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Home > CANVAS PRODUCTS > Canvas Types > Bimini Top  

Bimini Top
Bimini tops are made out of aluminum or stainless steel tubing that is shaped to support a stretched canvas top with open sides.  The bimini top is collapsible to fold down out of the way for storage or when not in use on the water.  Generally, the bimini top covers from the windshield back to behind the driver to offer respite from the sun, but allow movement inside of the boat.

Is this the top you need?  Request a bimini top quote today!
Bimini Top
 Bimini Tops for Wakeboard Towers
 Accessorize your Bimini Top
 Parts of a Bimini Top
 Bimini Top Fabrics and Colors

The bimini top takes its name from the island of Bimini in the Bahamas, where boaters in that region first created the top to shade them from the strong rays of the sun. The bimini top allows boaters to enjoy the water and boating activities, while providing shade to keep cool.

Bimini Tops for Wakeboard TowersBimini Top for Wakeboard Tower
If you have a wakeboard tower, the bimini top will need to be specially designed to work with the tower. It may attach directly to the tower legs or fit inside of the tower legs, but still be attached to the boat's gunnels.  Be sure to tell Customer Service when requesting a quote for a bimini top if you have a wakeboard tower.  If the tower came from the factory with the boat, it is possible we can have a bimini top made specifically for that boat's wakeboard tower.  Likely Great Lakes Boat Top would have designed one for the boat manufacturer if a wakeboard tower was a factory option for that boat. 

However, for an aftermarket wakeboard tower, bimini top fit is difficult and you may need to contact the tower's manufacturer instead.  Factory bimini tops made for a boat without a tower, do not work with aftermarket wakeboard towers because the width between the wakeboard tower legs generally gets smaller toward the top of the tower and there is not room for the bimini to fully open.  Additionally, the bimini top tubing may not be able to slide up and lock due to the placement of the wakeboard tower's legs.

Accessorize Your Bimini TopBimini Top with Curtains
On some boats, you can add side curtains and aft curtains to your bimini top to create a fully enclosed structure as protection against rain or cold weather and extend the boating season for you and your family. 

Parts of a Bimini Top
A bimini top is made up of the following pieces.

Tubing - Bimini top frames are generally made of aluminum or stainless steel tubes bent and connected to an appropriate width and height.  Great Lakes Boat Top factory replacement bimini tops are made specifically for a year, make and model of a boat to the boat manufacturer's specifications for height and width.  To request a quote for a bimini top, you simply need to know what boat you have.  Aftermarket bimini tops come in various sizes in combinations of height and width requiring you to measure your boat and determine appropriate bimini top placement before ordering.

Bimini Top Fittings Anti-RattleFittings
- Bimini top fittings are generally made of nylon or stainless steel and are what holds the bimini tubing together and what attaches it to the boat.  Some Great Lakes Boat Top factory replacement bimini tops come with a special fitting designed for its anti-rattle properties.  The fittings are quiet and don't rattle when in use.  The inclusion of anti-rattle bimini top fittings is dependent upon what the boat manufacturer selected to be used in the original design of a boat's bimini top.

Skin or Canvas - A bimini top's skin or canvas is naturally what provides the shade.  If you are replacing your original factory bimini top with another from Great Lakes Boat Top, you can buy purchase the entire bimini top complete with canvas, tubing and fittings, or you can request just the canvas, if your bimini top tubing and fittings are still functional.  

Bow – (rhymes with "oh") A bimini top is sometimes described by the number of bows it has.  A bimini top bow is a piece of tubing that supports the canvas top from the port to starboard side of the boat.  Bimini tops can come in 2, 3 and 4 bows types.  The larger the boat, generally, the greater number of bows.

Bimini Top Fabrics and Colors
The fabrics and colors that are available for Great Lakes Boat Top factory replacement bimini tops vary by boat make and model.  Possibilities are Sunbrella and Seamark.  View fabric options and how to care for bimini top fabrics here

Need a new top for your boat? Request a quote for a bimini top
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