Flats-Top™ Installation Steps

How to lace canvas on your T-Top Lace canvas on top Lace canvas on T-top Lace canvas on Shadow Lace Sunbrella on T-Top Lace Sunbrella on Shadow T-Top Lace a boat T-top cover Lacing canvas on top Lacing canvas on T-top Lacing canvas on Shadow Lacing Sunbrella on T-Top Lacing Sunbrella on Shadow T-Top Lacing a boat T-top cover

• Lace the Canvas (30-40 minutes):
  1. If the top is off the boat, position the top so you can reach both sides easily, by positioning the top:
     • hanging in the air vertically from one end or a side,
     • in place on the boat (working over your head can be tiring however), or
     • with the end of the top on a table so you can reach underneath.
  2. Attach the canvas loosely using 6 to 8 "zip-ties" pulled through grommets near the corners and around frame. Once lined up, tighten, but not too tight.
  3. Start in the center at the front (if possible) (Front/Middle on most T-Tops, T-Topless™, Montauk-T-Topless™ & Flats-Top™; Rear/Middle on the Shadow™ & Montauk-Shadow™),
  4. You want to end up with the lacing running under the canvas between grommets in order to turn the edges of the canvas down to shed water,
  5. Lace the canvas to the frame (important to reverse over/under from left to right side to avoid kinking):
     1. Lace to the Left:
        1. Start lacing through the TOP of 1st grommet,
        2. Run lacing under canvas and up through the next grommet to the Left,
        3. Run lacing UNDER frame tubing and OVER the top of the frame tubing,
        4. Run lacing back through the TOP of same grommet,
        5. Repeat at the next grommet to the Left until finished,
     2. Lace to the Right (reverse under/over bar sequence):
        1. Start lacing through the TOP of 1st grommet at the center,
        2. Run lacing under canvas and up through the next grommet to the Right,
        3. Run lacing OVER frame tubing and UNDER the top of the frame tubing,
        4. Run lacing back through the TOP of same grommet,
        5. Repeat at the next grommet to the Right until finished.
  6. Pull all canvas lacing tight,
  7. Adjust lacing to center the canvas in the frame side-to-side and fore-and-aft,
  8. Pull all canvas lacing tight, but do NOT over-tighten! The canvas should have a snug fit with the edge having a smooth straight appearance. Do not over-tighten to the point of "smiley's" between grommets (this may void your warranty),
  9. Loop the "tag ends" through the last eyelet at each end 2 or 3 times,
  10. Tie the ends in a bow, then tie the loops of the bow in a square knot,
  11. Cut the loose "tag ends" of the lacing to about 3" and burn the ends to prevent unravelling.
  12. Weave these "tag ends" into the lacing for a finished look.

Square Lacing shown on Shadow™ Folding T-Top

• Install Flats-Top™ (45-60 minutes):
  1. Find centerline of poling platform (on underside),
  2. Mark line parallel to this 1/2 the width of the rear legs,
  3. Slide Flats-Top™ into the (2) Mounting Brackets and detrmine location fore/aft for Brackets,
  4. Locate, mark and drill (2) 5/16" holes for the rear Mounting Bracket holes,
  5. Mount Mount Bracket to bottom of poling platform with rear mounting holes only,
  6. Slide Flats-Top™ into the (2) Mounting Brackets,
  7. Align, locate, mark and drill (2) 5/16" holes for the front Mounting Bracket holes,
  8. Install front Mounting Bracket 5/6-18 screws through washers,
  9. Tighten all bolts,
  10. Enjoy your shade!

Flats-Top™ Mounting Brackets

• Factory Original-Equipment (OEM) Boat Canvas and Covers :
  • Canvas & Cover Fabric: Sunbrella® Marine Fabric & Colors ... Weblon® Regatta Fabric & Colors ... Stamoid® Fabric & Colors ... Top Gun® Fabric & Colors ... Canvas/Covers Maintenance & Cleaning ... Clear-Vinyl & Strataglass® Coated Vinyl Maintenance & Cleaning
  • Canvas Types: Boat Canvas Identification ... Bimini-Top Canvas ... T-Top Canvas ... T-Top Spray-Shield ... T-Top Gull-Wings ... more ...
  • Canvas Installation Instuctions: Lacing on T-Top Replacement Canvas ... T-Top Spray-Shield Installation ... Bimini/Hard-Top Spray-Shield Installation ... Side-Curtain Installation ... Aft-Curtain Installation ... Installing Male Snap Stud Screws in Aluminum T-Top ... Drilling holes in Fiberglass for Male Snap Stud Screws ...
  • Care: Canvas Care & Cleaning ... Eisenglass and Strataglass® Cleaning & Care
  • Verifying your Boat: Hull Identification Numbers (HIN) AFTER Aug 01, 1984 ... Hull Identification Numbers (HIN) BEFORE Aug 01, 1984 ...
    Each of our boat manufacturers' canvas pages have Photos of the Factory OEM T-Tops, Hard-Top, Bimini-Tops, Canvas, etc. at the bottom of the page for verification (Sea Hunt® Photos for example). Please compare your boat against these photos to insure you have the Original-Equipment (OEM) Top frame from the Factory (some dealers, like Chatlee in NC and Ed's Marine Superstoe in VA, for example, install their own, after-market T-Tops). Our Factory OEM canvas does not fit after-market Tops! Boston Whaler®, Sea Ray® and Grady White® do NOT allow dealers to install their own, after-market tops on new boats, so these are typically Factory OEM, unless an owner installed their own top.
  
  
• T-Topless™, Montauk-T-Topless™, Shadow™ & Montauk-Shadow™ Folding T-Tops and Flats-Top™ "Shade for Flats Boats"™ :
  • Customer: Comments ... Photos ... Videos ... Avoid Skin Cancer
  • Compare: Top and T-Top Specifications and Comparison ... Made in the USA, NOT China like Stryker® ... Competition ... T-Top Models
  • Details: FAQs ... $avings ... Why Stainless? ... NO Holes or Wood Screws! ... Strong? ... Garage Tips ... Colors
  • What fits your Boat? Measure Center Console Boat for T-Topless™ or Shadow™ ... Measure Flats Boat for Flats-Top™ ... Measure your boat for Mooring Cover
  • T-Topless™ Options: LED Light | T-Topless™ Gear Loft ... T-Topless™ Spray-Shield ... T-Topless™ Gull-Wings ...
  • Montauk-T-Topless™ Options: Montauk-T-Topless™ Gear Loft ... Montauk-T-Topless™ Spray-Shield ... Montauk-T-Topless™ Gull-Wings
  • Shadow™ and Montauk-Shadow™ Options: Shadow™ Stabilizer ... Shadow™ Stabilizer ...
  • Installation: T-Topless™ Installation ... Montauk-T-Topless™ Installation ... Shadow™ Installation ... Lacing Canvas on a T-Top ... Flats-Top™ Installation
  • Care: T-Top and Flats-Top Maintenance ... Canvas Care & Cleaning ... Eisenglass and Strataglass® Cleaning & Care
  • Warranty: Industry Leading 10-Year Frame Warranty Sunbrella® 10-Year Fabric Warranty
  
  
• We sell, DIRECT TO THE PUBLIC, most years (1990s forward depending on boat line - except the two current model years) Factory Original-Equipment-Manufacturer (OEM) Canvas and Covers made of Sunbrella®, SeaMark®, Stamoid®, Aqualon® clear Eisenglass Vinyl and Strataglass® (as specified by boat manufacturer) created, installed at the factory and originally sold for Astro®, Baja®, Bayliner®, Bombardier®, Boston Whaler®, Centurion®, Champion®, Cobalt®, Edgewater®, Four Winns®, Gecko®, Grady White®, Hurricane by Godfrey®, Mako®, Malibu®, MasterCraft®, Maxum®, Monterey®, Moomba®, Nautic Star®, PROCraft®, Pro Sports®, Regal®, Scout®, Sea-Doo®, Sea Ray®, Stratos®, Sugar Sands®, Supra®, Tahoe®, Tige®, Triton®, Triton Pontoons®, Yamaha®, Aquasport®, Astro®, Baja®, Blue Point®, BostonWhaler®, Cape Horn®, Carolina Skiff®, Century®, Champion®, Chaparral®, Chris Craft®, Correct Craft®, Crownline®, Donzi®, Duroboat®, Ebbtide®, Edgewater®, Envision®, Fincraft®, Fineline®, Fish Hawk®, Formula®, Four Winns®, Freeman®, Glastron®, Godfrey®, Gulfwinds®, Hurricane® and HydraSports®, JC Pontoon®, Jettus®, Larson®, Mako®, Marada®, Mastercraft®, Metal Shark®, Monterey®, Polar®, Polaris®, Premier Marine®, Pro Line®, Procraft®, Pursuit®, Ranger®, Regal®, Rinker®, Rizebo®, Robalo®, Sailfish®, Scout®, Sea-Pro®, Sea Ray®, Seaswirl®, Seminole Marine®, Skeeter®, Skiers Choice®, SmokerCraft®, Southwinds®, Starcraft®, Stealth®, Stratos®, Suncountry®, Sundance®, Thunderbird®, Tige®, Tracker®, Triton®, Triumph®, Trophy®, Weeres Palm Beach®, Wellcraft®, World Cat®, World Class®, Xtreme Marine®, Yamaha®, Baha Cruisers®, Caravelle®, Cobia®, Everglades®, Glassmaster®, Key West®, Mariah®, McKee Craft®, Palmetto Custom®, Pioneer®, Sea Boss®, Sea Fox®, Sea Hunt®, Sea-Pro®, Tidewater® boats.
  
  
• We sell at a discount (and without 6-12% Sales Tax) versus the local dealers since we "make-to-order" (Just-In-Time = JIT) using our inventory of 1,000's of patterns (no need to carry inventory) and thus our overhead is lower.
  
  
• Unfortunately, agreements with boat manufacturers prevent us from selling the current (last 2 model years) factory-original (OEM) production canvas, frames and covers direct to the public.
  
  

Some photos show optional items mounted on standard products. Descriptive, typographical or photographical errors are subject to correction. 18.218.190.118 ,