How to Make a Bimini Boot
Details
Details
Keep your bimini top looking its best for years to come with a custom bimini boot. A bimini boot is a cover for the bimini top when it is collapsed. Typically made from the same fabric as the bimini top itself, the boot protects the bimini fabric and keeps it from flapping in the wind when not in use. Learn how to pattern and sew your own custom bimini boot with our step-by-step video tutorial.
We built this bimini boot to accompany the new bimini top we built for our Camp Whitley Project Pontoon boat. We used the same fabric as the top, Top Notch® 9 Burgundy Weave. Top Notch 9 is a durable solution-dyed polyester fabric with excellent dimensional stability, so it’s a great choice for tops, especially here in the Midwest where the sun is not as hot as in the tropics.
To pattern a bimini boot, it’s best to remove the entire bimini top, including the frame, from the boat and using it to pattern the boot around. This will ensure a custom fit with all the proper curves accounted for. In the video, we’ll walk you through patterning the cover, sewing the panels together, adding binding trim and installing the zipper.
The bimini we built this cover for didn’t have any obstacles to pattern around, but if your boat has a backstay or anchor light that needs accommodated at the top of the bimini boot, we’ve also included instructions for creating a zippered slit for obstacles such as these at the end of the video.