CONTINUOUSWAVE

I purchased a recently restored 1987 Boston Whaler 13-footer. I am looking for Bimini Top. Any lessons learned with respect to width would be appreciated. I am curious about the width: the beam from rub rail to rub rail is 64-inches; the distance from where Bimini Top mounting brackets 60-inches; a website indicates the correct Bimini Top to be a 61 to 67-inch width; however, a 54 to 60-inch does exist. Thoughts?

Then there is the height; as this will be primarily a fishing boat I believe the taller the better. But is a 54-inch tall top too much compared to a 48-inch tall top?

Finally, the color of the top: my boat yard mechanic indicates that black to match the current hull bottom color is the only way to go. On the other hand I always thought matching the top to the engine color was visually appealing. Again, thoughts? Thank you.

Also, the restorer converted the boat to tiller steering, which is my preference. The boat is a bit under-powered by a Yamaha F15 that is so clean you could eat off it. Next season I will tackle the bottom which has some 30-years of bottom paint— look forward to that project.!

My thoughts on installation of a Bimini Top can be found at

http://continuouswave.com/maintenance-logs/bimini/

You neglect to mention the fabric for the Sun Top and the material for the rails. These are also considerations.

The OEM supplier to Boston Whaler for canvas was the Wm. J. Mills & Co. of Greenport, New York. Mills tops used the SUNBRELLA fabric from Glen Raven Mills. The choice of Sunbrella fabric is still a good one. Sunbrella has been used for boating canvas for decades and appears to still be the optimum material. Choosing Sunbrella fabric would be a wise decision.

In the early days of Sunbrella fabric the color choice was more limited than today, and their PACIFIC BLUE color was the dominant color. I believe that it was considered the classic color for Sunbrella fabric for use in boating canvas. Today there is a much wider choice of color in Subrella fabric. Other than Pacific Blue, the most classic color choice is a shade that resembles raw canvas. In Sunbrella this is called TOAST. There are also several other near-canvas colors.

The advice your received from your boat yard mechanic that your color choice for the weather canvas should be matched to the anti-fouling paint is completely unheard of by me. I do not see any particular aesthetic sense in it, since the anti-fouling paint is below the waterline and out of sight.

Use of other colors for weather canvas such as strong primary colors like red or green is often seen, but those choices are not as common in Boston Whaler boats as the more classic Pacific Blue or Toast (raw canvas) shades.

With regard to color coordination with the boat's outboard engine, and in regard to your particular case with a Yamaha engine in blue tones, you have two trends adding together: classic Pacific Blue and your engine-color coordination.

The rails for the Bimini Top or Sun Top or Flying Top for classic Boston Whaler boats have been traditionally made from stainless steel tubing. For a smaller boat I do not see that use of aluminum rails would be a particularly bad idea. Aluminum would save weight and cost, but I would not recommend it if you are a saltwater boater.

If your mounting location is at 60", we would recommend staying with the 54"-60" wide bimini top. The 46" height would be recommended. There isn't any reason why you wouldn't be able to go taller if you want more height underneath the top, but keep in mind that the higher you go - the more sway you'll end up having. If you go with the 54" height, we would recommend also using optional rear support braces for extra stability.

You'll also have multiple options for frame style - aluminum w/ nylon fittings, aluminum with stainless steel fittings, or a full stainless steel top.

Sunbrella is the top of the line material and you are correct, you would have quite a few color options to choose from and would be a matter of personal preference.

Thank you for your posts. This will be the second Bimini I will have installed, the first was on a 11.5 whaler that was a breeze. After reading the Continuous Wave article I now realize what could go wrong and will be sure to measure twice and drill once.
FYI, the back support braces were great on my 11.5 whaler as the Bimini could be stowed neatly without giving up deck space, the trade-off of course having to maneuver around them with a fishing pole from time to time. I made sure the new Bimini was equipped with back support braces.
This forum is a valuable resource to tap lessons learned. Thank you again!