Hard top addition?

[kpinnn]

Has anyone replaced the Bimini on a trawler of Gulfstar or Albin or similar design with a hard top. Weight is an issue as all know . Especially high weight. Any comments suggestions or experiences.

 

[Comodave]

I have done it on several boats. I used to get them from hardtotop.com but I believe they closed shop during Covid due to supply shortages. I have also used Atlantic Towers in New Jersey. They make custom hardtops that are very well built but somewhat pricey. They shipped one to me in Michigan. It was very nicely done. Aluminum framed with a fiberglass top that is fairly lightweight and not structural. I don’t remember how much it weighed but it was installed by 2 of us and it was not hard.

 

[mvweebles]

A major decsion on the top itself is whether you will install stuff up there and need it to support the weight of a person. I have solar on top of mine and I can definitely feel the added weight aloft. If I were to do it again, I'd find the guys who do T-Tops and such for center consoles and go with powder coated aluminum framing. While I like having a hard-top, the big thing for me was solar. I might forego the hard top altogether and mount solar panels direct and use tee-gasket to seal between the (EXAMPLE HERE).

I have to say, having a sturdy hard top is great. I configured mine so it's fairly low - around 6'5" in the middle where you stand at the helm. Better sun shade on the sides in the morning and afternoon.

Peter