Removing the paint was definitely not my favorite part but in the end all worth while. Wish I had tried the citrus-strip - the jasco stuff is pretty harsh and I did not have great results. I understand the snow issues, i got lucky last winter to be able to work on mine all year. This year Im buried.
The top on mine came from the online jungle store - but I didnt buy it, the PO did. I like it a lot and when its really hot here, I wouldnt boat without it. Its up 99% of the time. As for the wind factor, never really noticed it being a problem. Our favorite lake we boat on is fairly windy too, and my only issue is I would order the next one to be slightly lower in height. Im average height so I dont need head clearance, and just think it would look better being a little lower - nothing to do with wind performance, just personal preference. I wouldnt want one that attaches to the windshield though cause bending over to move around does not sound fun. The width on it is nice - goes all the way to the rails edge to attach, and I used blind rivets instead of screws to re-install.
You will easily have enough power with your motor to push through winds when its up. If the wind gets so bad you have to take the top down, you wouldnt want to be out there in a 16’ open bow boat anyway. Had a thunderstorm roll in as we were leaving after a boat camping trip - 2-3’ chop out of no where, high winds, lightening, thunder, rain. Boat fully loaded with camping gear, left the top up and full throttled a few miles back to the dock. She handled like a dream actually, cutting through the chop at max weight, and this was before restoration, so did that with 5% of my rivets compromised lol.
Just remember to add a few twists to the lines that hold the top in place so they dont vibrate in the wind.
A good spot(s) for that would be right before &/or right after the chemical strip prior to going into sanding.
