06-01-2011
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Senior Member
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 457
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My Catalina 309 came with a bimini, and yes, you could stand up under it. Unfortunately, the boom would rub on it. When I lowered the boom to the point where the roller furling main would work properly, the bimini was a real problem. I was able to adjust the bimini low enough, but lost standing headroom. I didn't like that at all. IMHO it's a total pain to be hunched over at the helm, when docking, etc. My entire bimini and it's supports are now in storage.
Solution: I sewed up a flat awning (I have an industrial sewing machine, but this would be an easy job for your local canvas shop) that zips to the dodger and runs straight back. It secures to a couple PVC posts that I have attached to the stern rail.
The beauty of this system is that I can put it up or take it down in less than a minute. It just rolls up and easily stores. It doesn't have standing headroom, but that's not a problem, because I just take it down when I need to.
The problem with biminis IMHO is that they are too high. The higher the canvas, the harder it is to find shade under it. Lower it by a foot, and you dramatically increase the amount of shade. Example: Next time it rains, put an umbrella one foot over your head. Then move it three feet over your head and prepare to get soaked.
In fairness to biminis, it is possible to fold them up and lash them to the backstay. But it's a lot more difficult than stowing a flat awning. The trick was undoing all the straps that keep it under tension, etc.
It's all about how you use your boat, of course. Can't say that the awning will work for everyone or every boat.
When we're real busy in the cockpit, we don't use our awning. As soon as we're set for a longer run, up goes the awning, and we're in the shade. Approaching our marina, we just roll it up again.
Lounging in the cockpit at the marina is great with this setup. Again, because it's lower, we have more shade. The lack of standing headroom doesn't bother us. It's just a trade-off for greatly increased shady areas.
We can also adjust the height of the awning on the stern end. Very useful when you're sailing or lounging (or both!) and the sun's setting at the stern and trying to fry you. No more burnt neck sailing home at the end of the day. No more being blinded when you're enjoying a beer in the slip.
Another advantage to this system is it totally eliminates all the bimini "plumbing" (support tubing) that sort of surrounds the cockpit. Really seems to open it up. When you're sailing without the awning, there's nothing in the way. When we removed our bimini plumbing, it really seemed to open up the cockpit.
One downside to the flat awning is that it's more prone to flapping in a strong wind. In that case, we just take it down. Not often an issue, though.
Bottom line is that I'd gladly sell my bimini. The flat awning is better for the way we use our boat. Of course, on our boat, the bimini was a compromise, because it tended to be in the boom's way.
I would say though, that if I had no canvas in the cockpit, and my boat would allow either a bimini with standing headroom or a flat awning, I'd choose the flat awning. Both for its versatility, and in the real world, for the fact that it would cost a LOT, less.
Last edited by Siamese; 06-01-2011 at 10:38 PM.
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