Boat Storage - with/wo Bimini stowed

[96Pirate]

So these questions are directed to those that have the folding biminis that lay on the top of the rear seats.

So for the 1st couple of weeks of owning the boat I would trailer the boat with the bimini down in its folded position laying over the engine compartment. After a couple of weeks I noticed some imprints on the vinyl where the polls rest. I am sure this is from a combination of the bimini shifting while trailering but also from storing with the factory cover real tight. I wanted to add some protection there so I folded a couple of old t-shirts to lay under where the polls meet the vinyl. I keep them there for both trailering and storing with cover. This corrected the issue of the bimini rubbing the vinyl during trailering but because of the extra thickness it left a larger compression imprint in the foam when the cover is on tight. I started using the anti pooling polls but then read on here that some guys don't use them and just the tightness of the cover prevents any water pooling. So I have tried that and have stuck to it and it seems to be working fine but this could be causing the compression issue. So what to do?

So I thought I would try removing the bimini entirely for my long term storage and see how that works. This would prevent any compression/rubbing issues on the vinyl and would create a steeper angle for the water to run off. The potential problem now is the cover is actually resting on the top vinyl on the rear transom seatbacks and the cover does not seem to be as taught. Though I am thinking I would add the anti pooling polls for the winter so that would take care of both of these I think..

So some questions...
How do you trailer/store your boat and do you have issues with the vinyl where the bimini rests? How did you remedy it?
Has anyone tried to store their boat without the bimini stowed in its normal position? Pros/Cons?
Will the cover resting on the seatbacks cause any issues to the vinyl?

Thanks!

Seatback with imprints...


Bimini removed (would store in garage over the winter)


With cover on and bimini removed

 

[txav8r]

Good observations @96Pirate . And many of us have faced the quandary. Yep, the bimini will rub the seatbacks in transit. I used towels instead of tee shirts. Be mindful of the hardware along the sides too. The bimini came with velcro secured canvas to wrap around those hinges, but it would blow off. My dealer provided me with a couple of sections of the black padding that the towers come covered with in shipping to pad the hinges with and then secure with the velcro canvas. The newer boats have a padded canvas wrap that is beefy and protects not only the boat and seats but the hinge area as well. So fashion something to lay across to protect the seats and boats. I personally stored the bimini on the boat but I have removed it during the winter a few times as well. I remove most everything from the boat for those few months. I have yet to do that this year as I may still get a few trips out on the water in. The mooring and trailering (M/T) cover is designed to stretch over the bimini folded down, so if it isn't there, it is going to be a little baggy on the boat. Your right on your year boat, the M/T cover is designed to trailer without anti-pooling poles. Seems it will stretch too much and risk ripping at highway speeds with them in. Some do it and report no issues, but others have reported the cover failing. Also, the stretch then causes water to pool when at rest. So best not to trailer with poles IMO. Here is a pic of the newer style of cover for the hinges. You can fashion something and if you don't have the canvas wraps that came with your boat, just velcro a towel around them.

 

[Andy S]

I don't have a picture here at work, if I can remember I will post one tonight.

I took a large pool noodle cut it in half and cut a flat spot on one side of each, then I place the noodlse on top of the engine hatch and rest the bimini on top of the noodles. If I am going to travel I use bunge cords around the noodles and bimini top to keep things in place. I found a regular pool noodle not to be tall enough and a large pool noodle to be to large, the cut flat side on the large noodle makes it the correct height and helps prevent it from rolling around.

 

[Wayloncle]

Well, I'm backwards, I fold my bimini forward when I cover the boat. I click it so it sits right on top of the windshield, I didn't like how it sits on the seats folded rearward and the poles and bimini boot filled with water. So I fold it forward.

 

[96Pirate]

Well, I'm backwards, I fold my bimini forward when I cover the boat. I click it so it sits right on top of the windshield, I didn't like how it sits on the seats folded rearward and the poles and bimini boot filled with water. So I fold it forward.

@Wayloncle I thought about doing that but wasn't sure how the cover would fit. Do you still use the factory cover for storage? Any issues?

What about trailering? I assume you might need to use bungees to tie it down so the wind does not catch it but maybe not.

 

[96Pirate]

@andy07sx230ho I assume the noodle is simply to elevate the bimini off the seat during travel. Do you store it with a cover using the noodles the same way?

 

[Andy S]

@andy07sx230ho I assume the noodle is simply to elevate the bimini off the seat during travel. Do you store it with a cover using the noodles the same way?

Yes the noodle elevates the bimini off the vinyl and I do use it with the cover on, it will cause the cover to be a little tighter but it works.

 

[96Pirate]

@txav8r Thanks Mel. I think my biggest concern is with storing with the cover. The trailering is not as big an issue since I have put the t-shirts under (I plan to use some microfiber towels, just never switched out yet). But storage with t-shirt, towels, noodles or anything else causes the cover to stretch tightly over that area and really compresses the foam. Andy's idea might work because it is off the seat. It just depends on whether the cover stretches enough. @Wayloncle idea might work as well.

 

[96Pirate]

Yes the noodle elevates the bimini off the vinyl and I do use it with the cover on, it will cause the cover to be a little tighter but it works.

So now my next question is weather related. With it elevated that much more do you have issues with water pooling? Or is there still enough elevation to keep the water from pooling? In actuality the overall height of the bimini may actually be the same during storage and it might just be the support placement that is the difference. And my cover works fine when I had the t-shirts under it.

 

[txav8r]

I don't find that the bimini deforms the seat back or does any deterioration to it in storage. It has always been in transit that I noticed rubbing or abrasion at all. In storage, I leave my cover loosely fit to the boat, not even ratcheted down. So I may not be the best authority on that. I do tighten it when out of my barn both in transit and when away at a lake but put away for the night. So I have not used noodles for storing it, but I can see it being beneficial. The bigger foam and padded hinge covers actually lift the whole bimini a little, so it touches the backs even less.

 

[Andy S]

So now my next question is weather related. With it elevated that much more do you have issues with water pooling? Or is there still enough elevation to keep the water from pooling? In actuality the overall height of the bimini may actually be the same during storage and it might just be the support placement that is the difference. And my cover works fine when I had the t-shirts under it.

My boat sits under a metal carport so it is not exposed to rain/snow. I would bet that if the cover area behind the windshield was not raised high enough the water would pool.

 

[Wayloncle]

@Wayloncle I thought about doing that but wasn't sure how the cover would fit. Do you still use the factory cover for storage? Any issues?

What about trailering? I assume you might need to use bungees to tie it down so the wind does not catch it but maybe not.

Yep, I use the factory cover and it fits fine. I've seen some people put a noodle over the windshield frame under the cover so it doesn't wear through and the little rubber stop that sticks up, putting my bimini forward covers all that so there aren't any edges for the cover to lay on. I put the anti pooling straps over the bimini as well, to me it looked like having the bimini laying across the back created a big area that water could pool on but doing it my way it's not that bad.

Trailering with the cover on I'd leave it like it is, but if I didn't have the cover on I have strapped it up to the tower, or if I was doing a trip at highway speeds uncovered I would lay it backwards. (I don't trailer very often more than the mile from the marina to my house at 20mph)

 

[96Pirate]

Yep, I use the factory cover and it fits fine. I've seen some people put a noodle over the windshield frame under the cover so it doesn't wear through and the little rubber stop that sticks up, putting my bimini forward covers all that so there aren't any edges for the cover to lay on. I put the anti pooling straps over the bimini as well, to me it looked like having the bimini laying across the back created a big area that water could pool on but doing it my way it's not that bad.

Trailering with the cover on I'd leave it like it is, but if I didn't have the cover on I have strapped it up to the tower, or if I was doing a trip at highway speeds uncovered I would lay it backwards. (I don't trailer very often more than the mile from the marina to my house at 20mph)

Cool, thanks! I am going to try it this weekend and maybe do this for storage and use the large noodles for transporting with the cover off.

Thanks everyone!

 

[txav8r]

Good point about the windshield noodle @Wayloncle , I do that and many do. It makes the cover a little tighter but those noodles really keep the cover from chaffing on the window frame and rubber bumper for the center walk thru window. I just take a couple of the large diameter, big 3" hole in the middle, slice them half through lengthways, and slip them over the width of the window frame where it starts to curve. That adds big protection for the frame and the cover! Glad you remembered that!

 

[robbo3]

I push the Bimini all the way back, past the cushions, so it rests on the fiberglass and it's seemed to work well.

 

[Ronald Fallis]

I see that using a cover can solve a lot of issues with regards to boat storage. Bimini doesn't exactly needs to be tucked in as it has stayed on for me when I stored my boat for a period of 2 months at a storage facility in Toronto. You should also consider the dimensions of the storage area available to you. If you have sufficient space available, then consider keeping the bimini on or else have them tucked in like @robbo3 said. At the end of the day, it's your boat and you should know what is best required for it.

 

[Big Shasta]

My bimini on my 05 had the little 2 inch legs that held it up off of everything when it was folded down. @Geoff Cooper has a great pic of them here. They didn't put that on every year? The Yamaha trailering/storage cover fit fine with it up on the lil legs.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/had-...before-time-heres-the-color-chart.7531/page-2