Here it is Hard Top vs Non Hard Top

raybo3

So tell me, on a beautiful summer day why the heII would I want to be "inside" this?  
Now don't get me wrong that's a very nice boat but I want to be outside slow cruising Boston Harbah seeing people at the downtown water front. Give me my option to open up or close. I take my canvas top over this car look all day long. 
Here is another one. Just horrible..... 

Like I have been saying all along, everyone has their choice but dont show me this garbage and tell me how great this is. It BLOWS!!!!!!! Just say'n

PickleRick

I'll take 2 of each if you're just giving those away.

 i want this to be my next boat.  Enough room for me to fish while the family hangs out in the ac.  

Bayliner 2859

LaRea

Yeah, but you do your boating in the north where the summer heat doesn't have real teeth.  If you did your boating down here, you'd sing a different tune.  Canvas provides shade, but it doesn't control heat the way fiberglass does.  

PickleRick

He posted a trophy, bayliner is to boats what bologna is to meats!

I think with AC I'd do just fine in one.   Plenty of sliding windows and hatches to boot...with screens.

raybo3

@LaRea your right I dont boat in Virginia but I have boated on 100* days. I keep hearing excuses about heat, sun or it has windows. I think people are missing the point. I DONT WANT TO BE INSIDE WHILE I AM BOATING. Lets look at it from another way. My admiral (wife) is not really helpful with throwing lines and stuff so I have to throw lines from the helm. How do I do that on one of those boats in the picture? 

reneechris14

I'm with you raybo3 I flipped this boat 5 years ago. Took it to a lake for sea trail no way to even get a bow line?? Felt very confined while driving stopped to talk to the guy in my 270 had to walk away from the helm and walk to the strein to hear him. I don't even like driving with my canvas up even when its cold. 

PickleRick

The same way a person with a flybridge,  trawler or sailboat docks, plan ahead.  Lines to front cleats could be run to the ****/pit and hung neatly for easy access.  Boat length x1.5 should be plenty.  When you dock tie off your rear cleat then walk out with front  line to tie off, pull out your front fenders at that time.  

Even easier if you have a dock hand to throw the front rope to while you secure the rear. Most of these boats suck for side boarding anyway so you can get your swim platform where you want it.

PickleRick

@reneechris14 is that a 242?   

reneechris14

think it was a cierra 2459 

PickleRick

At some point the 2459 became the 242,  did it have an aft cabin or just a table fold down for the kids sleeping area?

reneechris14

No aft think the 28' had a aft bed

Michael T

here is actually nothing - I wouldn't either Ray but that is NOT the type of hard top some of us have been talking about. The Rinker hard top and that of friends, Sea Rays, Cruises and Formulas have straight through air flow. Get yourself into the cockpit of an EC 310/360 or 400 then you can post with authority, yes?

Handymans342

Hard top or not. Diesel or gas. Bahahahahahhahahahahaha

PickleRick

Handyman has entered, now this thread has authority!

A searay with a hard top.  It  is hard but i dont consider it a true hard top.  This apppears to be a custom add on.  The other boats posted are what id consider a true hard top

PickleRick

@raybo3 yes the 2859, which i posted a pic of has a pretty roomy aft bed. 

Liberty44140

Admiral and I were soft top lovers, she likes to be able to open it up and get sun and air as Ray puts it. But, our neighbor has a hard top and we recognize how much cooler his boat is on hot days. That is half the reason we are going hard top, rest of it is protection for big seas and long range cruising. 

RiverRat232

I like this style hardtop where you use the canvas to completely enclose.

aero3113

This Regal has a hard top that folds down forward gives it a sleeker look. Nice if weather comes in, I think it’s a pretty cool idea.

LaRea

@raybo, you need to rename this thread.  You don't really have a beef with hardtops.  Your gripe is with glass enclosures.  

Michael T

@LaRea.....THANK YOU!!!!! Geez - finally!

@Liberty44140.....as well, you and the Admiral will find you have a LOT less canvass to store when it is not in use - a very nice fact for full day cruises and cruises away from your home port. MUCH quicker installation and removal of the canvass you do have and a WHOLE lot of "roof top" real estate to place soar panels, radar, satellite T.V. dome and in some cases I have seen it used to place inflatable rafts and auxiliary storage,

PickleRick

I need a hard top to store my pool noodles

LaRea

My hardtop is no more enclosed than most bimini tops.  The entire aft section rolls up and gets secured under the hardtop.  In front, I roll up the center panel and open the two big horseshoe windows.  The only parts I can't roll up are two sections of plastic window about two feet wide on either side.   

Takes me 3-4 minutes to go from enclosed to open-air. 

No aquarium for me.  

Michael T

I just zipped my cockpit side pieces out - took less than 2 minutes per side!

raybo3

LaRea said:

@raybo, you need to rename this thread.  You don't really have a beef with hardtops.  Your gripe is with glass enclosures.  

Almost correct...lol I do not like the hard top that connects to the windshield. The HT's that go from the "arch" and cover the ****/pit are OK but I do not want the helm under and kind of hard top. I want canvas so I can open it up if I want to. 

JoeStang

I much a prefer an upright, firm top but its all personal preference I suppose.

Must.Resist.Summer.Pics.Folder

Stodge

This is the hard top I'd have if I had the money.



Beneteau Swift Trawler 30

earl1z19

Stodge, Have you seen the new Anatares 27? Its a decent little boat that offer's everything. And its priced pretty decent.
http://https//www.beneteau.com/us/antares-outboard/antares-27

PickleRick

Back when my mom lived in Myrtle Beach id pass the Marion sc beneteau manufacturing facility.  I never saw a trawler leaving the premises but ive seen lots of beautiful cruisers leaving out of there.  

YYZRC

raybo3 said:

LaRea said:

@raybo, you need to rename this thread.  You don't really have a beef with hardtops.  Your gripe is with glass enclosures.  

Almost correct...lol I do not like the hard top that connects to the windshield. The HT's that go from the "arch" and cover the ****/pit are OK but I do not want the helm under and kind of hard top. I want canvas so I can open it up if I want to. 

So you like hardtops but you don’t like coupes?

Stodge

earl1z19 said:

Stodge, Have you seen the new Anatares 27? Its a decent little boat that offer's everything. And its priced pretty decent.
http://https//www.beneteau.com/us/antares-outboard/antares-27

I've seen a smaller Antares.  Sadly the 27 would be a little small for longer trips.  IMO they waste space by putting a second berth where a nice size shower could go.  The price is much easier to swallow. 

Jeaneau has the NC1095 which is better size wise, but even more wasted space with 2 additional tiny cabins.  And it's about double the price if the Antares 27.

MarkB

RiverRat232 said:

I like this style hardtop where you use the canvas to completely enclose.

That is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!