Thoughts on biminis A necessity?

[gjordan]

My first real bimini was on my Peterson 44. After a while you get used to not always seeing the main and learn to sail by feel. My 26 footer that I did many tropical miles on had a dodger and I made a small canvas that would attach to the dodger and a pole that I tied across the backstays. It was attached with shock cord in case of a jibe. After a dozen years in the tropics, I still ended up with 4 or 5 skin cancer operations, but without the bimini it would have been much worse. I just bought my BUCKET LIST boat to go south again, and I will most certainly have a good bimini. ____Grant.

[SV DestinyAscen]

Originally Posted by Rohan

That's pretty much what I figured, but I wanted some feedback.





As someone pointed out, on Dehlers it's recessed into the cockpit floor. Most other boats are similar now. And it's not just Dehler, but also off the top of my head, these yachts all have the traveller going through the cockpit:

Salona
Alerion
Dragonfly
Elan
Beneteau (first series)
X-yachts (performance series)
J-boats

I assume it's better for racing. I'm just curious how hard it is to live with that arrangement as a cruiser.

If the boat speaks to you in other ways, and you find no other options - an umbrella works up to 15 knots of wind

[Prairie Chicken]

We had neither a dodger nor bimini on our First 375 for 20+ years. The traveller was in the cockpit, & the OH hated the looks of canvas. We did have a large sun awning which covered the entire cockpit & most of the coachroof for use at anchor or in port. We were in the Med, in summer. It was hot! But we were young, liked a tan, and could take it.

Now, I sincerely regret it. The sun truly is an enemy of the skin. Think beyond the discomfort of extreme heat to the wrinkles and cancers.

Our new boat has full canvas and we couldn't handle full sun now. We love the shade, although we still usually put the bimini back when sailing to enable us to see the sails. As mentioned earlier though, time at the helm is a small proportion of time on board for most.

There are undoubtedly ways to make a bimini for your boat. I strongly recommend finding one which works for you.

[Kenomac]

Our bimini is up 100% of the time we stay on the boat May through October.

[arsenelupiga]

here is one of the main reasons we choose lagoon:

no matter sun angle, one can always find shade OUTSIDE boat.

[Snore]

Nice boat! Forgot who did it but recessing the traveler into the deck sounds interesting. I would imagine it will need frequent freshwater rinses.

To your question, yes a covering from the combing to just forward of the main sheet is a great idea. I live in FLA and altough I do not cruise often I sail VERY often. Canvas forward of the main sheet and nothing aft of the mainsheet. I do wear long sleeve Columbia shirts all the time. Amazing after 4-6 months of wearing once a week or less all the shirts fade. Better that then my skin.

If you want a Bimini over the helm, a good canvas maker can make a Bimini that accommodates the backstays. I don't have one, since I like checking the main trim. There is a guy here in St. Petersburg that has an interesting way of doing it that looks fairly waterproof.

[CaptMarc]

Originally Posted by Rohan

That's not a bad idea.

You could also look for similar boats for sale and check those bimini set ups. Two Biminis may be needed, one aft of the traveler and a larger one over the companionway and cockpit.

My Beneteau has a pretty large bimini that goes from lifeline to lifeline (about 80- square feet!) a must in Miami

Marc

[Gaia]

In the tropics boats without cover of some kind are as rare as hen's teeth. We have a pilot house added to a Colvin Gazelle with sliding tops. Great at night! Always closed during the day and great to catch rain.

Jim and Helen sv GAIA

[LeeV]

Ditto on the must have.

Look at some of the Corsair and Farrier trimarans with cockpit travelers for Bimini solutions.

Caveat: after owning an F-31 I'll never own any boat with a cockpit traveler, which is why we went to the Corsair 36.

Regards,

[YachtBroker]

You'll "die" without sun protection. I have a bimini as big as a billiard table and sun curtains on 3 sides.

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by LeeV

Ditto on the must have.

Look at some of the Corsair and Farrier trimarans with cockpit travelers for Bimini solutions.

Caveat: after owning an F-31 I'll never own any boat with a cockpit traveler, which is why we went to the Corsair 36.

Regards,

There is a huge difference between the older F boats with the beam on a bridge between the seats, and a travler recessed into the deck. I agree the first is an absolute nightmare to deal with for anything but racing, the second is a really nice trade off between livability and reducing boom loads and traveler line loads.

Personally I would be fine with a recessed travler.

[Dave22q]

As a former New Yorker my standard reply is if you don't like the sun/heat go back north. My Bimini and dodger sits in a dockbox unless going out for a week or more. Even with my large window I cannot see the sails as well as with the Bimini down.

[boeing1]

yes, here in the south it is a necessity

[h2ojunke]

Our last bimini had the solor panels solid mounted so it could never be dropped. It and the dodger was in need of a refit so we opted for a sail arch/hardtop with flush mounted solar. Overall windage was reduced, plus its a cruiser, not a racer. I can't get worked up about lossing a knot from windage when we have two tons of beer, food, dive gear, fishing gear, beer, tools beer. etc. atteched was the original concept and the actual. www.sailinglunasea.com

[1Sunseeker]

Even here in the NW I would have a difficult time without my Bimini. Sun and Rain. It also provides a good rest for my solar panels.