Claire Nolan May 5, 2010:

Other topside experiences: hot and cold fully pressured shower and spacious swim platform with swim ladder; your topside experience on the Water Limousine can only be magnificent.
www.waterlimousinejamaica.com/limo.htm

The tour also offers a topside experience for those who would rather view safely from the boat, and as I squeeze into my wet suit and watch ..

www.americanwaymag.com/australia-plymouth-san-diego-aline-t...

Claire Nolan May 4, 2010:

My point was... ...not to tell you that a company named Sperry manufactures shoes, but to show the link between the word 'topside' (and 'topsider' in the case of the shoe) and boats. The shoes are called 'topsiders' because they are perfect for wearing topside: they adhere well to the deck of a boat.

Ellen Kraus May 4, 2010:

but the info that Sperry produces top sider shoes, i.e. boat shoes and sandals, is of no avail whatsoever in the present context.

Claire Nolan May 4, 2010:

Topsiders est aussi le nom d'un soulier bien connu ...aux États-Unis, qui était conçu pour être porté sur un bateau mais qui peut être porté vraiment partout. Voici le lien:

http://www.sperrytopsider.com/store/

Tony M May 3, 2010:

OK, now we have more context... ...(in particular, the fact that this is a small boat), it seems to me that this explains the use of 'topsides' — perhaps almost as a kind of apology: "sorry, we don't have lots of nice facilities below-decks, but out on deck there are great things to enjoy"

@ Florence: despite the fact that the formal, technical meaning of the uncountable noun 'topsides' is indeed 'œuvres mortes', it is in fact very common usage in everyday parlance to talk about 'topside' (an adjective here, and note use of singular) when one means 'up/out on deck', usually when contrasting it with 'down below / below decks'. So I don't think that would be sufficient reason for ruling out this highly plausible solution...