Back to the main site

Curved Bimini Issues

T

Todd & Amanda

Well-Known Member
Messages
200
Reaction score
183
Location
Horse Cave KY
OK, so we ordered the curved bimini on our Qsb thinking it looked better than the standard with the curves on our Q, we still think so but.......


I've been on many Benningtons with the standard bimini over the years and even more lately. Even though you're not supposed to run very fast with them up most people do, and I've been on some at speeds in the mid to upper 40's and never saw an issue and the standard bimini has always seemed rock solid at the higher speeds.


Now, what I initially discovered from our very first trip out on the new Qsb with the curved bimini is that when you get to around upper 20's to low 30's the top starts sucking down in the rear really bad. It has a strap to adjust the tension on the frame and it's about as tight as can be but the top still does this. Since it does this I'm constantly having to open and close the bimini just to run moderate speeds which is very annoying. A few weeks ago we were out just cruising nice and slow running mid 20's and I had the bimini open when all at once the front legs came loose and folded the top back slamming it together and scared us to death, I stopped and didn't see any damage done from it and I kinda wrote it off as maybe me not having it latched properly. Everything had been good since until last weekend, we were coming out of the no wake zone with the bimini open and just as we got up on plane good the same thing happened, the legs popped loose and slammed back only this time it ripped the canvas in 5 places and damaged one of the arches that goes through the bimini. I've spoke to my dealer and they've agreed to cover it under warranty but my concern is why this happened. If you look at the plastic latches for the bimini it appears they would hold better if they latched from the front instead of the rear. They can be turned around inside the leg and I was told that many customers have been doing this so I'm led to believe I'm not the first to have this problem. There also isn't any kind of warning on the tag of our bimini stating how fast it's rated for and if I'm not mistaken it tells the max speed on the standard bimin's tag. Has anyone else encountered this with the curved or standard biminis?
 
I run our standard Bimini up at full speed all the time, I'm only low 40's not the 50's you big boys are running! ;)  
 
What I've noticed is the aluminum really starts flexing. That's been my concern. Ours has never popped out and slammed like yours but I don't run full throttle with it open. 
 
That's odd.   I have the curved bimini too and ran wide open a few times this past weekend- lower 50s without any issue.  Let me check which way the plastic latches are position this weekend.  
 
We also have the curved bimini and in the past have on occasion had one of the front legs pop loose on us, I believe was when the water was a little rougher and at moderate speed. Making sure you have it adjusted with good tension on those front legs should help.


We also flipped the lower catches and that seems to have helped as it hasn't happened since. Since seeing the post where they put locking pins on the trailering arms of the front Bimini option, we are seriously considering flipping them back and installing some of those pins.


Ours didn't seem as bad as yours; however, I will be watching this post closely to see what works the best.
 
Note that if you flip the lower plastic catches/latches, the little ears on the side that are there to hold the arms tight against the other frame arms when closed are then facing up and are no longer functional.


We put Velcro wraps on them to hold them down in place of the ears but that was more as a precaution since we trailer.
 
Yikes and frustrating both come to mind. We haven't really even opened up our Bimini top up much at all. Maybe once, and more to just check it out.  I'll have to pay attention to it and see how it does under speed and rough water conditions.


We too have the curved Bimini. Our dealer told us at the time of the order that it was built and rated for being up under full WOT. We were surprised and impressed, but never questioned it. I guess we will have to carefully test that out.
 
My boat last year I was running  hard from a storm probably going 40 and the wind picked up hard and it blew my Bimini almost completely off the boat. It actually snapped the metal in half at the joints  where the screw go in. It came back so hard the running light went right through the upholstery where it landed. It was the first time I got caught in a storm. And this storm lasted no more than 10 minutes. Scared the hell out of me to say the least. Now I have the new boat with the 300 on the back and I have been very cautious how I use the Bimini. Never run really hard into a strong wind. I have opened it up with the wind. Most of the time when I want to open it up I keep Bimini down. Like Todd & Amanda, I have been looking at the front arm have wondered why they don't  click in by pulling them backwards in stead of pushing them forward. I am no engineer so I keep thinking I don't understand something. I claimed my damage on insurance since I considered it weather related. $1,800 for new Bimini and upholstery. My deductible was $500. 
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I wish the bimini frames were more stout on out boats. Seems like an easy problem to solve. I guess once one boater gets their head cut off by a collapsing frame it will drive change.
 
Mine is very firm.  I can run top speed with both bimini's up and it's nice and solid.  I was on a buddy's pontoon a couple of years ago when his bimini frame broke while we were underway.  The entire front bimini collapsed.  The broken edges were super sharp and jagged.  Fortunately the only other consequence was a slight tear on the interior.  It was very sudden and loud when it happened.
 
Ok everyone, why would you want to run so fast with the bimini in the open position? In my eyes, it's almost as bad as someone with a convertible trying to put the top up at forty or fifty mph.. The tops are huge kites at that speed. 


But if you insist on going that fast,mount a nylon strap from the forward support to the top rail for reinforcement. 
 
I've had mine bounce around a bit WOT into a headwind.  I make sure my front struts are full out , pulling down hard, keeping the fabric very taut.  But I can only go 40. :angry:  and it's straight  not curved. 
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I run mine open at full throttle, and have no issues whatsoever .....  :lol:


See, there are some benefits to my motor size.   ;)
 
Having your Bimini Adjusted so it sits at the proper angle and has the right amount of pull is a Art. On the Bimini legs one adjustment in the front Bimini effects how the rear Bimini sits and visa versa. 


Most people I see on the water have no clue. I see their Bimini adjusted Totally wrong. In your case if you could pleas post a photo of your Bimini in its current configuration it might give us a clue into how your Bimini is sitting and how it may be adjusted so it dosent come flying off again. 


Please post a photo of the bottom attachment points. And how your Bimini is currently configured. 
 
SEMPERFI8387 said:
I run mine open at full throttle, and have no issues whatsoever .....  :lol:


See, there are some benefits to my motor size.   ;)
Click to expand...

What is full throttle on a 20? If a 200 is about 40, then is a 20 4 mph?  I found out in Holland that the nation wide speed limit is 6 kph. Coming home and cruising at 15 mph felt like I was flying. Too bad, all that water in Holland and no speed at all. All the lakes are connected by canals and you can get anywhere by boat. 
 
I max out about 10mph on clean water, no wind.  :blink:
 
SEMPERFI8387 said:
I max out about 10mph on clean water, no wind.  :blink:
Click to expand...

At idle mine does 4 mph. One day Dave you'll win the lottery and have the last laugh!
 
I have not actually seen one of the curved Biminis so I may be way off base. It could be that the curved Bimini is acting like an airfoil. Depending on the angle the top is with the air flowing over it it may be creating lift which will put an extreme amount of force on the structure and the attach points. Todd and Amanda are see the back of the cover being pushed down which  would indicate a very high angle off attack for the Bimini. The air flow over the front is creating lift but as it flows over the canvas it begins to separate from the canvas and begins to roll ( like water flowing over a boulder in a river) this would push the canvas down toward the back of the Bimini. I'm thinking that as our watercraft become faster and faster the shade providing devices will have to evolve as well.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I never have this problem with mine running WOT. I am not sure why they discontinued this model. /gallery/album_874/gallery_6882_874_192159.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top