Has Anyone Seen One of These Hardtops?

K

kmcclish

New member
I'm interested in installing some kind of a hardtop on the MARCIA JANE (2008 23' Venture). I originally installed a full length top and sides and really haven't used anything but the top. I enjoy fishing and would like to explore various kinds of hardtops. I have looked at a variety of hardtops and I'm not sure I want to have a permanent mount like that on BRAZO. Great looking, but it's there to stay. I'm thinking of something that would mount from my radar mount/rocket launcher and extend back to the front of the motor well.

Obviously it would have to have some kind of a brace to hold up the rear of the top, but if the top is light enough perhaps SS tubing could extend on an angle up to about midway on the top for enough support. I'd like to keep as much of the back open as I can for fishing with sun protection.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

Kent
MARCIA JANE

This is the link to an interesting idea. http://hardtotop.com
 
You would not have head room if you extended the roof line of a Venture 23.

I would take a similar frame as Roger (flrockytop) see C Lover album. did by Blue Coral of Pensacola, and use a very light laminate for the top, instead of the laced on canvas. You could make the braces to the cabin aft bulkhead removable if you wanted. This would also allow a "slot" of fresh air between the cabin and hard top, to give adequate ventiallation in hot weather. If you have any aft or mid brace, it interferes with fishing.
 
thataway":1bannswj said:
You would not have head room if you extended the roof line of a Venture 23.
Click to expand...

It would depend on your height. If I had extended the roof line of my boat, I would have had plenty of room, vertically speaking.
 
This is an interesting product .Lots of installation options including bimini frame hardware . We are going to install on one of our rental pontoons. I have a customer that did his deck boat and it looks really good and is light and strong. They have some Tug type boatsHERE
Marc
 
I appreciate all the responses. Charlie, Thank You for the search suggestions. There is quite a bit of material on this subject. Dr. Bob, I agree, you are a couple of inches taller than me, but my 6' and shrinking frame would not have quite enough room if the roof came straight out from the roofline of a Venture 23.

I'm going to order the roof and then have a bracket made/fabricated to fit. I would plan to have the front of the frame supported by my radar tower/rocket launchers and some support attached to the cabin bulkhead and angled up to approximately halfway back on the top frame.

The guys at Hard to Top appear willing to trying to make some kind of support frame although it's hard to do without having the boat there.

Kent
MARCIA JANE
 
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