# mako pro skiff wake/bimini/t top build



## Macetech (Jul 4, 2015)

hey guys, first post so Ill give a brief description here, I bought a brand new mako pro skiff 16 at the end of last season and decided it really needed a top. it was my first boat though so i had no idea what i wanted the top to actually DO. 

After a bit of fishing, wake boarding, and just overall using the boat I came up with the design for a kind of "all around" tower. something like a T top, but rigid enough to tow a wakeboarder. I also needed it to be able to pivot or collapse so that it can fit in my carport.

I had never specifically built a boat top however, I am a metal fabricator and the skills and materials are the same.

I did not like the look of anodized tubing, so i got mil finish tubing and had just finished up a large scale project for a client where i used a tintable bed liner material (upol raptorliner) and found that the material was freaking awesome to work with, looked good, and was durable as hell. sorta all the requirements you would look for in a tower material really.

so enough talking, heres the build.


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## Macetech (Jul 4, 2015)

Heres all the tubing and bits, already started some bends before I snapped the picture (you'll see a lot of skipped progress, sorry)


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## joebucko (Dec 29, 2012)

Very interested in seeing the finished product. I'm on my 3rd year with the Mako Pro17 center console and love the boat.


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## Macetech (Jul 4, 2015)

the boat and tubing





welding up the frame for the canvas first since maybe thats the next step?


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## Macetech (Jul 4, 2015)

then the support legs


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## Macetech (Jul 4, 2015)

added in some bracing and getting a feel for where to put the rocket launchers. also you can see the front supports that tie into the center console. they are jointed so it can tilt down.


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## Macetech (Jul 4, 2015)

took it off to weld and make the pattern for the canvas


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## Macetech (Jul 4, 2015)

this is my logo (macetech industries) redone in a 60's surfer kinda vibe. its teal vinyl sewn onto sunbrella brown and black houndstooth. The color pattern of the boat is going to be teal and brown.



laced up in place on the tower after I shot it with a custom teal metalflake bedliner


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## Macetech (Jul 4, 2015)

tower all finished up and installed




the center point on the tower is the tow point for wakeboarding. all in all its a pretty simple tower, but due to the design and the way it attaches to the boat, its incredibly strong laterally instead of just straight up and down like a more traditional t top thats screwed to the floor.


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## Macetech (Jul 4, 2015)

nothing? lol. was expecting to get bashed or something. haha.


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## Net 30 (Mar 24, 2012)

Nice fabrication job. 

What's with all the airframes in the background?


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

No looks pretty good to me. Can you show it folded over and give a height both up and folded?


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

I thought you built motorcycles?


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

> nothing? lol. was expecting to get bashed or something. haha.



Not many folks here that wakeboard or have T-Tops. Everyone here is thinking "this guy has some mad skills but the T-Top would get in the way of poling, wakeboarding takes time away from fishing, how would he even mount a pushpole with all the aluminum work on the gunnels, Cat hulls don't have the best draft and how would I land a fish that wants to circle the boat."


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

Nice job man you got some skills


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

CW was that sarcasm because he wanted some criticism? Cause dang! ;D


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

I'm pretty sure that was sarcasm.
I wish I could make metal stuff like that.... oh the things I would build


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

Those were just my thoughts on why there may be  crickets.   I am into poling and fly fishing.  

I may be from Alabama, but I support microskiff equality.  A microskiff doesn't have to be built for one man and one purpose.  It can be built for 1 man and 2 purposes.  It could be built for 2 men, 1 dog and 3 purposes.  Its your boat. Who am I to tell someone what it takes to float it.   ;D 

You can also add me to the "jealous I cant make stuff from metal" club.


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## joebucko (Dec 29, 2012)

That is one impressive piece of work. I like to work metal but I don't have anything like your skill/vision or equipment. I would never have thought of mounting the tower on the gunnels. That solves the how do you get around the boat issue. 
I strictly fish from my boat and actively use both bow and stern so I have stayed away sort of cover/tower/biminis. If I used it as more of a family pleasure boat I'd probably be copying some of your ideas.

When tubing where do you attach the tow rope?


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## Macetech (Jul 4, 2015)

Hey thanks guys.
about the comments on the top and use for fishing, you are absolutley right. the thing is, im just a poor man, so my boat does everything. haha. I like fishing, but sometimes the ladies want to go out to crab island, so shade is key, and while the design of the boat isnt perfect for wakeboarding, it still manages to drag my fat ass around the bay.
So its a top i designed to "do it all" so naturally there are some downfalls. honestly though not many. due to the size of the boat and the size of the top, at almost any point on the boat, I can place a hand on the top. which really helps when im fishing up on the deck and a boat rolls by.
It also keeps my rods up and out of the way. so not too shabby.

there is a center anchor point on the tower in between the two sets of rocketlaunchers (rod holders) to attach the tow rope to. 

to answer the question of stability or strenth, I towed a stranded boat using the tower. that pretty much answered my own question on the design. haha. 

I really appreciate all the kind words gents, as anyone who actually builds something from scratch, its really cool to have someone appreciate it, even if its not something they would particularly use.


p.s. I do mainly build motorcycles, but metal fabrication is metal fabrication.

P.s.s Aircraft work pays better than motorcycles or boats. haha.


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## Nick Andraka (Apr 25, 2016)

Macetech,
beautiful skill there, I do a lot of fabbing/welding on Steel, but it's straight stuff (trailers, etc), no curves or Alum.
Do you have detail pics of the mounts? is the side rail strong enough? how does the center post mount?

I am picking up a Mako ProSkiff 16 next week and looking at your design closely.
What would be the cost if someone wanted an exact copy ??

Thanks,
Nick


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

I looked at the Pro 
Skiff once when I was at bass pro. fit and finish looked pretty good actually. Where did you get the coating done? I would like to do my poling platform in black.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

CurtisWright said:


> Not many folks here that wakeboard or have T-Tops. Everyone here is thinking "this guy has some mad skills but the T-Top would get in the way of poling, wakeboarding takes time away from fishing, how would he even mount a pushpole with all the aluminum work on the gunnels, Cat hulls don't have the best draft and how would I land a fish that wants to circle the boat."


Dude...get out of my head. *lol*

Impressive fabrication work. I wish I was able to make stuff like that.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

I like the Piper J3 in the background!

Looks like Mako did a knock-off of a Carolina Skiff. But yours looks better.

Nice work on the T-Top. But the outside supports mounted on the gunnels will be tough to fish around. That's why most T-Tops are made with supports along the center console on smaller boats.


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