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Bimini Mounting
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| wlagarde |
Posted on 08/10/14 - 4:42 PM
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Gary - Thanks for finding this. Not quite the quality I would be hoping for...
1976 Sport 15 w/ 2005 50hp Nissan 2 stroke |
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| SeaLevel |
Posted on 08/11/14 - 2:41 AM
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Wlagarde,
I made base mounting plates for my Bimini top. I cut some 1/4" aluminum plate to about 2-1/2" wide x four inches or so. I mounted the plates to the top of the gunwale with four flathead machine screws drilled and tapped into the top of the gunwale. the plate was set in 4200. The Bimini base was then mounted to the top of the plate, drilled and tapped through the plate and the hull. It is a nice clean installation and has held up well. I also made support bars to stop the side to side wobble (see my personal page for photo). I can take a photo or two of the base mount later today and send it to you if you like. Drilling and tapping a machine screw into fiberglass has always worked better for me than a sheet metal screw. The trick is to use two sided tape or 3M 4200 between the fiberglass and what you are mounting. It takes most of the vibration load off the mounting screws while sealing out water and everything stays tight.
"It's just a forty eight year old Whaler but it's all mine"
Joseph R Palmieri |
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| wlagarde |
Posted on 08/11/14 - 10:14 AM
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Another good idea. I particularly like the idea of support bars to stop side to side wobble. I could potentially use this approach to support the main harp by linking it to the side rails on each side. This might even eliminate the need for reinforcing the hinges. Please do post close up pictures of your installation.
1976 Sport 15 w/ 2005 50hp Nissan 2 stroke |
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| SeaLevel |
Posted on 08/12/14 - 4:56 AM
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Wlagarde
I don't know if linking the Bimini to the side rails will help much. In order to be of any benefit the support needs to go from the base bow on the Bimini up high in the corners to a point on the gunwale on the opposite side of the boat in both directions as to form an X. I guess you could use the opposite rail as an attachment point instead of the gunwale. I would use nylon straps on a boat like yours and keep them fastened for traveling. They should be easily removable as they will surely be in the way when you are trying to move around the boat. Not as ridged as stiff support bars but a great improvement to eliminate side to side wobble. I emailed you close ups of the mounting plate as I always have problems posting photos
"It's just a forty eight year old Whaler but it's all mine"
Joseph R Palmieri |
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| wlagarde |
Posted on 08/18/14 - 8:34 PM
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Well I finally settled on reinstalling the deck hinges for my Bimini using well nuts as described by Boston Whaler. The end result was satisfactory and in fact allows for some give in the hinge as the Bimini sways side to side as the boat moves over wakes, etc.
Edited by wlagarde on 08/23/14 - 6:57 PM
1976 Sport 15 w/ 2005 50hp Nissan 2 stroke |
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| wlagarde |
Posted on 08/23/14 - 6:58 PM
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I posted pictures of the Bimini hinge installation on my personal page: http://www.whalercentral.com/infusion...r_id=30321
Edited by wlagarde on 08/24/14 - 6:40 AM
1976 Sport 15 w/ 2005 50hp Nissan 2 stroke |
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| wlagarde |
Posted on 06/30/15 - 4:12 AM
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The well nuts didn't hold either long term. I ended up using an allen wrench inserted into a drill to dig out a cylindrical area of foam beneath each screw and filled the area with West Systems Six-10. I then redrilled the holes and tapped with a 10-24 thread and used 1-1/2" stainless oval heal machine screws. Worked like a charm.
1976 Sport 15 w/ 2005 50hp Nissan 2 stroke |
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| GFC |
Posted on 07/02/15 - 11:25 AM
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I know it's a little late for you since you've already mounted your bimini, but your comment about drilling and finding no wood beneath the fiberglass prompted me to offer a tip to avoid that in the future.
Use a regular ol' stud finder to locate where the wood is. Get it calibrated in a place where there's not supposed to be any wood, then move it forward along the gunnel. You will be able to tell the beginning and end of each of the wood pieces. I marked them with a grease pencil when I was drilling some holes.
Works like a charm.
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| wlagarde |
Posted on 07/02/15 - 8:47 PM
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GFC that is good advice for sure along with using the wood locating diagrams provided by Boston Whaler: http://www.whalercentral.com/download...?cat_id=12. Unfortunately the 15' hull does not have wood located in the area where the Bimini hinges mount on the gunnel. The good news is that the technique I just used appears to be rock solid but time will tell...
1976 Sport 15 w/ 2005 50hp Nissan 2 stroke |
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