For decades, the Bimini top has been one of the most common ways to add shade to a flybridge. It is simple, lightweight and effective at providing overhead sun protection. But for yacht owners who want greater protection from wind and weather, a more permanent structure and the flexibility to move between open-air cruising and a more protected helm, a traditional Bimini has limitations.
Toma-Top takes a different approach. Designed specifically for flybridge yachts, Toma-Top combines a rigid hardtop with a retractable polycarbonate windshield, allowing owners to adjust their level of protection without giving up the open-air experience that makes a flybridge so appealing.
What is the difference between a Toma-Top and a Bimini top?
The fundamental difference is structure and functionality.
A traditional Bimini uses a fabric or canvas top supported by a metal frame. Its primary purpose is to provide overhead shade. Additional canvas or clear vinyl panels can be added to create an enclosure and provide greater protection from wind, rain and spray.
Toma-Top is a rigid fiberglass hardtop and retractable windshield system. Its hardtop provides permanent overhead shade, while the powered windshield can be raised, lowered or positioned according to conditions. This allows the flybridge to remain open when the weather is favorable and provides additional forward protection when wind, rain or spray becomes uncomfortable. It’s also aesthetically pleasing as it seamlessly integrates.
Which provides better protection from wind and weather?
A Bimini provides overhead protection from the sun and some rain, but by itself does not protect the helm from wind or forward-driven rain and spray. Additional canvas or vinyl enclosure panels are typically required for greater protection.
Toma-Top’s retractable windshield provides forward protection while preserving clear visibility from the flybridge. When conditions improve, the windshield can be retracted to restore the open-air experience.
For yacht owners who want additional side protection, Isinglass or another marine enclosure system can also be incorporated during installation to create a more fully enclosed flybridge.
How does a retractable windshield change the flybridge experience?
Wind can become tiring during extended periods at the upper helm, particularly at cruising speeds or during cooler morning and evening conditions. A forward windshield helps reduce direct wind exposure and creates a more controlled environment for the operator and passengers.
With Toma-Top, the windshield does not have to remain permanently raised. It can be adjusted according to weather conditions and personal preference, allowing owners to maintain the defining open-air character of the flybridge when desired.
The rigid hardtop also eliminates the movement commonly associated with canvas tops and enclosures, helping create a more solid and comfortable environment while underway.
How do Toma-Top and a Bimini compare in durability and maintenance?
Maintenance requirements differ considerably because the systems use different materials.
Canvas and clear vinyl marine enclosures are exposed continuously to sunlight, salt, wind and weather. Depending on material, exposure and care, they can eventually fade, stretch, scratch, cloud or require replacement.
Toma-Top uses a rigid hardtop, marine-grade stainless steel structural components and a hard-coated polycarbonate windshield designed for marine use. Regular cleaning with mild soap and water is recommended, along with appropriate maintenance of the retractable windshield mechanism.
The polycarbonate windshield is also replaceable independently if it becomes worn or damaged over time, without requiring replacement of the complete Toma-Top system.
Can radar, Starlink, antennas and lighting be mounted on a Toma-Top?
Yes. Toma-Top can accommodate marine equipment including radar, VHF antennas, Starlink, spotlights and lighting.
For Toma-Top units sold in the United States, mounting reinforcements can be incorporated according to the equipment being installed. Because reinforcement requirements may affect the FRP manufacturing process, equipment and mounting requirements should be identified when specifying the Toma-Top.
Interior LED lighting and exterior running or anchor lighting can also be incorporated into the installation.
Can Toma-Top be installed on an existing flybridge yacht?
Yes. Toma-Top was originally developed as an aftermarket solution and can be retrofitted to existing flybridge yachts.
Toma-Top is available in four standard sizes designed to accommodate most flybridge yachts from 28 to 50 feet. Because every yacht configuration is different, measurements and mounting requirements must be evaluated to determine the appropriate Toma-Top model and installation.
Toma-Top installations can already be found on a variety of yacht brands and models, demonstrating how the system can be integrated into different flybridge configurations.
See Toma-Top installations on a variety of flybridge yachts in our Project Gallery.
Is a Toma-Top better than a Bimini?
The better choice depends on how the yacht is used.
For an owner primarily looking for a simple, lightweight source of overhead shade, a traditional Bimini can provide an effective solution.
For an owner seeking permanent shade, a rigid aesthetically pleasing structure, adjustable forward wind and weather protection, integrated equipment mounting and the ability to move between protected and open-air cruising, Toma-Top provides a different level of flybridge functionality.
The distinction is not simply hardtop versus canvas. It is about how much control an owner wants over the flybridge environment.
A Different Approach to Flybridge Comfort
The flybridge remains one of the most enjoyable spaces aboard a yacht, but sun, wind, rain and changing temperatures can limit how often it is used.
Toma-Top was developed to address those limitations without permanently closing off the flybridge. By combining the permanence of a hardtop with the flexibility of a retractable windshield, the system allows yacht owners to adapt the flybridge to changing conditions while maintaining the visibility and open-air experience that drew them to a flybridge yacht in the first place.
Learn more about how Toma-Top works and its available configurations.
Ready to experience Toma-Top in person? Schedule a viewing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.