Towing - Bimini Up, Down, or Sideways?

A supply of zip ties and a roll of duct tape reside in my truck year 'round. I can't tell you how many times they've been useful around the boat, and when trailering. With just snap on covers, you may find that a snap will fail on the cover, or on the boat - and yours are apparently older than mine. When I've seen a cover start to flap in the wind, the duct tape has been very helpful until I've been able to make a proper repair. The zip ties have been helpful with the outdrive strut supports that I use when towing long distances.

By the way, terrific job on the batteries. My boat is small enough that I worry about the trade off between added weight, and the benefit / need for a second battery on a small boat used primarily on small lakes. I maintain my battery carefully with a charger in the off season, and replace it every three years, no matter how well it tests. The boating season is too short to lose a day to a dead battery.
 
I already have the duct tape in, but I'll also put a bunch of zip ties in. Thanks.

As for the snaps coming off, I'm going to use "hull protection tape", which is said to be super sticky and yet not leave residue. I'll put a piece on each snap and go to the boat with it and over the edge. That should ensure they don't come loose. But I'll stop and check every once in a while as well.

The battery rework was a labor of love. I couldn't stand the mess that was there, and it was so poorly planned that one of the two batteries was never getting charged unless you ran in Both - but then you were also draining both. And, there's a big Alpine stereo system with dual amps and a 12" Kicker sub, which draws quite a bit of power when we are anchored and just chilling. (No, I don't have tower-mounted speakers, and I don't blast music for everyone to hear. It is just loud enough for us to hear when floating around the boat.) So, I wanted to run the stereo off the aux battery, not the cranking battery, and yet charge both. But, I also didn't want the voltage drop that the diode-based isolators give. So, I am happy with the result as it is neat, balances the boat, charges both batteries, and lets me drain the aux battery and know I can still get it started. :grin:
 
Gary, you can get the tape in various widths. Get 3" or 4" and just run a length of it around the perimeter of the cover, as opposed to individual strips.

Don't forget to get battery terminal cap/protector on your battery posts.

For what it's worth... trailering with one cover on top of another is generally not recommended as the covers will wear against each other in the wind. It's not "guaranteed" to happen, but it can and I've personally seen it on a few occasions.
 
That's a good idea on the tape, but I guess I'll have to make two passes as the tape I ordered is 2" wide. Still, I'll bet I can get it stuck on. :grin:

As for the battery caps/protectors, that's a good idea but I'm not sure I'll get there this round. However, they sit in their own compartment so nothing is going to fall onto them. Perhaps this fall when I add the on-board battery chargers I can add the caps. I want the chargers installed permanently as you have to raise the whole sun pad/engine cover to get to the batteries, making connecting chargers a bit difficult.
 
Considering the snap on covers should stay on just by themselves, I bet the 2" tape will be just fine without even making two passes. Remember, you're going "above and beyond"! :smt001 But, then, it's pretty darn easy to make a second pass.

Be sure to get a charger that is approved for use in a gasoline bilge. You can get a single charger that will charge/condition both batteries at the same time. We use slightly more higher-end models on our cruisers, but for your boat I think a great choice would be something like the ProMariner ProSport series - at least the 12amp or 15amp version, if not the 20amp. These chargers come pre-wired with battery leads and with a 120V cord already attached (the higher end ones do not come with either of those things).

Check this out: http://www.marinco.com/en/150bbiw Install that on the outside of your boat, in an accessible location, and all you need to do is run the extension cord to that inlet. You will, however, need to cut the 120V plug off of your charger, and make a permanent connection to this inlet, but that is very simple. Take note... you CANNOT use a plug-plug connector in your bilge - meaning, you couldn't run an extension cord INTO your bilge and plug in to a charger there. But, you could do it on the outside of your bilge.

And, yes, I figured you wouldn't be making big changes to your bimini fittings right now (by the way, there's an ever nicer/easier to use version of those ball/socket ones available, too). But, I figured it was worth mentioning and you can file it in your "mental toolbox" for use down the road!
 
Yes, I'm going "way above and beyond", so taping the cover all the way around sounds like the thing to do. :thumbsup:

And, that's a jackpot on the connector! I'd been wondering how to do that, so that connector is perfect. And, I think I have a good spot to mount it, but let's see what you think. The spot is to replace the through-bushing for the fresh water shower back by the swim platform. I've removed the shower, pump, tank, etc as we just don't use it and it gave me the room I needed for the batteries. However, the bushing is vertical - so can I mount the connector that way? I already have an opening there into the bilge, so I'm not worried about the water ingress.

Also, thanks for the recommendation on the charger. But, why do I need 12 amps, much less 20? I'm just seeking to understand, but I'm happy to let a smaller charger do the job over a longer time since batteries store amp-hours and don't anticipate the need to charge them quickly. Thoughts?

Also, do you know if these chargers will drain a battery if they lose their AC input? That's something I've discovered about some chargers - they'll discharge a battery if power goes away, and I don't want that type of charger.

Thanks!
 
When I mentioned snaps coming up, I meant as a result of total snap failure - top ripped out of cover, or bottom part pulled out of the fiberglass. It happens, too rough treatment by some of my helpers, and just age at this point. The tape gets me home where I can make a proper repair. I've never had snaps come loose due to wind at highway speeds. Short term duct tape does not seem to leave residue on the canvas, and it cleans easily off the gelcoat.

Dennis made an interesting point about towing with two layers of covers. I agonized (as all new boat owners seem to) a bit on how to cover the boat for long tows. I've been pretty happy with the two layer approach for the reasons previously mentioned, and I think it saves wear on the snap canvas in the long run. I would never leave the covers both on for any significant length of time, especially in wet conditions. My cover being a decent quality semi-custom fitted to the boat's specifications probably helps. There is nothing loose, flapping or moving on the travel / storage cover, and its a bit more streamlined than the canvas snap. Highway monsoons mostly wash over the boat, and it stays about 98% dry inside.
 
Also, do you know if these chargers will drain a battery if they lose their AC input? That's something I've discovered about some chargers - they'll discharge a battery if power goes away, and I don't want that type of charger.

Thanks!

I don't know if it is good or bad practice, but I put my charger on the battery about every 6 weeks during the off season. My boat is in an attached garage, I leave the battery in the boat, it has charger leads on it, and I attach a CTEK US 800 charger to it. 12-24 hours is usually enough for the charger to cycle and report a full charge.

I'm not comfortable leaving the charger on 24-7 in a garage below my bedroom. With me monitoring the charger like I do, there is no risk of it being attached without current.
 
Dave - I already have a snap that's pulled apart, which is another thing that I'll repair in the next few days. So I understand that happening. As for the canvas pulling away from the snap, I also have two places that aren't all that secure, so we are repairing them as well.

I'm glad to see that you've not had any snaps come un-snapped while towing. That's been one of my fears, but with the tensioning poles in and the canvas taut the snaps shouldn't come loose. And, with the tape on them I am sure they won't.

As as for the battery charger, I'm considering leaving the boat on the lift in the slip this winter, and don't want to have to go out very often to check on it. So I just need a maintenance charger to keep the batteries "topped up" rather than to give them a serious charge. But, I don't want the batteries to be drained when/if someone unplugs my extension cord, which is likely to happen.
 
Gary, to the best of my knowledge, these chargers won't do that. But a call to Pro Mariner is the best way to find out for sure. They're a good company to deal with.

The cost difference isn't all that much, relatively speaking, between the various models. There could be a time when you run down a battery listening to music but will want the battery available again for the next day. A smaller charger likely won't fully recover the battery. Also, from your standpoint of someone possibly unplugging the cord, a larger charger will get more juice pumped in before that happens. It's one of those area that you could be kicking yourself down the road for not spending a few extra bucks now.

Mounting electrical connector... From what I recall, that "bushing" for the shower is a little bit smaller than this electrical connector. But that's just going from memory, so check that out. I installed one of these connectors in the front bumper of my Suburban to easily connect to the block heater (diesel engine) - the flange is 2-1/2" in diameter (I just measured it). Regardless, I wouldn't put it where you are thinking since the connector face would be horizontal and could fill up with rain/water. You want to mount the connector on a vertical surface or, ideally, one that's slightly past vertical so IF any water gets in, it immediately drains out. It might require making an angled spacer out of starboard (easy to work with, easy to do) as I believe all of the surfaces on the back of the boat are angled the wrong way. But you could install it under the rubrail, at the bow of the boat - basically, with the cord going into the anchor locker area. It can be routed totally out of the way of the anchor (just follow the bow light wires) and all the way back to the bilge inside the starboard side gunwale.
 
Dennis - I will check with the manufacturer when it comes time. Good idea. And, I also agree with you about how nice it would be to have the batteries hot if I drained them, or one of them, so a larger charger is a good idea as well. That 70a alternator is marginal since our typical runs are 15 minutes out, drop the lunch hook, paddle around listening to tunes for 2 hours, and 15 minutes back.

And, after I posted that question I've thought about where to put the connector a lot more and had already come to the conclusion of not placing it in that bushing. So, we are together on that. I like the idea of taking the connector forward since that is where shore power is available. But, what about placing the connector in the anchor locker? That would be nice as I could close the hatch to the locker since there's a recess for a rope to go under it. But, is that a no-no due to gas fumes?

Edit: Plan B - Just extend the charger's plug to the anchor locker and coil it up there with just enough length to get to the marina's shore power. Open the locker, run the cord out and plug it in, and close the hatch. No sparks in the boat, and no need of an extension cord to find a place to store.
 
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When I got new tops and and would store them up with the boots on when I trailered the boat home I got white rub marks all over the tops so I take them down .
 
No, actually that's a fine idea to place it in the locker. There are no issues with fumes there. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out a bracket (PVC angle iron, starboard, etc) to get the connector mounted up and out of the way. You could use screws or epoxy or some combo thereof. Maybe the bracket mounts to the ceiling or side wall with epoxy... maybe screwed to the tack strip that's installed for the rubrail. Another way would be to simply glass a mounting block to the ceiling or high on the side wall. Plenty of options and I'd be happy to bounce ideas back and forth with you when the times comes.
 
Dvx216 - Thanks. By "down" do you mean you put the bimini in the boat or lay it down?

Dennis - Thanks, but don't miss my edit to my post: Edit: Plan B - Just extend the charger's plug to the anchor locker and coil it up there with just enough length to get to the marina's shore power. Open the locker, run the cord out and plug it in, and close the hatch. No sparks in the boat, and no need of an extension cord to find a place to store.
 
I did miss that edit, I must have typing at the same time. Keep in mind that sparks are of no concern with this plan. But, sure, that would work! You'll want to figure out a good way to coil/store the cord in the locker so it doesn't get in the way of the anchor rode, but that's easy enough to do. Since you're plugging into an actual shore-power station, you'll want to pick-up a 30amp to 15amp pigtail adapter. Are you not planning on backing into the slip?
 
Our "shore power" is just a standard 15a outlet with GFI which is really there to power the lift's blower, but we can us it as well. So the plug that comes on the battery charger will work fine. And I'll come up with a neat way to store the cord out of the way.

Back in? Hadn't thought of that. It might make getting the passengers and gear on board a bit easier, but not much. If the swim platform were against the main walkway of the dock there'd be a bit less space to step across than from the side, but not enough to worry about. Or, is there another reason to back in?
 
I'm just going by "typical" dock setups (which would also have 30-amp power), but it sounds like yours might be a bit different. And, if you have a lift (I didn't realize that at the time I was writing), I don't think you can back in/onto the lift. But in a typical dock set-up, the fingers aren't often long enough to allow boarding from the side - although a shorter boat will help with that. Normally, it's just easier to step off the main walkway and onto the swim platform. It makes putting the covers on easy, too. But, again, it sounds like you have a different setup than I had in my mind.
 
Not sure ours is "typical" as it was built by a one-off company and may not be to any spec known to man. But, it has now been purchased by a bigger company that has other marinas, so we expect changes - inc higher rates.

Anyway, yes we have a lift. And that's the main reason I didn't think about backing into the slip. But, the boat is a good fit in the slip so there wouldn't be much need to as there isn't much of a gap between the fingers and the boat.

As for the battery charger, I'm glad we had this conversation. I now have a recommendation for one to install, see a good way to install it, and know how to make it very easy to use. Thanks!
 
Progress! I got the two short legs made today, as shown below. (Disregard that I have the eyes on 90 degrees off. They've just been slipped on for the photoshoot and the set screws won't be tightened down until I get to the boat and know which way I want them to face.) They are ready to go to the lake on Thursday for testing. But, you can see the difference between the new ones and the original one. The new ones make the overall leg 12 5/8" long c/c, while the original leg is 26 5/8". That means the bimini will be 16" - 18" lower than when fully up.

Also, as you can see, I got the new clevis pin and got it riveted on.




However, there was a minor change to the plans. When I got to West Marine they had both inside eyes, meaning those which have a stub that slides into the tubing, and outside eyes which slide over the tubing. I quickly realized that an outside eye would allow the overall leg to be shorter since the new outside tubing could end at the same point as the existing inside tubing. So, as you can see below, the two pieces of tubing end exactly in the same spot so the weight of the bimini is distributed to both of them. Further, the overall leg is much stronger as there are two pieces of tubing at every point. Plus, this approach lets the overall leg be at least 1" shorter, and that'll get the top that much lower as well.




I'll try the new "short legs" out on Thursday and give y'all a few pics as well as a report on how it worked out, distance from the top, etc. :grin:
 
More than an 1hr away or freeway time - All the way down in the boat.

Less than an hour and/or local roads - lowered but still up in their covers.


I drove 3 hours once with them up, thinking it looked good (it does), but I wasn't too happy when one cover chaffed in a corner and I had dead bugs all over the covers........
 

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