so much closer to the bow, possibly adding a small benefit of some additional weight forward:

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[jimh]

A tall structure like a T-top with large sail area at the very top will create significant wind load force which must be resisted by the points of attachment to the hull and deck. When Boston Whaler offers the option of a T-top on a boat, they have carefully analyzed these forces and conservatively engineered the structure, attachment points, and reinforcements in the hull and deck to handle those forces. Installing an aftermarket T-top won't produce the same result.

[Jefecinco]

Ridge,

In the photos it certainly appears that much/most of the weight is at the console but I wonder what factor, if any, the leverage exerted by the cantilever toward the stern may be involved?

At any rate, the weight of the top has to raise the waterline of the boat. Hopefully it is negligible but there is little room to spare it the scuppers on a Dauntless 16. I haven't seen the scuppers on a 160 Dauntless so it may be less important on that model.

[Ridge Runner]

Besides a custom made T-Top two of the most popular after-market brands are:

Fishmaster: https://fishmaster.com
Stryker: http://www.strykerttops.com

In general after-market T-Tops are not that heavy as stated in the FAQ section on Fishmaster's site "T-top with fabric weighs right at 75 lbs with 4 rod holders attached". Both the manufactures have installation videos:

Fishmaster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiJkPMToTEA
Stryker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV67UyygP3I
(The Stryker video is the first part of four parts, and is very comprehensive - as a bonus the install is on an 18' 2000 Dauntless)

I have helped a friend install an after-market T-Top and as Jim notes there are not any backing plates in the deck that Boston Whaler would install for a factory installed T-Top. When I helped with the install we went a little different route than both of the above video's. Instead of just screwing the base plates to the deck we used marine 316 stainless steel toggle anchors, slightly tricky with a foam core, that we completely bedded them in 3M5200. About 5 years later the T-Top remains rock solid. Both manufactures listed above use cross stand-offs that attach the T-Top to the center console. This strengthens the mounting and controls lateral movement.

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[GoldenDaze]

Just to verify, there are under-deck reinforcement panels (#42, 5"x12"x3/8") that might be suitable for the forward legs of a T-top, but no suitable deck reinforcement for the aft legs. They would have to attach to the console or use the toggle-bolt approach mentioned above.

160DA reinforcements.JPG (209.92 KiB) Viewed 9799 times

[jimh]

GOLDEN'--you have provided very interesting information. The embedded reinforcements shown at callout-42 are well position to hold the front legs of a T-top. When the boat is making forward way, the wind forces will be attempting to lift the T-top front legs off the deck, and at the same time tending to compress the back legs of the T-top onto the deck. Having strong attachments for the front legs is most important. The rear legs can probably be fastened to the deck with less strength, as they mostly bear compression, not tension--unless, of course, you start making 20-MPH sternway.

[markbfree]

Hi Guys. For background, I have a 2015 170 Dauntless, and I'm seriously considering an aftermarket T-top by Stryker, Fishmaster, or other.

I just got off the phone with Boston Whaler and, as expected, they recommended against it for two reasons:

--anchor pullout from the deck where there are no reinforcement and

--the "kite" effect of a top on a small boat.

Of course, I've seen the photos and videos of these things being installed and lots of people with positive feedback. So my concern is significantly mitigated.

I like the toggle bolt idea. Any more detail on how you managed their install with the foam core?

Any thoughts on Stryker v. Fishmaster on a 170 Dauntless?

Thanks in advance for any insights.

[jimh]

I offer my insight:

...I just got off the phone with Boston Whaler and, as expected, they recommended against [installation of an aftermarket T-top onto 2015 170 DAUNTLESS]...

Yes, I would expect that. Boston Whaler has over 50-years of experience in design, fabrication, sales, and warranty of small fiberglass boat hulls using the Unibond method. They probably have learned what NOT to do.

...I've seen the photos and videos of these things being installed and lots of people with positive feedback. So my concern is significantly mitigated....

Yes, I bet that the aftermarket companies are very strong endorsers of installing their products as aftermarket, owner-added accessories to small boats. I bet the people who made instructional videos are probably pleased with their work and what they did, and they made a presentation of it.

But I don't see that the sellers, buyers, and installers of these aftermarket T-Top products would somehow have more authoritative opinions about whether or not they are a good fit for a Boston Whaler boat with Unibond hull construction.

[Royboy]

Since I am in the process of installing a T-top on my 17 Outrage II, I'll chime in on this. First, Boston Whaler offered a T-top as an option on my boat, so I know their engineers have done their due diligence to ensure the weight and running loads were accounted for in my hull's design, or more correctly, the fuel tank cover's design.

I had soft spots in my deck (fuel tank cover) due to water intrusion from various paths, not the least of which were caused by the console eating through the deck in the aft two corners of the console. Needless to say, I wanted to address this before installing an aftermarket (Stryker) T-top. I removed the deck and replaced the entire core with marine plywood and West System epoxy. The phenolic backing plates for the T-top were replaced with 1/2" aluminum plate of appropriate size and shape. I also used an aluminum plate under the leaning post to strengthen this key area.

Having said all of that, I'm guessing Whaler didn't offer a T-top on the 16 Dauntless, although it is a very stout little boat, similar in many ways to the 17 Outrage II. I have nevertheless seen many 16 Dauntless with T-tops. A couple things to consider would be adding some mounting provisions for the aftermarket top to your deck, which although not easy is likewise not impossible. Also, the weight of the aftermarket T-tops is not what many apparently think it is. The Stryker top is surprisingly lightweight, owing to it's aluminum construction and thoughtful design. Also, as some have noted, there are additional attachments provided by the aftermarket tops to allow transferring some of the running loads to your console. Lastly, the wind load from a small top is probably not enough to worry greatly about in a relatively heavy boat such as your Dauntless.