Fly bridge bimini and enclosure

[Mainship Mike]

Need to replace fly bridge bimini top and enclosure on our 2008 Mainship 400 Trawler. Reached out to a company in NJ email and phone that supposedly made enclosures for Mainship but they haven't been very responsive. Anyone have suggestions? Also looking for new bedding for master stateroom.

 

[oscar]

Look into this...... https://www.ez2cy.com/

 

[Comodave]

We put a hardtotop.com hardtop on our last 2 boats. Then used the aluminum keder strips on the hardtop. We made a pattern for the front of our current boat and had a canvas guy in Cape May make the front and first side panels out of the EZ2CY. It is wonderful, clear and like looking through glass. We fabricated the rest ot the enclosure ourselves. The hardtop is way better than a canvas bimini.

 

[Olebird]

Call the folks at Atlantic Tower's.(NJ) I was very happy with products and service.

 

[Comodave]

Yes, we had a hardtop made by Atlantic Towers. It was very well made, but also very, very expensive. It cost more than 3 times what we paid for the hardtotop and it was about 1/3 the size. But it was beautifully built. Then there was the shipping cost, $2K from NJ to Michigan.

 

[caltexflanc]

If you are in Carmel, California, you will be best served by a local canvas shop; there should be a few in Monterey, Moss landing and/or Santa Cruz, and many more up in the Bay Area. Most of those folks due upholstery too. Ask around the marinas.

 

[ranger58sb]

Gioia Sails may have been the NJ company? They made lots of soft goods -- for all of the Luhrs brands as far as I know -- and there was a Gioia Sails location across the river from the Mainship place in St. Augustine.

Dawn Gioia is a decent contact, but phone works better than e-mail.

-Chris

 

[Dougcole]

Just find a local canvas guy to do it for you. There isn't really a stock bimini you can order.


I love EZ2CY and am considering it for our next enclosure, but our canvas guy said we couldn't have a front opening with it unless we switched to a hard top.

 

[Comodave]

Just find a local canvas guy to do it for you. There isn't really a stock bimini you can order.


I love EZ2CY and am considering it for our next enclosure, but our canvas guy said we couldn't have a front opening with it unless we switched to a hard top.

Yes, I don’t think that the hinged opening front panels would work well with a soft top. We have 3 panels that hinge open in the front so it is completely open without anything in between. It is really nice to have the unobstructed view when the weather is nice.

 

[garmstro55]

If Gioia Sails is the company, I wouldn't give up, ask for Don (owner and founder) or Dawn, his daughter. They me made a bimini with side curtains for my 400 over the winter 2018-2019. Don did the measurements on my boat himself and I am sure they have the patterns in the computer. They gave me 10% off since the work was done over the winter. I suspect the price would be better than having someone custom make everything which usually includes multiple trips to measure and install. If you can put it up yourself you can probably save. They re-used the existing factor-installed frame and it fits perfectly, high quality. They also made a Phifertex weather cloth that enclosed the aft flybridge so our dog wouldn't end up in the bay.

 

[kazenza]

Recommendations for Bimini Construction

I'm preparing to build and make my own Bimini and have been sourcing materials mostly through Sailrite but their frame kits are a lot more expensive than some of the other 4 bow kits I see advertised. Anyone with experience making their own enclosure using these kits, including if you took a kit and modified it?

 

[lipets]

Before you do it look into having a hardtop made, a world of difference

 

[Comodave]

Before you do it look into having a hardtop made, a world of difference

Agree. We are looking to sell our boat and buy a new boat. My wife’s first requirement on the new boat is to have a hardtop.

 

[High Wire]

Is the pre-made stuff online aluminum frame, plastic fittings? The good custom stuff is Sunbrella fabric, SS tubing and fittings.