How to Install a Fishmaster T-Top

Video Transcript

Hi! I’m Chris. Today we’ll be installing a Universal Fishmaster T-Top to this beautiful 21-foot Carolina Skiff. Fishmaster T-Tops are very simple to install, highly universal, make a perfect addition to fishing vessel. Let’s get started.

Once you receive your Fishmaster TTop, remove everything from the box and lay it out carefully. Inspect to make sure that you have all the parts and hardware. Next, carefully read the Fishmaster Installation Manual to help familiarize yourself with the installation process.

You are now ready to start assembling the side uprights.

Start by screwing the hinge bolt first. Then, screw in the bolts in the leg sections. Once you have the uprights assembled, be ready to set the first leg into the boat. Make sure that the hinges to the front of the boat and the Fishmaster sticker is showing outside of the frame.

We’re trying to find the best place for our standoff. It can be on the horizontal crossbar, it could be on the rear leg, it can be on the front leg. But as of right now, the best placement for this particular boat is a standoff through the horizontal cross member to go in front of the grab handle on the console.

Now that you’ve determined where to place your side upright, it’s time to mark the pallet holes for the base plate. Using a Sharpie pen, mark each hole in the base plate on the deck of the boat. Begin drilling in reverse in order to avoid spider cracking in the gel coat. After drilling an 1/8 inch in reverse, you can switch back to forward drilling for the remainder of the pallet hole. Once your holes are drilled, go back and chamfer each hole.

Next, drill a deck screw in and out of each hole to thread the hole. Now, put 3M 5200 Marine Adhesive on each hole and on the deck of the boat. Set the upright back into place and drill the deck screws into each hole.

Do not completely tighten the deck screws at this time.

Your first side upright in the boat and now it’s time to install the standoff. Determine where you want the standoff to go and mark a spot with a Sharpie pen. Use a hammer and a tap to start your hole where you’re going to drill. Now, drill to the side upright and into the console.

Measure the distance between the crossbar and the console. Cut the standoff sleeve to the appropriate length. Insert the bolt through the side upright and into the console as shown. Inside the console, you will attach a large backing and bolt. Tighten the standoff bolt as tight as possible. Now, go back and tighten all of the deck screws.

You have completely installed one side upright. Complete the exact installation for the opposite side.

After the installation of the opposite leg, it’s now time to assemble your top section. Use the M10 x 35 socket head bolt to bolt the four sections together. Once the top section has been assembled, take the top section to the boat and set it into the cradle’s on the top of the side upright.

Now that the top section is in place, you can bolt on the side upright calves. These calves lock the top section into place. You are now ready to put the canvas onto the T-Top frame. To hold the canvas in place, use zip ties. Attach the canvas to the T-Top using the T-Top rope as shown. Once you have the canvas tightly secured to the T-Top frame, you now can cut off all the zip ties.

To finalize your Fishmaster T-Top installation, please check the bolts and the canvas string to make sure they’re tight and secure. Also, please visit Fishmaster.com if you have any additional accessories you may want to add in a later date.

Now your installation is complete, you will be able to enjoy your boat the way it’s meant to be enjoyed.

Thank you for watching this video. If you have any questions, please feel free to Contact Fishmaster at any time.