Bimini leak

[capn_billl]

I have a major leak in the bimini window as it seals around the radar arch.

It is designed to snap on the outside of the arch, and have a rubber strip inserted from the inside.

I don't see how this could ever work, as water flows down, not up, and using a rubber strip to seal canvas to fiberglass isn't going to work.

I looked at a Searay, and it had a small lip of canvas snapped to the inside of the arch that protruded outside several inches, (just enough to cover the seam of the outside canvas.

Are all maxums like this?

Was this a bimini shops mistake, or is this a common maxum "feature"?

[mmwjr]

I think it is common not just to Maxum but several manufactures.

[capn_billl]

It is starting to come clear why they went out of business.

[mmwjr]

That's was pure economics as they were owned by Brunswick as is Bayliner, SeaRay and many others. Maxum was a sacrificial lamb to keep the others going.

IMO Maxum is a very well made boat.

[capn_billl]

I agree, as a maxum owner, I didn't mean to knock the entire brand, I think it is a very beautiful boat.

Small overlooked details really upset the engineer in me.

For something that costs hundreds of thousands new, they should have hired a guy like me to think of things like that.

[mmwjr]

Engineer here as well.

Purely economics, Maxum was sold as mid grade boat between Bayliner and Sea Ray.

All comes down to target price for a target customer. Higher end finish by a Sea Ray.

[capn_billl]

I fixed this issue by buying a small plastic U shaped strip, and 3m'ing it upside down over the top of the bimini where it snaps to the radar arch. The U was just big enough to slip the top of the canvas into the U. The water now runs down the top of the U, or it runs over the top of the U, AND the top of the isinglass, instead of underneath.

Cost to repair $20. $10 tube of 3m, $5 each 8ft strip of poly. (home depot shower parts).

Do NOT use the shower edging with the included glue strip, it melts, and runs, and requires several hours with goof off to remove.

[Skip R Maxum]

Capn Bill... what model boat? can you post a picture? I have a 3300 SCR and am fighting this very issue. We attempted to had weather stripping to the 2 teardrop front, side panels and that has not solved it completely. The weather stripping is running the entire length of the radar arch drop. The water running down curls in about 1/4 of the way down the arch, runs to half way and the drops down into salon from there.

This to me is a maxum design issue. Many other boats do not have the bimini snapping directly to the arch but rather have the canvas pole structure under the arch. More overlapping of the canvas may helped as well as more pronounced sides and channels of the radar arch.

I have thought that if having new canvas made later, to extend the front, smaller bimini so that it would completely cover the arch, snap to rear snaps on arch, and have cutouts for the mounted devices on arch.

[capn_billl]

I'll do it this weekend. The bimini is off right now to pull the engines.

I put the stripping on at an angle to direct the water to the rear of the boat outside the arch.

The teardrop panel is what was leaking on mine also.

I thought about using the U channel as a gutter, but couldn't get it right, so I inverted it to prevent water from getting behind the canvas.

Originally they had a rubber strip in between the canvas, and the arch, but canvas doesn't seal to anything as it is porous, and water always runs downhill, once it is in a seam, you can't keep it from leaking.

You need to deflect the water to the outside of the panels.

[Skip R Maxum]

Capn Bill, here is the pic of what I had attempted but it failed. I added this and more to an album here.
Maxum Boat Owners Club - Forum - Skip R Maxum's Album: Radar Arch - Canvas Water Leak - attempted to use weather stripping

[capn_billl]

That's exactly what the original owner did to mine also, also still leaked.

[capn_billl]

Sorry tropical storm prevented me from getting any pics, 40MPH winds heavy horizontal rain, massive flooding, washed out roads.....

[Skip R Maxum]

where did you buy the U ? a major store like Home Depot? I can search for it if I know maybe what department / material it is.

Thanks

[Skip R Maxum]

oh, and stay safe !
we are spoiled in So Cal and never get that type of weather !

[capn_billl]

You can keep your earthquakes, I get a week warning for tropical storms, enough time to board windows, and move the boat.

In the shower dept. of home depot is the plastic strips used to edge melamine panels. That was my first choice, but a run on shower strips depleted their stock.

I ended up using a tubular weatherstrip that was soft polymer, and round. I cut a slit the diameter of the canvas thickness, and 3m'd it slit side down.

When I re-attached the canvas, I slid the upper edge into the weatherstrip slit. You could also use the half round door seal, and cut a slit.

I'll get a pic this weekend.

[capn_billl]

Here is what I used.

MD Building Products
Model # 78394 Internet # 100193598
1/2 in. x 17 ft. White Vinyl Gasket Weatherstrip

Here is another choice.

Hager
Model # AE-726S20 Internet # 203155016
20 ft. Self Adhesive Weather-Stripping

[Skip R Maxum]

thanks