What did you use for mounting a tower/t-top?

[gran398]

If you're going with a tower, give Eugene a call. He may have a handle on one.

Even an older one can be sanded out and powdercoated...should turn out great.

[kaptainkoz]

im in a strange spot in that my console footprint will just catch the outer edge of the stringer in some places and miss it all together in others. I have a plan to add and glass plywood under the stringer and pertruding a bit to line up for where i need it. I may even double it up. I think a hefty wood screw through a 1/2 inch floor and glass, a heavy glass transom, and then into 1 1/2 inches of ply should hold anything down. Thru bolting with backing plates is rock solid but not always possible. I am skeptical about drilling and tapping a plate as aluminum isnt that strong and unless your using 1/2 inch or thicker aluminum there isnt going to be much bite to that. Go fast forward a few years where the aluminum reacts with the stainless screw and you may have problems with corrosion or the two unlike metals bonding together to where removal will destroy the threads.

[Capt Matt]

I had never done the backing plate thing before and thought the same about the two metals bonding together. I don't remember the name of the nasty paste I dipped the bolts in before tightening everything down but, it's used just for this that reason.
Growing up I ran a mako that had a t-top that was always pulling screws out of the wood/fiberglass deck. On a t top it was more of a pain than anything else. On a tower it would be plain dangerous with 2 250 pound guys up there
Personally I would call a few tower fabricators and ask them the best method to attach
Capt Matt

[Aswaff400]

Nice tower Aaron!  How wide is it at the feet?

just measured my tower, the outside dimensions are 36 inches wide at the front, 37  at the rear, 48 front to back

[saltfly]

Since towers have been brought up, I don’t think I’m high jacking the thread. But since I don’t leave my boat in a slip and trailer it. How do you guys that have the ones that don’t fold, get around? If I towed my boat just to the local ramp I use, I would be lucky if the tower was still in one piece. Just to many low hanging tree limes and wires. Also to add to the mounting. Only use thru bolts. I like putting backing plates and thru bolt with lock nuts, if I don’t have the room for that. Then I use a backing plate and drill and tap. I also use a compound on the bolts to keep the problems with dissimilar metals down. As for your problem with braking taps. The proper tap drill size and a cutting oil has to be used. there are a number of charts available that list the drill sizes for every thing you do with bolts. To many people just put a drill up to the tap, and say yea that will work. And as normal, it never does.
 

[Capt Matt]

My tower does fold though I have yet to fold it as my boat sits on a lift and only gets towed less than a mile to marina for a service. I have a short tower where my feet are is about 51/2 feet up from the deck.
Capt Matt

[gman 82 aquasport]

To answer saltfly's question about towing with a non folding top, here's what I do(my top is fitted for me, I'm 6'2" and I can look out from mine with the electronics box hanging there without having to bend over) my top is about 11 feet from the pavement while on the trailer. I use 2 straps front and rear from the top corners to cleets on the bow and stearn, crossing them over each other. keeps the top from moving around going down the highway but you have to be observent for low branches and stuff. It's made the trip to the coast and back about a dozen times(400 miles round trip) now with no sign of the top coming loose showing up..A folding top would be nice, maybe if I'm extra good next year