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cool cockpit BIMINI pic ideas please

6K views 20 replies 9 participants last post by  blackhawke 
#1 ·
Hi guys...would love some pics and or ideas for simple diy or budget friendly biminis...

any ideas and mostly pics for mid size boats in the 35 to 40ft range

my boat is an aft cockpit Islander 36 with a canvas dodger

peace:)
christian
 
#2 ·
Don't have pictures, but we have a friend with an I36.. does his own canvas work. He put a bar across the split backstays and runs a 'bimini' from that to the aft end of the dodger. When not needed it rolls up aft and ties around the bar.. no 'framework', no drilling holes in your coaming etc.

He also has 2 'covers'.. a canvas one for rainy days, and a mesh for sun.. provides shade while maximizing ventilation.

He has a solar panel mounted to the bar as well.
 
#5 · (Edited)
NICE!

its a bummer I dont have split backstays...I do have a nice hydraulic adjuster though on the single backstay and some massive aluminum davits where the solar panel is...maybe some mounts on the davits forward to the dodger?

I would like to eliminate a huge tangle off stainless tubing if needed:)
 
#6 ·
thanks yup...found a couple of neat ones but i GUESS im looking for feedback and opinions on install too

if thats possible, jajaja:D
ps. what is tecsew?
 
#4 ·
The neatest one I saw was a hardtop that the owner designed and made from fiberglass sheets he purchased at Home Depot. He reinforced the fiberglass by sandwiching plywood sheeting between the sheets of fiberglass. It took him less than a week to construct and I think he said he spent less than $300 for the materials. It looked great and was extremely strong.



Gary :cool:
 
#8 ·
Here are some pics of my single support bimini. It connects to the dodger via a zipper and snaps.

Deployed

Retracted


It wasn't cheap though...
 
#16 ·
Here are some pics of my single support bimini. It connects to the dodger via a zipper and snaps.

Deployed
That's a beautiful dodger, but do you actually do much sailing with the bimini in place?

Not being able to sight over the top of a dodger drives me nuts :) More and more of the boats I'm running lately are featuring very high profile dodgers, that even at 6' 5", I struggle to see over... These are often mated with a bimini that might be 2-3 inches higher, leaving only a narrow slit to try to sight through after the connecting panel has been removed... No problem at the dock or at anchor, but a real impediment to safe navigation/good sailing, at least for me...
 
#9 ·
When I bought this boat I'd never been on another one. Boy, did I get lucky!
Since then we've been on 5 other Pearson 530's and really, the biggest difference is in the dodger/bimini set ups. We can walk under ours from hatch to wheel with plenty of headroom. None of the others have that headroom and one is just barely 5'10" and very uncomfortable. Three have material side panels on the dodger (instead of see through) and it makes the whole cockpit into a tunnel; awful. One has a dodger that is 8" or so shorter than the bimini, so they have a little strip between and it's useless to see through and wet if it's not in place.
We have two "windows" to watch the gear being set or furled. Others do not. As it's a dodger/bimini combo, there is a pretty big spread between the dodger and the back of the bimini so I added bars that tie the two sections together (horizontal to the deck) and give us an excellent handhold when stepping out onto the deck.
So think very seriously about the livability and usability of your cockpit covers. It can make all the difference in the amount of time you can spend in the cockpit enjoyably.
 
#10 ·
thanks like the pics

I dont need it to zip to the dodger but something like that would be great

I have a wife and kid now so yeah being out of the sun is a must have

back when I was solo sheets across the mizzen boom was what kept me out of the sun

we didnt even have a dodger! ajajaja
 
#17 ·
very good points...im looking for "low profile" with use all the time in moderate to easy sailing conditions...I agree with the above that lately there have been too many houses on top of sailboats especially center cockpits are used....the amound of windage is an issue too...im liking the pic of the islander before more and more now...

stowable and not too obtrusive
 
#18 ·
You can't see it in the pic, but there is a window in the dodger over the pedestal that allows me to see the sail, and the Windex while the dodgers is deployed.
 
#19 ·
Yeah, the problem with all of those I've ever seen, however, is that they are always situated so that they are only usable when sitting directly behind the helm... On most boats, that's not generally where I'll be when under sail... More importantly, they still don't solve the problem of trying to sight the jib telltales, on most boats I've run with these configurations, the only way to do so can be to have to move around the wheel to move forward enough, to peer out from underneath the bimini...

Finally, almost guaranteed, if I'm picking up a boat in Florida that's been down there for much more than a year, those little 'windows' will have turned sufficiently opaque from UV degradation, as to be worthless :)

But again, my main problem is not being able to sight over the top of the dodger when necessary... I just don't see how anyone runs at night, or in thick weather, without the ability to do so... A bimini such as yours is simple to dismantle and stow in such a situation, of course, but I'm seeing more and more enclosures that are essentially permanent, such as the dodger on a Hunter 41 I ran about a year ago that was virtually the same height at the arch and integrated bimini... That boat was a nightmare to run after dark, or when the dodger was wet from rain, spray, or fog - as it was extremely difficult/awkward to obtain a clear view around it... And, if the need arose to use a searchlight from the cockpit, fuggeddabouditt... :)
 
#20 ·
jon I agree with you. however there are different sailors and likes for most any boat and thats the beauty of sailboats in the end I guess...everyone can do what they want having safety factored in

one of my all time favourite positions when sailing is exactly like you mentioned...on either side of the dodger aft of it, with one hand holding the frame and the other on some rigging or stanchion or even the end of the boom when into weather...I would duck and then get back "out" as soon as the wave or wind or whatever made me duck...plus I could always like you say keep a lookout and eye on the jib and wind direction...

thanks guys...well see what I end up fabricating...

I wish there were more islander 36s here...or owners I could speak to...the association is great but you have to pay a substantial membership and maybe Im missiing it but I dont see a forums or message board so to speak where you can talk live if you will

anywhoo

projects projects and more projects

right now its bulkheads, deck gelcoat and we just finished rebedding the toe rails! yay!
 
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