Am I missing something or is the bimini difficult to take off?

[barry1me]

Is there a different bimini option other then the one the one that half folds up? This is the most difficult bimini I have tried to fold up/take off.

[Ewok]

I took me an hour my first time to fold it but now I've got it down to under 5 min. I'm out of town at work otherwise I would take pics and show you my steps but I'll try to type them for you.

To set up the bimini:

1. Unclip the Bimini from the tower and let it rest on the wakeboard racks.

2. Unzip the boot and stow it away. Make sure you can get it if you have kids and they fall asleep on the seats in the cabin.

3. Unwrap the Bimini and carefully lower the rear bar down so it doesn't scratch gelcoat or vinyl.

4. Find the hole in the center of the Bimini for the rope tow access and carefully slip it over the tow point on the tower so the rear 1/3 of the Bimini is hanging.

5. Flip the forward portion of the Bimini slowly and carefully to the front of the boat, it's easy to be too rough here and bend one of the end clips that clip into the tower mounts. As you bring it forward make sure the little adjustable arms are as close to the black collars on the front bar and have them set on the shortest setting so the front bar is flipped up at a steep angle.

6. This part is hard to explain, I wrap the rear bar one turn to help hold the two rear support bars in the Bimini so it's easier to fold up and get the boot on. This step is where I unwrap the rear bar and make sure the Bimini fabric is centered on the rear bar, then I lift the rear bar and place the two support bars into the holes in the rear of the tower.

7. Now it's time to tighten the cover, go to the front bar and make sure the fabric is centered. Then adjust the front little bars down to tighten the cover. After brining it down to the first click, I wrap the Velcro flaps on the forward left and right of the Bimini. And then I lower each side one click at a time until both sides are set in the 4th hold down from the shortest setting or the 3rd hole in relation to all the holes that are close together. It's going to feel real tight at first but it will stretch a little and get you a solid Bimini you could bounce a quarter off of.

[Ewok]

To fold it up:

1. Release the tension on the front adjustable bars and get the Bimini up at an angle, make the front adjustable bars the shortest setting but leave them clipped into the tower.

2. There should be enough slack to pull the two support bars out of the rear holes in the tower.

3. The rear portion of the Bimini should be hanging now with the hole in the center of the bimini caught on the tow point on the tower. With it hanging, I fold the two cross support tubes toward the middle of the rear bar and I give the rear bar a twist to wrap up the loose bars in the cover.

4. Now I carefully Unclip the two short front support bars and slowly flip it up and back to it rests on the wakeboard racks.

5. This is the tricky part, and you'll have to practice to get your technique, but I take the rear bar and place it on top of the front bar which is folded to the rear and resting on the wakeboard racks. Have your boot ready and in one hand if you can and wrap the excess cover material tightly around the front and rear support bars. Then slip the boot on starting from the port side and zip it over the entire Bimini.

6. Almost done, now here I lift the Bimini with one hand and wrap the Bimini cover straps around the top of the tower and clip them on. They are very difficult to do, I found its a little easier if you lift the Bimini higher than the tower a little and squish the Bimini fabrics to give you a little more room to get the parts to click. When I had surf pockets added to my Bimini I had the upholstery shop put longer straps on the boot so this part it easier for me.

For my short trips to the lake I just use the factory clips to hold it on. For long distance travel I use additional steps to secure it to the tower.

Hope this helps, you'll get faster and better the more times you do it.