It’s Top On Tuesday!
We found this shot on ebay, I love those old plaid tops. It would be fun to remake on of these today. The issue is finding the material.
One of the fun design features on classic boats is their tops. Not the usual boring universal Bimini tops of today, but the more convertible design when they actually cared about design and individualism. Even the hard tops had some style. If you have an interesting top, or even boring one, load it on in the comment section. After all it’s Top on Tuesday.
That’s a lot of top for this little boat listed on Antique Boat Center.
These are cool as all get out, photo from last years Sandpoint show
This very cool factory hard top on a sea skiff. I have the plans for this same top for the 24 sportsman. It would be very cool to find one of these
1957 Century 21′ Coronado
1961 Chris Craft 21 Continental with gull wing top feature
23-Higgins convertible. half hard top, half soft top from Katzs Marina
1962-Chris-Craft-Holiday from Katzs Marina
1936 18’ Electracraft (electric launch) at St Lawrence Restoration in Clayton.
Share your top with us today. Is there one for a barrel back? How boat a pic of a U22 with a top? And remember to load images SMALLER than 1 mg or they wont load
Here is the best top on pic I can give you at this point.
A U-22 and a 19′ Racer with tops up
Side shot. Deluxe top. Goes back to the motor box.
1937 Chris-Craft 24′ Sportsman
Can’t wait for “Tops-off Wednesday”
Supposedly there is a 1934-36 GarWood 16′ split cockpit runabout with a convertible top over the forward cockpit anyone have a photo of this boat in their archives?
1954 Chris Craft Sea Skiff
just forwarded some pics of our U-22 at Torch Lake with top…..
I am looking for an original Chris Craft design convertible top or top frame for my 1957 20 ft. Continental. If anyone has one that they would be willing to part with, let me know.
God I love my top on the Lyman. Only use it when the sun is to strong to bare it. BUT I do like to use it at boat shows when it is very sunny and hot. I can still sit in my boat under shade, and talk to all the spectators walking by, and have interesting conversations. I missed doing that when I had Old School.
1951 Century Resorter “flip top”.
Let it rain. Our 1963 Thompson Super Lancer shedding some Canadian rain while at the ACBS pre-events in Muskoka a few years back. The convertible and aft “camper edition” canvas is original 1963 fare from the factory.
The old checker pattern…
Heres our 1947 U-22 and top on Torch Lake.
Since that pic did not load, let’s try this one.
Here’s the canvas on my 1959 Elgin lapstrake. This replicates the canvas that was originally on the boat. It’s pretty versitile in that you can configure it as the full mooring cover or remove the back fly and/or side curtains separately.
One more time with a compressed file…
Let’s try this one…
Maybe this will work…
Convertible top on our 1961 Higgins Mandalay. Shown here in the light rain on the Mississippi River (with three in the front seat in the dry and one on the engine cover wishing we bought a bigger top). A convertible top was an option on this boat in 1961, but this is new construction.
Let’s try this…
Here’s “Tall Paul”, my 1961 Skee-Craft Hardtop.
Most of my woodyboating is done sitting on top of the seat back. So I really dislike the original softtops that are attached to the top of the windshield, they are so restrictive. See side picture of Jim Staib’s boat…see how the driver needs to bend over just to drive.
Give me a modern Bimini top like what I have on my Cobalt any day.
That said, I have been lusting @ a U-22 sedan in the Sierra Boat website. Any comments on the usability and ease of ingress/egress for these hardtops?
It was the TOP that sold me on the boat!!!! In my case it was a verrrrrrrrrrry expensive top.
Here’s another pic of Tall Paul…
I just started restoration on 1961 skee craft
Can you send me pictures any would help
Thx
A couple of more tops. The hardtop is on our 1984 24′ Skiffcraft. The second boat is a friend’s 1965 Carver with partial canvas up. I believe that canvas is original to the Carver. These were taken this spring at a lunch stop on the Intracoastal Waterway at Daytona Beach, Florida.
First plaid boat canvas I’ve seen – groovy! My father built this hardtop himself in the early 1970s, for his 1959 Chris Craft.
68 Resorter: Has a black sliding top. I have not used the top for 25 years. Last used the top in a Boating snow storm years ago. M&M
Wouldn’t leave home without it!
I really like this bimini design. Where did you purchase it from?
I spend a bit of time thinking of the top I wanted on my U-22.
First, because I live in the heat and humidity of the Chesapeake Bay, I needed ventilation.
Secondly, I needed shade for the front seat and people behind the front seat and to protect the “gear” that is kept there
Thirdly, I wanted it to look classic, not Bimini, but functional
Fourthly, versatility. I had to be able to get to the bow to tend lines and drop anchor.
The front of the top follows the V of the windshield, but extends in front of it. This forces the wind to go up the windshield, hit the top, and channel right into my face to cool me off. It also serves to allow rain to drip on the windshield instead of my lap
The front part folds back (kind of like the Century in the earlier picture) and the canvas folds with it to allow movement to the bow very quickly without taking the top down. It also allows sun without taking the entire top down.
The top can then fold three ways: In front of the windshield, all the way back, or up like a modern top.
I wanted to combine classic top design like the Triple on the Header picture, with some of the original top design, while incorporating the attributes discussed above.
I am very pleased with the function and looks of the top. I could probably tweak the dimensions of bit to make it “sleeker”, but it works…
More pics
OK – last one… the only thing better than one ’61 Skee-Craft with a top is two of them with tops! First time poster (LONG time lurker – since the beginning), but all this talk of tops or lack of finally got me in the game. Love my daily WB fix! Thanks guys!
Another
the last
Lets try this again
How about this cool top on a Riva Jr. that Dane Anderson found in Minnesota…
Here’s a nearly complete 1929 28′ Limousine with A-70 in it. It is scheduled to make its debut at Tahoe in a few weeks.
Don’t make fun of the fenders….it was a water test.
Don’t laugh, it works.
One more Riva
Here’s a photo of my Larson Thunderhawks. Red & White, in the foreground is a fully restored 1957 model. Black & White, in the background is a survivor from 1959, no restoration necessary. The top is original right down to the Larson tag on it. No zipper issues here. I still have the side curtains (never been on the boat) and the back cover. It is currently on display at the Minnesota Lakes Maritime Museum. This is when tops were made to look good with the boat that they were attached to.
Riva Zebra
And another Riva
I have a 1948 chris craft 25′ Sportsman. When new it came with a convertible canvass top. Would you have a picture of what that looks like?
Ted – Are you referring to a canvas hard top or a retractable soft top?
I’m looking for a top frame for a 27′ Shepherd. Does anyone have one for sale or have one that I could get dimensions off of?
Cool tops, I am doing a Century Resorter 18′ I am looking a flip top fram and windsheild if you have one please let me know. Thanks
Hello Jerry – I have a windshield and sliding top off of a 19′ Resorter,if interested. Thanks