How to Make a 3-Bow Bimini Top for a Pontoon
Create a comfortable, shaded space on your pontoon boat with a custom made bimini top. With all-inclusive kits from Sailrite®, you can get a fully custom fit for your boat for less than going to a canvas shop. Our bimini kits come in two parts; the frame and the skin. We already made the frame for our pontoon bimini and in this how-to video we'll show you how to pattern, sew and install the fabric top.
This bimini project is a part of our Camp Whitley Pontoon Boat Series. Sailrite teamed up with several other local businesses to refurbish an old pontoon boat for a local summer camp, Camp Whitley. Be sure to watch all the videos in the series to see the full transformation!
Our bimini skin kits come standard with Sunbrella® fabric, but we chose to use Top Notch® 9 fabric in Burgundy Weave. Top Notch 9 is a durable, solution-dyed polyester fabric with excellent dimensional stability, making it a great choice for tops, especially here in the Midwest where the sun is not as hot as in the tropics. If you'd like to use Top Notch 9 or any other marine fabric for your bimini top just give us a call and we'd be happy to customize a kit for you.
In this video, you'll learn how to use Dura Skrim® patterning material to pattern your bimini top, how to pattern and cut the panels and how to sew it all together.
Video Chapters:
- Pre-Tensioning & Securing Frame – 1:01 min.
- Applying Basting Tape to Bows – 6:52 min.
- Establishing Skirt Height – 8:47 min.
- Patterning Forward Panel – 10:42 min.
- Patterning Aft Panel – 15:42 min.
- Adding Seam Allowance to Patterns – 21:48 min.
- Transferring Patterns to Fabric – 24:05 min.
- Cutting Panels – 27:56 min.
- Cutting Aft Bow Pocket – 29:00 min.
- Cutting Forward Bow Pocket – 31:59 min.
- Cutting Center Bow Pocket – 33:55 min.
- Cutting Hang Down Tail Pieces – 36:12 min.
- Cutting Facing for Sides – 37:32 min.
- Binding Sleeve Pockets – 38:07 min.
- Sewing Zipper to Center Pocket – 41:26 min.
- Sewing Zippers to Forward & Aft Pocket – 45:53 min.
- Joining Main Panels – 50:52 min.
- Sewing Main Panels – 55:20 min.
- Preparing Tails – 1:04:38 min.
- Sewing Aft Tail & Sleeve 1:06:05 min.
- Sewing Forward Tail & Sleeve – 1:14:17 min.
- Sewing Center Pocket – 1:15:54 min.
- Sewing Facing on Sides – 1:20:19 min.
- Attaching Forward & Aft Pocket Zippers – 1:24:01 min.
- Trimming Tails – 1:34:47 min.
- Binding Bimini Perimeter – 1:36:48 min.
- Installing Strap Eye for Webbing Straps – 1:41:04 min.
- Installing Bimini – 1:44:07 min.
- Materials List – 1:46:29 min.
Materials List:
- Bimini Skin Kit for 3-Bow Frame #121333 or #121334
- Strap Eye Stainless Steel #28221*
- Rivet Stainless Steel (for Strap Eye) #121165*
Tools List:
- Gingher® Scissors Right Handed #19104
- Sailrite® Canvas Patterning Ruler #107040
- Soapstone Fabric Marking Pencil White #102766
- Sailrite® Edge Hotknife Package #103800 (110 Volt)
- Tape Measure 120-Inch #102986
- Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LSZ‑1 PLUS Walking Foot Sewing Machine #300602 (110V)
- Deluxe 5-1/2" Magnetic Sewing Guide #103597
- Clear Acrylic Ruler 6" x 24" #102400
- Sailrite®; 1" Swing‑Away Straight Binder #100103
- Drill Steady Tubing Tool #100967
- Professional Heavy Duty Rivet Tool #103520
- Tape measure
- Sharpie marker
- Straight edge
- Needle nose pliers
- Drill & drill bits
*These components are included in Sailrite's Bimini Frame Kits