I want to put a bimini on Wireless to use in conjunction with the dodger. I’m not precious that they join each other (in fact I like looking over the dodger into the breeze). I am however nervous about the complexities of where to mount, how to avoid the mainsheet ripping it off the deck etc.
Has anyone DIY’d a bimini? There are a few semi-customs online at a reasonable price that ask for height, length and width. I’m curious as to whether the base belongs on top of the coaming or on the side-deck…how far back the legs can be before they foul the mainsheet, and whether there is room between the top of my head and the foot of the sail.
Joe,
is that a polite way of suggesting including your boat and location in the signature block? Mr. Morrison is from New Zealand and owns a 30 Ultra. I know this from his contributions in the past. Several years ago he was a regular contributor to our discussions but life outside of boating kept him away for a while. He may have forgotten the sign off protocol during his absence. In our thread “(long post) New Owner” you can find links to his very nice blog. http://kiwi-nonsuch.blogspot.com/2014/03/rebuilding-self-tailing-winches.html
John,
If you do a search of our threads under enclsosure and bimini you will find a number of discussions on the topic.
I can’t answer your question about whether there is room between the top of your head and the foot of the sail because I don’t know how tall you are our how your sail is cut. What I did with La Reina was to wait for a calm day and then I hoisted the sail at the dock. I made sure the topping lift was completely slack and then measured the clearance of the sail and the boom at a number of different choker settings. You will also want to note where the end of the boom is when the choker is eased off. I also took the boat out on the water on a calm day, hoisted the sail and then put the engine ins reverse. I slowly backed up and eased the sheet all the way out and then put a pencil mark on the coaming to show where the sheet ran. I had to compromise between allowing a free run for the sheet and being able to use the mainsheet winch.
Paul Miller DIY’d his own bimini on his 30 Ultra, Sand Piper. Maybe he can pipe up with some information. Paul is tall, over 6’ but less than 6’6" but I will protect his privacy and let him tell you how tall he is. He did a nice job so you may want to ask him for pictures and measurements.
There is no “right” place to mount the frame for the bimini. Each location involves a set of compromises. You need to decide which works bets for you. Some people mount them on the coaming (me) some attach them to the side deck either directly or on a sail track, some on a sailtrack attached to the outside of the coaming and some to the push pit rail. Going out side the cockpit coaming means the bimini is a bit wider and therefore gives more protection. It can also interfere with access along the side deck. If you go wide and decide to add side curtains they will need to attach in from the edge of the bimini so they fall to the edge of the coaming at the bottom. I have seen one set up wit h the bimini out to the pushpit and the side curtains at the edge of the bimini. The local cats love it because in the winter they can climb through the opening and the bottom and have a dry location to sleep or defecate.
Make sure you design allows for easy access to the cockpit.
Based on your current dodger height the flat top style will not work for you. Instead you will need to make the bimini higher to give head room at the helm, so you will need a separate panel to bridge the gap between the dodger and the bimini. Paul Miller has the step up design.
I recommend a lot of windows so you can see the sail when you hoist and while you are sailing. One of my pet peeves is not being able to see the sail. If you need sun protection I suggest a flap sewn to the underside of the bimini. One side sewn, the two sides not attached and the fourth attached with Velcro. Have Velcro on the other side so you can easily pull it out of the way and attach it so it does not hang down in the way or you can quickly put it back up when you need the shade.
Hi John. Seems Mark has put me in this so here’s what I can tell you.
I’m 6’4” and have added a custom cockpit grate that raises me up another two inches to see over my dodger. With my bimini I have a couple of inches of clearance over my head and the sail clears it easily.
My frame is attached to the deck and is a re-configuration of the three bow one that came with Sandpiper when I bought her.
I re-jigged the bows several times and took pictures to compare before I came up with the design I wanted for the bimini / connector.
If I had done it from scratch I think I would go with coaming mounted bows but I was making use of what I had.
I’ll attach some pictures.
Paul, off topic, but can you let me know the swim platform, holding frame and inflatable that you have on the stern? Thinking about adding one to my 354.
Do you have a motor with this setup, or is your inflatable paddles only?
Thank you
Michael Jabara
Hobbes II - 1995 NS 354
San Rafael, California
Mark, thank you for the introduction. It was forgetfulness rather than ego. Also cheers for the blog mention. I’ve started adding to it again after a couple years of just ‘being’.
John Morrison
Tauranga, New Zealand
NS30U #400 Wireless
Paul, thank you for the photos. Under the heading “It’s a small world”…I used to sail near you out of the Goldstream Marina. While I’ve been in New Zealand for 14 years, I hail from Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island. My Mom and Dad are still there, in Qualicum Beach and Ladysmith respectively. I used to own a San Juan 24 that I rebuilt. It was featured in the Jan 2003 edition of Pacific Yachting magazine.
I’m 6’2, so I think what I’ll do is take a lot of measurements and mock something up. Paul, how does your mainsheet deal with that short support strut from your bimini frame to the aft stanchion rail?
Michael, I don’t travel with my dinghy on the swim grid. I tow it. There is no frame or support. It’s just tied to the rail while I’m at the dock to keep it out of the water and slime free. It’s 9’. I have a motor that is on the dinghy when I’m cruising. I tow with the motor on the dinghy, tipped up.
John, the sheet bears on the strut when I’m sailing downwind. It is very strong and is not a problem. In one of the pictures you can see a pvc pipe that I tried as a sacrificial bearing surface but it turns out that the stainless tube is a better surface. The strut is necessary in this setup but it has the advantage of creating a very strong frame.
I guess you recognize Fishermans wharf at Cowichan Bay.
Paul,
It is always fun to drag you into a discussion thread. Thanks for joining in.
I don’t often know the answer but there are times I know someone that does.
Mark Powers
Also, mildly off topic but your boat looks wonderful and that location is kinda breathtaking. It is even more spectacular than around the corner of the Humber River in Toronto !!
Couldn’t help but notice that smaller vessel behind you “Orkney Lass”. She is a salty and pretty boat.
Funny you should mention that Ernie. That is my friend’s boat and Jamie (in the cockpit) is the one who sewed my bimini and connector. I built him a new hatch and doors in exchange.
I am looking at a new bimini project this winter (my NS30 has no bimini at present), so I’m considering design options.
I’m curious as to why you changed from your legacy 3 bow to the 2 bow? Was it done to get a shorter (fore and aft) or higher bimini, or for some other reason? Your legacy bimini seemed to resemble the roll-bar designs that I’ve seen in this group.
Back in 2012 I added a Bimini to BIANKA to hold two 48 volt solar panels to help charge my electric propulsion battery bank. I’m 6’ 2" and raised the rear so I could stand at the helm. I bought the rear frame from Sailrite cut it to size and mounted it to the side deck. It angles down to meet the original dodger frame. There are some photos in this blog post: https://biankablog.blogspot.com/2012/01/solar-bimini-part-seven-panels.html
Mike P.: My 30 came with a new bimini/dodger that I think is the best I’ve ever been aware of. Since I use to deliver boats, I’ve seen a lot. This one gives me plenty of head room, I don’t have to worry about hitting my head when going below, I have very easy access into the cockpit from the deck, it extends far forward and aft, I have plenty of air coming into the cockpit from forward since I can totally remove the dodger alone, and I can remove the bimini in less then 5 minutes for racing. Enclosed are some photos.
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA
Thanks Mike B, I will check out the posts and pictures.
Joe, your bimini design looks similar to Paul’s, except Paul’s has rear struts to the pushpit and the side deck mounted feet. I assume the piece joining the bimini and dodger is removable with zippers?
Any thoughts on the pros and cons of mounting the feet on the coaming vs. the side deck? I can see that would impact the side curtain design (which I might add in future).
For what it is worth, I am enclosing photos of my bimini that has served me well since I installed it in 2007. I added an 18" extension to the boom to accommodate the main sheet. It was stainless steel which added to its weight. Suggest you use something lighter. My issue with it was the wishboom would come into contact with it at least once a year requiring minor repairs to the cloth. This problem caused by the mast whipping in wakes and swells was solved when I converted to a standing gaff rig a couple of years ago with the boom 15.5" long. This bimini gave me adequate clearance for my 6’ 2" height. Your mast should whip less than my 26’s.
John Newell
Mascouche 26C1
Toronto
Attached is a picture of mine that I had done last year. Not exactly a DIY project, but the height works perfectly and I am 6’-1" and have no issues with visibility. The bimini and dodger act independently and also have a joining strip if desired. Windows zip on and off too. Lots of options! I do use 2 special shorter cradle lines at the dodger area to keep the sail off the canvas when the sail is down. When it’s up it is not an issue.
Bob Gehrman
NS30U #396 “Quickbeam”
Baltimore, Maryland
