Tweaking a tower?

[usaski1]

Boy I guess I got boat towers on the brain recently! Anyhow, I have a 2008 outback, and live on a small lake, with a small slip. I continue to tweak the tower by my poor docking skills (30mph wind doesnt help either sometimes) causing the front folding tower to become tweaked or off center. Any luck with tweaking or re-allining a tower? Its not mangled, just off. anyone else have this problem? Im thinking the only way to get it back allined is to get a ratcheting strap, and while the boat is on the lift, and tower down, connect the ratchet to one side of the tower, and the otherside to something stationary (the dock) and rachet till it looks streight. Your thoughts?

[DOCDRS]

What the heck are you hitting your tower on when you dock????

[jmvotto]

i have clipped my racks before on the canopy uprights and had to replace the racks SS screws, but bending the tower?? do you have gel coat stress cracks anywhere. got any pics?

[usaski1]

Cllairification: On an Outback, the tower folds forward. The tower is down when I dock. I dock at a slip that is pretty small, maybe 10 feet wide, I've only got a foot or so on each side. (3 sided slip) These collisions are slow speed, just barely bumped in idle. I tried my ratchet method, I think I did correct it a bit tonight.

[DOCDRS]

i would take the tower off to tweak it to avoid gel coat cracks. I did that with my old 99 outback to make the feet fit better.

[csm]

Are you folding your tower down while you're on the water? If so, how do you do that from inside the boat? I have a heck of a time folding my tower forward on land... I couldn't imagine doing it on the water.

[usaski1]

Yeah, I live on the water, so I raise and lower the tower from standing in the boat. A second person is helpfull. I push forward on the tower from the drivers seat, while my wife stands or kneels on the front bow cushions and pulls towards the nose.