Bimini on a tiller

[itsanss]

Hey, ya'll. Got a 1958 Texas Maid Falcon that we're in the process of fixing up (not restoring). Wanting to do a bimini top on it, but we have a tiller motor. I don't foresee a problem while the top is UP, but what I'm curious about is what will happen when the top is down and in the stow position. It seems to me that it'll be resting right on the tiller controls or the motor itself. But I haven't been able to find any pictures online or anything addressing the issue.

Also, doing a rough measurement, it doesn't appear that there will be room enough to fold the bimini forward, toward the front of the boat. It would act like a roller coaster lap bar for anyone sitting in the front seat. Seeing as how the top speed of this boat is 3 MPH, I don't think a lap bar is necessary. :lol:

So, I'm curious what can be done and what it'll look like!

Thanks!

 

[perchjerker]

I had a convertible top for a boat once and put struts that were about a foot long on it that held the top at about a 45 degree angle when it was stored. Maybe you could do something like that? I don't know if it would be in the way or not.

Or you might be able to lay it in front of the motor? If you mounted it to sliding rails that may be possible to slide it into position when folded up so its out of the way

 

[Johnny]

itsanss :WELCOME:

Think about it - - - when the boat is on the water,
the top will most likely be up and it won't be inconvenient to the other passengers.
when on the trailer - - - the top will most likely (and should be) down.
so, when you have passengers in the boat, you will be puttering about in style.

get you some PVC pipe and mock up the size
you are considering then do the layout.
you may find a sweet spot where it works best for everything.

oh, and I am sure the gallery here would LOVE to see some photos of
your Fifty Eight !!!

 

[Ictalurus]

I've had a bimini on my last two boats, including the current one, both tillers. I built a jack plate for the square stern john, so the top rested nicely along the transom and below the tiller. For the Lowe 16', I used the bimini support bars as perchjerker mentioned, there are some pics in the links to my build below.

Good luck.

 

[Catch Release Repeat]

If you buy a sturdy top w a cover if it's not being used you can zip the cover on while it's locked into the back braces and it will sit up there out of the way. Similar I suppose to the way a wake board tower sits. That's what I do on my proline and pontoon but I didn't put one on my tiller.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DaleH]

They also make "slide rails" for the main boom attachment that can slide forward to safely stow the bimini and then slide & lock to the rear position when needed to deploy the bimini top.