The easiest, cheapest and best solution is simply to call Dave Hauck or email him at King Marine Canvas. Here's their web site:
http://kingmarinecanvas.com/aboutus.html. He's easy to talk to and friendly. In fact, he's typical of the folks who work alongside Ranger in his easygoing helpfulness.
Since King makes the bimini's for the Ranger Tug factory supplied options, they have all the templates in stock. They made a bimini for my R25 in less than two weeks. I keep Alto between Florida and then in colder Cape Cod, so I wanted roll up windows over screens everywhere. Dave suggested NOT putting roll-up windows on the big side panels as they would be pressed against the SS bimini frame when rolled up. Instead he made an extra set of side panel screens, in addition to plastic window side panels, for a little more money and I interchange them as needed. I have roll-up window everywhere else. He gives you his cell phone # and suggests you call him when ready to install for advice. He knew to ask about little details unique to my boat, like whether there were short tracks on the cabin top on either side of the hatch to fit the bimini around the cabin trunk (there weren't) and he sent me those for free. The price was 1/3 to 1/2 of the quotes I got from local canvas makers. The fit was very good.
One problem, Dave explained in detail to me, was the expense of shipping the giant U-shaped SS frame which was about 8 feet wide for a R25; yours will be even bigger on a R29. Shipped ground it was over $300! It is treated like a square oversize box, even though its wrapped in paper and is a U shape that fits nicely over other boxes. A special shipper delivered it through a series of local outfits from WA state to FL. The canvas came in a UPS box for around $30-$50.
Dave was so mortified to warn me of the shipping cost that he, sort of in compensation, made me, for free, a beautiful Phifertex+ front window cover using my factory supplied canvas (which I sent him) cover as a template. This is a see-through plastic-like material that cuts out 80% of the sunlight-great for Florida.
I had a professional canvas maker install the bimini as I feared drilling holes in my boat without experience. You can see pictures of the King aftermarket bimini on Alto's (and Ainokea's) photo albums. In fact, all the Ranger Tug factory pictures display King bimini's. Dave made is super easy and even with the shipping cost and paying for a couple hours of installation I saved mucho dinero. For folks pinching pennies over buying a new Ranger (like I was) it's nice to know you can add a bimini later on that works just as well as getting one from the factory. Get things like the generator, macerator/Y-valve, AC, & electronics from the factory at the purchase point, but you can add a Raymarine S1000 autopilot, bimini, Rochna anchor package later on when the budget allows-often for less money. Consider the S1000 autopilot works pretty well for under $1000 vs. the fancier (which I don't need) Garmin system for $5000.
As to where to shop for your bimini–that one is a no brainer! Obviously, I recommend King Marine highly. Just call Dave (206) 283-9346 office and 271-2294 cell.
