Cockpit Sun Shade

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Cockpit Sun Shade

Postby ChrisB » Thu Nov 29, 2012 1:50 pm

Has anyone made any type of bimini top / sun shade for their boat that is usable while under sail? I have the usual compliment of sun blocking clothing (buff, Tilly hat, nylon long sleeve shirt, etc) but we had one "bob-and-bake" afternoon in the FL120 this year and I'm hoping to have some kind of sun shade for 2013.
Chris B.
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Re: Cockpit Sun Shade

Postby Breakin Wind » Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:18 pm

I had more experiences that I wanted last year, sailing out on what seemed to be a good breeze, only to have it stall once I got well onto the lake. On those days, I spent a lot of time floating trying to think of how a Bimini or shade of some sort could work on my DSII, and came up dry (and hot) again and again.
I'm using the center boom mainsheeting so (for me) the Bimini would have to be entirely behind the sheet, but because of that, it could be a simpler basic square surface. For others using end boom sheeting, it would be reversed, the Bimini would be more forward, but have to be laid out not to interfere with the sheet when the boom was out. Because I'm still using a very second hand slightly undersized mainsail, I can put my boom up a little higher to get additional head space which is a benefit, but only until I invest in a real set of sails.

I'm glad you asked this question, I'd forgotten about it for my winter projects list and so maybe I'll spend a little cold time thinking about it too.
Let me know if you come up with anything and I'll do the same.

Thanks -Scott
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Re: Cockpit Sun Shade

Postby jdoorly » Thu Dec 06, 2012 12:14 am

Here's what I might do:

Go to hardware store and get 4 of those bicycle visability flags ($5 @), tear off the flag, and glue 2 of the 4 fiberglass poles to each other with a snug fitting piece of tube in the middle, then join the other 2 poles (you could use tent poles...).

Drill four holes in the cockpit coaming, 2 each side probably fore and aft of the helm, and glue flanged bushings in the holes to receive the poles snuggly and keep out water.

Get some light fabric, enough to stretch between the 2 poles plus a hem on each side. Slide the fabric hems onto the poles and while bending the poles put the pole ends into the bushings.

Rig the resulting sunshade overhead for protection or slide the fabric down to a coaming to get burnt.
DS2 #6408 "Desperado"
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Re: Cockpit Sun Shade

Postby K.C. Walker » Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:38 am

I’ve wondered about Florida sailing and sunshade. A Bimini top on some of the Sea Pearls I’ve seen pictures of look like they would work okay. If you are particularly interested in light wind conditions for the sunshade it seems like you could rig a light wind single sheet to the end of the boom and disengage your mid-boom tackle. This would give you plenty of space to set up.

Kind of following jdooly’s thoughts, you could buy a cheap two-man tent to prototype with. You could just throw away the tent and use the polls and fly. This would give you the collapsible polls, and awning, and a stowage bag for far less than having it made. Maybe something like this http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Sundome-2 ... 651&sr=1-1 . It seems like you can even use the nylon webbing at the corners of the tent and figure out how you would want to attach those to your boat. Maybe screw them down or maybe just lash them on somehow.

Projects are so much fun to think about.
KC Walker, DS 1 #7002
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