Pontoon Bimini Top Frames – make the old new again.

So here we are ending another boating season.  This is the time of the year we begin thinking about pulling the boat out, getting it winterized, and start thinking about the next boating season!  It is time to stand back and take a good look at the pontoon boat to see what you want to replace or repair for the next boating season. 

The framework for your bimini top can really take a beating over the season.  Your passengers use it as a handrail to get in and out of your pontoon at the dock and they hold onto it to keep from falling out of the boat as you decide to jump that 3’ rolling wave!  Drinks are spilled and fish are flopped against it.  Your pontoon frame has indeed seen better days.  You really don’t want to buy an whole new frame though.  The only thing you really don’t like about it are the fittings that put it together are all vinyl.  You would really like to have the metal fittings.  Not necessarily stainless but at least the aluminum kind that match the frame and will give pontoon bimini framework a bit more rigidity. 

Replacing your pontoon bimini framework hardware will only take a couple of hours on a rainy (or snowy) winters day.  The first thing you need to do is check out www.northstarproductsinc.com to buy the fittings you need.  Then, when they come in, take your frame apart and replace the fittings.  It may take a little bit of your time to adjust them to get them in the correct location on your frame but the money you will save from not buying a whole new frame will be well worth the time.  Not to mention the money you will save by buying the parts at www.northstarproductsinc.com. 

So now that the fittings are replaced you want to know what works best to buff out your framework to make the actual metal look like new again.  We find that using a stainless steal polish works best even on a satin anodized aluminum.  Rubbing compound works as well but you have to put in a bit more effort with it.  Once you have replaced your fittings and buffed out your frame with some polish and a terry cloth towel, the only thing left to do is wait for the ice and snow to melt and get your pontoon back in the water where it belongs!