The time has come to replace the bimini on my 36' trawler B&B Local fibreglass shops are quoting in the $5000 range. There do not seem to be any shops in the Toronto area which produce hardtops on anything but a custom basis. Are there any alteratives available?Mike Breaugh, B&B, WYC.

FWIW, I find that in strong winds, my bimini acts like a sail and affects the handling of the boat enough that I almost always fold it up in such conditions. Hardtops are a convenience, and there are several boats with them moor near me. However, I prefer the either / or option of a soft top. If it's too hot or too damp, I drive inside. Cheers, Garrett ----- Original Message ----- From: "BREAUGH" <mbreaugh@rogers.com> To: <trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com> Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2006 7:13 AM Subject: T&T: hardtop for bimini > The time has come to replace the bimini on my 36' trawler B&B Local > fibreglass shops are quoting in the $5000 range. There do not seem to be > any shops in the Toronto area which produce hardtops on anything but a > custom basis. Are there any alteratives available?Mike Breaugh, B&B, WYC. > _______________________________________________ > http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/trawlers-and-trawlering > > To unsubscribe send email to > trawlers-and-trawlering-request@lists.samurai.com with the word > UNSUBSCRIBE and nothing else in the subject or body of the message. > > Trawlers & Trawlering and T&T are trademarks of Water World > Productions. Unauthorized use is prohibited. > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 - Release Date: 8/25/2006

I had a local fiberglas fabrication shop make a hard top to replace the canvas on my T-top. I LOVE IT. It is so much better than canvas: it stays cleaner, I can climb on top, kids can dive off, people can sunbathe up there, it does not leak, it does not rot in the sun, and so on. finco@sbcglobal.net www.fincofab.com They made a custom female mold for my specific aluminum T-top, and then made a balsa cored top. White gel coat matching the rest of the boat. I don't have the receipt on hand, but I am sure it was $3500 to $5000 last summer. Compared to $2200 for new canvas, seemed like a great deal. On Aug 27, 2006, at 7:55 AM, Garrett Lambert wrote: > FWIW, I find that in strong winds, my bimini acts like a sail and > affects > the handling of the boat enough that I almost always fold it up in > such > conditions. > > Hardtops are a convenience, and there are several boats with them > moor near > me. However, I prefer the either / or option of a soft top. If it's > too hot > or too damp, I drive inside. > > Cheers, Garrett > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "BREAUGH" <mbreaugh@rogers.com> > To: <trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com> > Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2006 7:13 AM > Subject: T&T: hardtop for bimini > > >> The time has come to replace the bimini on my 36' trawler B&B Local >> fibreglass shops are quoting in the $5000 range. There do not seem >> to be >> any shops in the Toronto area which produce hardtops on anything >> but a >> custom basis. Are there any alteratives available?Mike Breaugh, >> B&B, WYC. >> David Smyth david_smyth_ogst@mac.com (805) 501-1406 cell (818) 393-0275 office (818) 353-0275 home office

Mike, You don't give many details about the hardtop you want for your 36' trawler. They aren't all the same by any means, which is why all hardtops are usually custom-built. One could make a permanant mold for a hardtop, but it would not be likely to fit any boat but the one it was designed for. Find 4 buddies with the same boat, and you'l get a much better price. At this volume, a permanant mold becomes economically feasible. 5 years ago, I built a 10 x 14' Nidacore cored fiberglass hardtop for a Gulfstar 49 motor yacht. The job included fiberglass corner pylons to hold the top, opning marine windows all around, and considerable conduit and wiring up inside the top. The job then cost $18k incuding installation and painting. Today, I'd probasbly charge $25k. $5k for a fairly simple hardtop for your boat sounds like it's in the right ballpark. Mark Richter, m/v Winnie the Pooh Mark's Mobile Marine, Ortona, FL on the Okeechobee Waterway presently in Waterford, NY and southbound