I have a full tower on my 300 Marlin... I love it and hate it...
The boat was originally Crocker's demo and the full tower with a buggy top, controls and electronics were installed... Great view from above in calm waters and has a really nice look on the boat...
Biggest drawback is the boat will list port or starboard very quickly and unexpectedly with someone in the tower with a broadside wave/wake... Over the past couple years, I've gotten better with the engine trim and trim tabs so this doesn't happen quite so often or as bad, but it was very un-nerving the first few times... The access to the top is the outside T-top support rungs which are a little unsafe if you were to slip since the only thing below you is the water vice the cockpit on other tower designs...
It can get very expensive to add the tower beyond the aluminum frame... a second set of controls and electonics is what really makes the tower usefull... Make sure you decide up front and price out all the options first... I found the original receipt for the install (including the controls and electronics)... back in 2001, it was over $30k!!! To the original steering, throttles, tachs, Navnet and autopilot, I've added a VHF remote, trim and auto trim tab controls, stereo and spotlight remotes...
Oh, the outriggers are 24' Lee Jr's welded to the tower frame... keeps them up and out of the way when not in use...
Most posts I've seen say that Grady doesn't recomment installing open arrays on their tops because of the weight... I've had a couple 200+/- pound guys up there at the same time... I don't know if the top itself was replaced or reinforced when it was installed or not... There are a couple very minor stress cracks at two of the screw holes... but they are in locations that I wouldn't think would relate to the added weight standing on the top... BTW, the boat was originally the wife of Crocker Marine's personal boat for the first year before becoming a demo and then being sold...
