# biminy top for raft



## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/f11/packing-on-floor-of-raft-16770-4.html

Timely inquiry


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## raftus (Jul 20, 2005)

There is a company called Fiberbuilt that makes umbrellas that they claim can stand up to 50 + mph winds. Here is their video showing the umbrella getting blasted with wind:

FiberBuilt Umbrellas™ | "Flexibility Is Our Greatest Strength"

and their stuff is on amazon:

Amazon.com: FiberBuilt 76RCRAT-FGR 7.5 Foot Garden Umbrella, Forest Green: Home & Garden

Have you tried using an umbrella like this?


http://www.amazon.com/FiberBuilt-9H...4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1201542785&sr=1-4


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi,

Here's what my bimini looks like on a 20'/30" Jacks cat. 

Ignore the old geezer at the oars and look closely at the attaching points on top of the frame rail. It's rigged a little loose in this picture, but you can see how it attaches to brackets made of cut PVC Ts that clamp onto the top of the NRS frame. Detach the two forward straps and it drops back, and lashes quickly for running rapids.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips
VP, GCPBA
gcpba.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gcpba/messages


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## El Flaco (Nov 5, 2003)

I saw this kind of rig on Westwater one day and I'm plotting to get one on mine. I found some 'custom' fit tops from a company called iBoats, and The guy I saw attached the hardware with these quick-release fittings: 









In order to mount this kind of fitting, you really should have diamondplate walk rails. They do make a side mount as well, but I imagine it would be tough to mount these on a frame pipe...

This setup is mandatory on the San Juan....


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

The fittings on mine, or is it Tom's?, look similar to those above, but have a curved underside so you can mount them to the frame tube with hose clamps. And while they go up and down easily with 2 cam-straps, you have to pack the boat just right so it has somewhere to park.


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## ngeoym (Jun 13, 2007)

Check out the tractor umbrellas here
Deluxe Tractor Umbrella, ATV, Tractor & Vehicle Supplies - GEMPLER'S

Very sturdy, adjustable, fold down easily!


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## pasta (May 17, 2006)

*bimini top*

Go to a boat yard look on e-bay. These tops come in many sizes and the same fittings that they use on speed boats will screw into you walkway's on your frame. If you do not have walkway's or a double side rail type frame you can get attachments for tubes. I've been running a Bimini top for years now. Highly recomended. And I'm sure you are going to see alot more of them in the future.


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## lito (Dec 1, 2007)

*Any idea of source of clamps?*



Dave Frank said:


> curved underside so you can mount them to the frame tube with hose clamps.


Where did you find this sort of clamp? As most folks probably have only a single rail frame (no diamondplate) any info would be most helpful... if possible.


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## pasta (May 17, 2006)

*bimini top*

I also have a single tube frame. NRS Outfitter. What I did was, with the space from the edge of the cooler and dry boxes and the side rails of the frame. I made a wooden plank the fits from the side rail to the edge of the boxes. It's about 17" of flat space on the left and right side of the boat. for gear or for walking or standing etc. Then just get the flat support base and bolt it on. and attach the bimini. Go to e-bay and look up bimini top you'll be able to find what your looking for


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## lito (Dec 1, 2007)

pasta said:


> I also have a single tube frame. NRS Outfitter. What I did was, with the space from the edge of the cooler and dry boxes and the side rails of the frame. I made a wooden plank the fits from the side rail to the edge of the boxes. It's about 17" of flat space on the left and right side of the boat. for gear or for walking or standing etc. Then just get the flat support base and bolt it on. and attach the bimini. Go to e-bay and look up bimini top you'll be able to find what your looking for


Sounds an awful lot like plywood decking (which is an entire post in itself.) Is this assumption correct? Or just a board with smaller dimensions (between crossbars of box/cooler) that is just for your B-top? Soooo... your top is mounted more toward the seat/cooler then? I can sorta visualize what this would look like and I was wondering if a plywood set-up may work versus something "hard"mounted to frame... How does it perform in a "breeze" where you would have the top up--not a gusty day when the top would be down? What I would visualize is a certain amount of play between the top and boards? What have you experienced? 

So, you have the top mounted on... say 3/4 inch ply... and from there that board (plank) is cammed to your frame? Perhaps I have not seen a B-top in action and I assume that "size matters" depending if you wanted to shade just the cockpit or the entire cockpit/bow compartment. Assuming you wanted to shade the entire bow compartment and cockpit, wouldnt you have to have the bimini mounted more toward the oar stands (center of frame?) Anyone have any tips on avoiding how to size a top from the 'net and avoid getting tangled in the oars? (I live in rural Cali' and it is at least a 170 mile round trip to even look at say, a boat shop or Western Marine or something). 

I like the idea of something that I could remove... say hoseclamps to the frame or a quick release mount (a la' El Flaco's findings). Though I would be worried about sand getting into that bracket thingy and then you would have a booger of a time getting it cleaned out. Removeable set up so I can take friends down the river on day trips w/o the B-top and then up when I want to take the little one on multi-day flat shadey floats.

Damned if I wasn't such a visual person!!


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## lito (Dec 1, 2007)

richp said:


> Hi,
> 
> Here's what my bimini looks like on a 20'/30" Jacks cat.
> 
> ...



Close up of mount would help whenever you had the time... Even if it is a matter of weeks. I imagine that posting a reply to the post would send it back to the top of the list... 

Thanks... 

I'm just trying to ferret out all the ideas. Hope nobody gets too annoyed. Esp. with a danged Californian lurking in a CO site. But...hey, Hooray for the Riff Raff!


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## Eddy Groover (Mar 25, 2005)

*Homemade Binimy*

My buddy and I, well really he, have a pretty good setup that we built for around a hundred bucks. We used electrical conduit, muffler u-bolts, NRS strapping, black fabric screen, binimy straps, aluminum strapping, bolts and tie down attachments, grommets, and bungee cords. We custom built them to each of our catarafts so that it covers every bit of our raft. 

With the conduit we built two U shapes the width of our boats. With the muffler u-bolts and aluminum strapping we fashioned the frame attachments. Bolts with wingnuts provide the attachment point. The NRS strapping extends across the two frames, front to back on the boat, to keep the binimy up by tension and it also provides support for the mesh screen. 

We bought the 60” boat binimy straps and messed with them to level the top or tilt it slightly forward. We screwed the little eyelets to our frames at each corner to attach the straps. 

The aluminum framing is the same concept as the store bought ones but we fashioned them so that the back support is behind the oar locks and the front one is in front of the oar frame. The front frame is also just outside of the oar frame so that when the oars are removed it all lays down towards the back of the boat. 

They work well and I’ve even motored down Cat before with them up. The wind is able to blow through the fabric so the wind doesn’t catch it as bad and with the bungees there is some give. We bought the fabric at Home Depot in the garden section. 

I hope that I’ve explained it fairly well. I'd take pictures of it but it's currently all in pieces.


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## pasta (May 17, 2006)

*bimini top*



lito said:


> Sounds an awful lot like plywood decking (which is an entire post in itself.) Is this assumption correct? Or just a board with smaller dimensions (between crossbars of box/cooler) that is just for your B-top? Soooo... your top is mounted more toward the seat/cooler then? I can sorta visualize what this would look like and I was wondering if a plywood set-up may work versus something "hard"mounted to frame... How does it perform in a "breeze" where you would have the top up--not a gusty day when the top would be down? What I would visualize is a certain amount of play between the top and boards? What have you experienced?
> 
> So, you have the top mounted on... say 3/4 inch ply... and from there that board (plank) is cammed to your frame? Perhaps I have not seen a B-top in action and I assume that "size matters" depending if you wanted to shade just the cockpit or the entire cockpit/bow compartment. Assuming you wanted to shade the entire bow compartment and cockpit, wouldnt you have to have the bimini mounted more toward the oar stands (center of frame?) Anyone have any tips on avoiding how to size a top from the 'net and avoid getting tangled in the oars? (I live in rural Cali' and it is at least a 170 mile round trip to even look at say, a boat shop or Western Marine or something).
> 
> ...


 I just got my boat rigged. Would you still like a picture of my top?


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## Osprey (May 26, 2006)

definitely, if you would please.


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## Bornwithatail (Mar 2, 2008)

*Good info*

This is a good thread, any pics anybody has would be tits. Seen a couple of sweet setups lately, & reliable folks say power boat style fold-down bimini is the way to go. Nothing like beach cocktails in the shade for four. By the way, check out hand-crank blenders, they're the shit. Any cats w/ biminis maybe post a picture, eh?


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## Snowhere (Feb 21, 2008)

Damn, now you guys got me interested. We just added a raft to my boat quiver and plan on taking the family floating this summer. We still have a wee one, so no white water for the family, just for me. I will have to check out AAA inflatables for their umbrella stand. I like the idea of the bigger bimima for the kids, but would like to have it easy to take down if the winds get huge.


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## Snowhere (Feb 21, 2008)

It was nice out today, so I blew up my hyside and assembled my NRS frame. I had bought a Bighorn II, knowing I would have to cut some length off of it. Well when I sized it to the boat, I cut 10" off each main tube. Now I was thinking the cut off pieces would make good umbrella stands. I figure a coulple of holes at the bottom for a U bolt, and a nut welded to the top for a hold down and I will be set. The only problem is a bimini top would be a sweet set up. Up when you need it, and easy to take down if need be. With two little ones, I will need shade for them for all our family float time for the next few years at least. I might just go with the home made umbrella stands for now, and look to upgrade to bimini status when I can. I could see having the bimini set up for the front of my boat, for the kids, and just using a umbrella stand in back for me.

No matter what, it would be nice to see some pics of your set up, Pasta.


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