T-TOP on 17 SPIRIT

[martinmarinedesign]

Check out the T-TOP we just finished fabricating and installing on a 1990 17 Spirit. The customer found this boat sitting in a field! It turned out real nice! The life jacket bag really freed up some deck space. Also, we installed a gps, am/fm/cd player, and vhf radio in the electronics box, which cleared out the center console. The spreader lights are really cool HELLA brand LED's.

Thanks for looking!
Raymond Martin
Martin Marine Design

 

[Barlow46]

Raymond, what was the approximate weight on that T-top? Also, is that a 115 C series yamaha engine? Reason I ask is that I sold my 17 spirit a few years back with a new install 115C on it and am curious as to the weight issue with both the top and engine. Also, does that spirit have gunnel mount outriggers. I did the 15' Lee installs on my old spirit, could that be mine? I may consider a t-top on my 18 sportsman but don't want a lot of extra weight. Nice job on the t-top, looks good. Thanks

 

[missingtwo]

Raymond

I was wondering if you had any pics of how the Top is mounted? Does it run to the deck or is it mounted to the console? I have the same boat up here in NJ and was thinking of having one made this winter. Thanks

Mike

 

[martinmarinedesign]

Barlow46,
Surprisingly, these tops are very light. I know they look heavy, but the basic frame is less than 60 lbs. Even this one, completely outfitted like it is, can be picked up by one person. This boat did not have any outriggers installed. It was originally sold by a dealer in Atlanta and my customer picked it up in Bluffton SC. We have installed tops on boats as small as 16 feet in length with no affect on performance. However, the top size must match the console and boat size. Your 18 sportsman should work very well with a properly designed top.

Mike,
This top is mounted in eight places on the boat. Four mounts on the floor and four mounts to the console. The front bolts to the console as well as the side mounts are thru bolted. The bottom pads are bedded in 5200 and secured with 1 1/2 lag bolts. The top is very, very secured and doesn't budge a bit!

Thanks!
Raymond

 

[missingtwo]

I was wondering if the floor mounts interfere with walking around the console? They are not that big if boats to begin with. I love the life jacket storage up there...space is limited for storage on them. I think we are going to have one fabricated up here in NJ over the winter for our 17'er. Thanks for the reply!


Mike

 

[Barlow46]

When you get a chance, how about posting some pics of the floor and console mounts and maybe a shot from the transom forward so we can see how much room is taken up. Would appreciate that.

 

[martinmarinedesign]

The legs do not interfere with walking around the console at all. The sides of the console, where the factory rod holders are installed actually stick out further than the legs. When designing the top, we keep the legs tight to the console and thoughtfully positioned not to be in the way. This is extremely important on smaller center boats, such as this 17 Spirit where space is limited. Maximizing space is one benefit of going with a custom top over a "top in a box." This boat was delivered on Friday but I will try to get some inside shots of the legs this coming week.

Thanks!
Raymond