Bimini Tops For Boats: Choosing the Right Material

If you’ve recently purchased a pre-owned yacht or boat and plan to fix or completely refurbish it, you may consider getting a new bimini top. Bimini tops are open-front canvas or fabric coverings supported by a metal, collapsible frame that serves as a boat shade structure. These can be a great addition to any watercraft, whether you’re planning an outing with your family and friends or want to spend a lazy afternoon fishing.

A bimini top is an essential accessory you or your boat customers will want to obtain. As you know, one of the risks of whiling away the hours on the water is getting too much direct sunshine. A small investment in a marine fabric bimini top can eliminate this risk and, at the same time, increase your boating enjoyment by providing a comfortable shade while still allowing that cool breeze off the water to flow through.

How to Choose A Bimini Top

• Type of Bimini Top – Bimini tops come in various types. Most are suited explicitly for yachts, sailboats, pontoons, ski towers, etc. Be sure to bring your boat's make, model, and year when shopping to make an educated selection.
• High-Quality, Marine-Grade Fabrics – The canvas, or fabricated part of a bimini, is constantly exposed to the sun, heat, and other weather-related conditions, so it’s typically the first part to deteriorate. To prevent this, purchase a bimini with high-quality, marine-grade fabric. You’ll need a breathable material that will withstand the test of time, keep a beautiful appearance, won’t tear, shrink, or stretch, and will be UV, water, mold, and mildew resistant.
• Fabric Color and Style – Selecting the right color and style of fabric will enhance your boat’s appearance and increase its value. Be sure to select a light shade color (to prevent your new material from fading) that complements the existing hue of your yacht or boat.
• Fit - Bimini tops come in different shapes and sizes and have 2, 3, or 4 bows. To get the right fit for your boat, start by measuring the length, width, and height of the area on your boat that you need the Bimini to cover. Remember that the most important measurement will be the width between the mounting points (NOT the width of your boat.)
• Coverage Area – Before making a custom bimini, consider how and in what ways you’ll be using your boat. For instance, do you anticipate you and your family sitting in your boat on the water all day? If so, you may want to buy an extended bimini to ensure everyone will have enough shade. Or do you plan to go fishing by yourself and a friend? In that case, you may want to go with a smaller and taller bimini that will allow you to stand and walk around your boat all day while you fish.
• Mounting Frame – Most bimini tops are supported by a mounting frame made from stainless steel or aluminum. Generally, a stainless steel frame works best for saltwater boating environments, as it can withstand higher winds and corrosion. At the same time, aluminum is usually the best frame choice for freshwater boating environments.
• Speed Rating – To prevent your bimini from tearing or breaking and potentially damaging your boat, look for a bimini top that will support a high speed of travel when it’s open (i.e., up to 35 miles per hour.)
• Price – Buying custom bimini tops can be much more expensive than buying a standard, ready-made one. But ordering a custom top also means that the final product will fit perfectly on your boat, be made of better and higher quality materials, and last longer.
• Warranty – No matter how high the fabric quality is, even the most rigid fibers will eventually break down over time. But buying a fabric with a long-lasting warranty (at least a five-year minimum) covering most incidences can significantly help protect your investment.
• Storage Boot – Besides your custom Bimini top purchase, you should also plan to buy a storage boot. That way, you’ll be able to safely and neatly store your Bimini top in a compact position and keep it clean and dry whenever it’s not in use.
• High-Quality, Marine-Grade Fabrics – The canvas, or fabricated part of a bimini, is constantly exposed to the sun, heat, and other weather-related conditions, so it’s typically the first part to deteriorate. To prevent this, purchase a bimini with high-quality, marine-grade fabric. You’ll need a breathable material that will withstand the test of time, keep a beautiful appearance, won’t tear, shrink, or stretch, and will be UV, water, mold, and mildew resistant.
• Fabric Color and Style – Selecting the right color and style of fabric will enhance your boat’s appearance and increase its value. Be sure to select a light shade color (to prevent your new material from fading) that complements the existing hue of your yacht or boat.

Choosing the Right Marine Bimini Fabrics

The quality of the bimini top fabric is crucial to how it will look on your craft and how long it will last over time without deteriorating. When looking for the right one, you should have a checklist of essential elements the fabric should have. Key elements to look for in an excellent marine fabric are:

• Soft Texture - Is it easy to handle?
• Lightweight - These fabrics should be able to stow.
• Controlled stretch for ease of fabrication - You need to be able to shape it to the frame easily.
• Environmentally friendly coating - Everyone has to keep the environment in mind!
• Easy to clean and maintain - You want a hassle-free clean (why do more work for yourself?)
• Mildew resistant - You are surrounded by moisture, and mildew is a challenge you must keep under control.
• Colorfast - If you take the time to pick a color, you don't want it to fade and make your boat look old!
• Waterproof - You want it to be a rain shelter and a sun shade!
• UV resistant - Sunburns can happen even through fabric - it is necessary to have UV protection built into it as well.
• Matching Color Palettes - You want to choose an extensive range of colors to allow your boat the best match and creative design possible. Remember to remember that white tops reflect heat and dark fabrics absorb heat.
• Easy to Store - You want to be able to put the top away just as quickly as get it out
• Excellent Warranty - Any good fabric product will come with a great warranty - be sure to check into this before deciding on which one you invest in.

Fabrics made of a Vinyl and Polyester Composite are on the market and meet ALL the above requirements. You can find these fabrics at companies specializing in high-performance laminated and coated fabrics, like Herculite Inc. (herculite.com). Herculite offers a selection of marine fabric products that are special vinyl and polyester composites such as Regatta® Marine Fabric with exclusive Rain Kleen® finish, and Herculite is also able to make custom fabric material to your specifications if need be. Regardless of where you go for your fabric, if you can confirm that the above criteria are met, you will get a bimini top that will enhance and protect your marine craft for years. Now that you know more about what fabric works best for your bimini top, download our free whitepaper, "Advances in Marine Fabrics and What They Mean for Your Boat."