Tried & Tested – How to install an Ocean South 4 Bow Bimini

We took our boat out to Sommerset Dam to install a new 4 Bow Oceansouth Bimini + Oceansouth Telescopic support poles and put it to the test on the water. At Outback Equipment we are lucky enough to have our very own tinny to test out all the great marine products we have on offer. The install took no more that 45 minutes and required only two hands to get it in place. The tools needed were two cordless drills, a rivet gun, some pop rivets and some drill bits. The best way to get your new Oceansouth Bimini top on your tinny is to follow these steps: 

1. Lay out your fitting kit and get an idea of where everything is going to be installed on the boat.  

2. Connect your Bimini poles together, ensuring that the metal button on the ends all click into place then lay out your canvas top and slide them into the canvas.  

3. Do the same thing on the other side until they are in line correctly and click the opposite sides together, so they make a nice strong shape.  

4. Grab a mate and help position the Bimini top where you’d like it to sit on the boat. Keep in mind where you like to fish from inside the tinny. After you've lined up where you'd like your bimini top to be, mark out with a pencil where you are going to install your fittings. 

5. Drill a pilot hole in the ends of the main poles for the end caps that will attach to the supports on the hull of the boat. Do the same with the rear poles, make sure you tighten the poles up to your desired tension and length to suit the Bimini's position and install the back two fittings. There are also 4 saddle brackets to install for the support straps, position these where the clips are easily undone from inside the boat. 

6. Drill pilot holes for the support brackets in the middle of the hull and pop rivet to secure. Then using the provided stainless steel screw and a friend to hold it in place, tighten up the screws with the Alan Key provided in the fitting kit. There are 4 braces in total, 2 for the main poles and 2 for the support poles at the back. There are also 4 saddles for the support straps. 

7. Do the same on the other side, including the saddles for support straps and the rear support poles.  

8. Once you’ve checked that your Bimini top is sturdy and you’ve collapsed it into the closed position, put the extra canvas that overhangs in the pre-installed Bimini cover whilst towing. 

9. Get out on the water and hook everything up to start enjoying some well-earned shade protection and couple of 3m flattys. 

The great thing about the 4 Bow Bimini top from Oceansouth is the quality of the canvas and the support poles. Everything is UV rated and rust resistant so you can enjoy the quality for years to come. This Bimini is the longer version which is great for extra shade if you plan on having passengers. We find that the support poles are just that little more supportive than the provided straps, especially when collopsed and when it’s on the water. This Oceansouth Bimini is also rated to about 45 knots which is perfect for this kind of boat and smaller motor. It’s extremely sturdy and stood up to quite a few water wheelies out at Sommerset Dam. Oceansouth Bimini’s come in grey, black and blue, you can also choose to go for the stainless steel option for more longevity. To check out more great products from Ocean South head to the product page!