I want to add a hard top to my recently purchased 208. Thought I would ask this forum for advice. Thanks for the help.
Add hard top to 208
- Thread starter NE Grady 208
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Hang it from a tree, mark where to drill, drill and thru-bolt... done. I don't recall who makes the Grady top (I'm sure someone reading this will), but Atlantic Towers makes really nice tops. I have one that is an extra 3' long, which I personally really like (gives more sunshade and a larger area when the canvas is up).
Just checking if the motor is sufficient sufficient for a 208 with hardtop, The minimum recommend horse power for a 208 with hardtop and 2 stroke was 175. I would guess that your motor if not the I4 would be the minimum power taking the weight into consideration. If the motor is I4, than you are OK
I have no direct knowledge on Atlantic Towers. I have heard both good and not so good but that seems to depend on whether you get a custom fitted top or the more universal one with the feet that can be adjusted.
Keep in mind that your canvas probably wont fit the new top. That will add a few thou to the total cost.
I have heard the same about Atlantic Towers. Does anyone have any direct experience with them?
I don't have any direct knowledge about Atlantic Towers but there are pictures of one in a thread in the For Sale/Wanted section now. In looking at it, my concern would be the stability when trailering or running. When I bought my 226 it had an aftermarket hardtop. When I sea trialed it, it would sway back and forth when crossing a wake and also when trailering home. I knew that I would have to do something about it at the time I purchased it. The problem was that it didn't have enough anchor points and cross bracing. That appears to be the case with the Atlantic Tower that I saw. I took mine to someone who builds T Tops and Towers and had it braced and anchored better. It is now rock solid. There were even cracked welds from the movement, that had to be cut out and rewelded. I would want to see one of the Atlantic towers installed before I would purchase one.
SkunkBoat
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They are local to me. I ve delivered to them and I looked at a V20 they had for sale years ago.. Nice folks. Its a big building. They do serious custom towers and tops. Shipping big tops is cost prohibitive...
They also sell "shipable" Tower in a box. That is what was pictured. They have their advantages but they are nothing like a custom welded top. They are better than a bimini. They are designed with movable connections so they can be assembled by the owner. They can be dropped down/removed fairly easily.
Check their website.
I added a hardtop (not Atlantic Towers) to a 20 footer years ago and the only perceivable change in the ride was actually an improvement due to the added weight forward
If you are going to run hard offshore you need a custom top that is braced for your boat. I wouldn't go the Tower in a Box route unless you are a Lake boat and/or need to be able to remove/lower for some reason
They also sell "shipable" Tower in a box. That is what was pictured. They have their advantages but they are nothing like a custom welded top. They are better than a bimini. They are designed with movable connections so they can be assembled by the owner. They can be dropped down/removed fairly easily.
Check their website.
I added a hardtop (not Atlantic Towers) to a 20 footer years ago and the only perceivable change in the ride was actually an improvement due to the added weight forward
If you are going to run hard offshore you need a custom top that is braced for your boat. I wouldn't go the Tower in a Box route unless you are a Lake boat and/or need to be able to remove/lower for some reason
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apostleislandsphoto
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I did the same to my 2005 Adventure last year. I ended up going with Atlantic Towers "Tower in a Box", as it was going to take months (at least) to get a custom top built here in northern WI. Installation was fairly straightforward - I built a frame to hold it in the approximate position I intended to mount it, and had a friend help one afternoon with the heavy lifting. I didn't trust the stock clamps, so everything got through-bolted. I also used backing plates everywhere. It's solid now, no worries. I had a canvas enclosure made late summer, which also turned out nice.
The fit and finish is really pretty decent considering it isn't a custom top. The only thing I don't like (and I knew this prior to purchasing) is the "hardtop" material isn't what you might expect - it's a super thin layer of some type of fiberglass laminate. If you want to mount anything up there, and I did, it takes some creativity to make it work.
The fit and finish is really pretty decent considering it isn't a custom top. The only thing I don't like (and I knew this prior to purchasing) is the "hardtop" material isn't what you might expect - it's a super thin layer of some type of fiberglass laminate. If you want to mount anything up there, and I did, it takes some creativity to make it work.
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Summertop511
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Dolphin makes the exact tower Atlantic sells for Hundreds less, I have been looking as well. The tower in the box though convenient are not suited for open water environments, also I have been told if you install canvas to them problems present due to the flex that is in the tower.
Summertop511 is correct. I do have to figure out my current situation before I can move on to the hardtop. Ah, the good old days when whether to add a hard top was my biggest concern...