InTheBite

  • Home
  • News
    • All News
    • Featured Stories
    • General News
    • Captain of the Year
    • Tournament Results
    • First Builds
    • Splash Reports
    • Old Salts Rule
    • Tackle Tips
    • Dock Talk
    • Crew Records
    • Conservation
  • Tournaments
    • Calendar
    • Captain of the Year
    • Champion’s Cup
  • Shop
    • All Products
    • Subscriptions
    • Back Issues
    • Shirts
    • Hats & Visors
    • Miscellaneous
    • Release Rulers
  • Classifieds
  • Job Board
  • Contact
    • Contact InTheBite
    • InTheBite Media Kit
  • Log in

Top It Off- To Replace Your Hard Top or Not?

September 22, 2016 By InTheBite Editor

Top It Off
by Ric Burnley

img_8535The elegant beauty of a classic sportfishing boat is as appealing as Raquel Welch in a bearskin bikini. While her pouting eyes and perky attributes never lose their allure, the cave-girl bodice has to go. The same holds true for a classic sportfishing boat. While the old girl’s curves still get the blood flowing, sometimes that old hardtop needs to be updated.

That’s why Capt. Jimmy Bayne took his 58-foot Paul Mann Sniper to Bluewater Yachts in Hampton, Virginia. “The boat was 13 years old,” he explains, “and the hardtop needed some work.” Bluewater partner Earle Hall saw more reasons for Bayne to replace his top than repair it. “In addition to modernizing the look, the connections were starting to work loose and there were also some structural issues,” he recalls.

So Bayne began the complicated process of redesigning and replacing his hardtop. “The guys at Bluewater made it a lot easier,” Bayne says. Hall adds, “In the past 25 years, we’ve replaced over 100 hardtops,” he says, “so we’ve got it down to a science.”

The Sniper, prior to her hardtop upgrade.

The Sniper, prior to her hardtop upgrade.

There are two main reasons that a boat owner should replace his hardtop: esthetic and structural. “Some boatbuilders want to build boats but they consider the hardtop a pain in the butt,” quips Hall. He feels that the top, tubing, curtains and electronics complete the look of the boat. “It’s really the icing on the cake.”

An outdated hardtop will feature smaller tubing with truss-style perimeter rails spaced apart with spools while a modern top uses a single, larger tube and utilizes shape and crown to achieve strength. “I was standing on the deck at Pirate’s Cove and looking down on the boats in Millionaire’s Row and I could see wire ties and cables and sloppy work,” he says. Hall remembers building hardtops in the 1980s. “We used a double row of 1.5-inch tubing around the perimeter rail,” he recalls, “and we had to run the tubes through the curtains.” In the past 30 years, Hall has learned that a single, larger tube around the perimeter increases strength and cuts down on weight and profile. Using a single perimeter also allows them to use……………………………….This article is a good example of the editorial you will receive in each and every issue of InTheBite. Below you can purchase the entire back issue but first here is a testimony from a boat owner who reads InTheBite:

bob_art

…………………………….Click Here to continue reading this article which appeared in our April/May 2015 issue.

April/May 2015 Issue of InTheBite

 

 

 

 

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Do you have any comments or questions for us? We’d love to hear from you.

    Filed Under: Featured Stories, News Tagged With: Custom Hard Tops, Sportfish Hard Tops

    Recent News

    Tackle Tips: DIY Outrigger Tune Up

    By Dale Wills Coastal Riggings President Brendon Ziemba, along with his brother Preston, have been specializing in outrigger installation, repair and maintenance for 25 years. Before watching Brendon get into his work, I had no idea an outrigger … [Read More...]

    Help Wanted: The Captain’s Complex Job Description

    By Elliott Stark As much as we'd like to take credit for a great idea, longtime subscriber and boat owner Mr. Saeed Almaktoum provided the inspiration for this article. Saeed sent us a note suggesting such an editorial regarding role ambiguity after … [Read More...]

    The Hull 67 sailing across the water.

    Hull 67 Launched by Jarrett Bay Boatworks

    Beaufort, NC - Hull 67 is the third new custom Jarrett Bay delivered in a 12-month interval and is another one-of-a-kind yacht. From afar, Renegade looks like a 56-foot convertible sportfish with a traditional flybridge. But upon closer inspection, … [Read More...]

    A Seakeeper Ride installed on the back of a boat.

    Seakeeper Ride Eliminates up to 70% of Boat Pitch/Roll

    FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 1, 2022) – Seakeeper, the leader in marine motion control, launched its newest product, Seakeeper Ride, marking the company’s first product deviation from its line of gyrostabilizers. Its introduction established a new und … [Read More...]

    July 19-24, 2022 Tournament Results

    FURUNO GULF COAST DIVISION Lone Star Shootout Congratulations to InTheBite Magazine contributor Capt. Kevin Deerman for winning the Heaviest Blue Marlin with his 680.5-pound catch in the Lone Star Shootout held July 19-24 in Port O’Connor, T … [Read More...]

    Leave a Reply

    Connect With InTheBite

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Subscribe to InTheBite Magazine Today!

    InTheBite Magazine Current Issue Cover

    Our latest issue is hitting the docks now! Be sure to subscribe to the hottest bluewater mag on the market. Purchase or Subscribe »

    InTheBite Champion’s Cup

    InTheBite Champions Cup Logo

    New for 2022, the Champion’s Cup is an optional paid entry with a winner-takes-all prize format for teams who want to up the stakes in each division utilizing our longstanding tournament scoring formula.

    Captain of the Year Cup Standings

    COTY / ITB Cup Logo

    News

    • Tackle Tips: DIY Outrigger Tune Up

      Tackle Tips: DIY Outrigger Tune Up

      By Dale Wills Coastal Riggings President Brendon Ziemba, along with his brother Preston, have been specializing in outrigger installation, repair and maintenance for 25 years. Before watching Brendon get into his work, I had no idea an outrigger could be broken down into so many different parts. Watching them disassemble, service and reassemble a pair of 3-spreader outriggers was an... [Read More...]

    • Help Wanted: The Captain's Complex Job Description

      Help Wanted: The Captain's Complex Job Description

      By Elliott Stark As much as we'd like to take credit for a great idea, longtime subscriber and boat owner Mr. Saeed Almaktoum provided the inspiration for this article. Saeed sent us a note suggesting such an editorial regarding role ambiguity after reading the 2019 Captain & Owner's Guide. “I have a background in the aviation business. If I leave... [Read More...]

    • Hull 67 Launched by Jarrett Bay Boatworks

      Hull 67 Launched by Jarrett Bay Boatworks

      Beaufort, NC - Hull 67 is the third new custom Jarrett Bay delivered in a 12-month interval and is another one-of-a-kind yacht. From afar, Renegade looks like a 56-foot convertible sportfish with a traditional flybridge. But upon closer inspection, you’ll find an additional lower helm station and convertible bulkhead. Thanks to these features, she is a unique hybrid with the... [Read More...]

    • Seakeeper Ride Eliminates up to 70% of Boat Pitch/Roll

      Seakeeper Ride Eliminates up to 70% of Boat Pitch/Roll

      FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 1, 2022) – Seakeeper, the leader in marine motion control, launched its newest product, Seakeeper Ride, marking the company’s first product deviation from its line of gyrostabilizers. Its introduction established a new underway stabilization category, a Vessel Attitude Control System (VACS). VACS derives from the Attitude Control Systems (ACS) used in aerospace crafts to control pitch,... [Read More...]

    • July 19-24, 2022 Tournament Results

      July 19-24, 2022 Tournament Results

      FURUNO GULF COAST DIVISION Lone Star Shootout Congratulations to InTheBite Magazine contributor Capt. Kevin Deerman for winning the Heaviest Blue Marlin with his 680.5-pound catch in the Lone Star Shootout held July 19-24 in Port O’Connor, Texas. 1st Place Release: El Patron, Capt. Clayton Martignoni 2nd Place Release: Why Knot, Capt. Todd Penick 3rd Place Release: Mi Novia, Capt. Richard... [Read More...]

    Search InTheBite

    Copyright © 2022 InTheBite, LLC · All Rights Reserved.