Value of a Hardtop Bimini and Rubrail

[zeehag]

when i daysailed and weekended in temperate zones in a sloop, i didnt think a bimini was important, and i actually thought it was stoopit. it is in the context used by daysailors and weekenders. superfluous, exactly. dodger was enough, thankyou. we coool....

once i arrived in tropics and making longer passages in hot sun with very little wind, for the most part, i found meself placing a beach towel under the mizzenboom as i slowly made way to next harbor i wanted to visit. ok i see why a bludi bimini canbe a blessing. it sucks out there inda reflected blindingly BRIGHT sun...
hhhmmmmm.... and so i began researching the options.
hardtop looks funky on many boats because the carpenter does not consider the natural curve of the boat overheads. one of my friends has a lovely huge ketch and house roof is flat. kinda tells eyes to look, as something is out of wak..
i watched the soft tops fly away in tropical storm winds..as i sail high winds occasionally, i do not want my omy itis fading due to weathering soft top to shred as i sail.
hence the observation of a neighbor down here who tired of constantly replacing sunbrella canvas due to wind damages, built a hardtop.. awesome. yup.
won me over.
if ye dock queen, daysail, weekend and short term sail, or race, biminis are unnecesary unless you are in a rainbelt and need covered for parties. dont want to water down the booze.
the sunshade is just as, if not more important while sailing as it is at anchor. skin cancer is definitely out here.
direct and reflected sun cause eye damages.. what is not to want about a hard bimini if you make long sailing passages in tropical waters. lessens risk.
dodger is also a good idea--with screen instead of isinglass...mine will also be of wood.
but, then, my boat can support and accommodate this.
the sleek performance production sloops look like crap with these.
but i have a formosa and can get away with this.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by zeehag

when i daysailed and weekended in temperate zones in a sloop, i didnt think a bimini was important, and i actually thought it was stoopit. it is in the context used by daysailors and weekenders. superfluous, exactly. dodger was enough, thankyou. we coool....

once i arrived in tropics and making longer passages in hot sun with very little wind, for the most part, i found meself placing a beach towel under the mizzenboom as i slowly made way to next harbor i wanted to visit. ok i see why a bludi bimini canbe a blessing. it sucks out there inda reflected blindingly BRIGHT sun...
hhhmmmmm.... and so i began researching the options.
hardtop looks funky on many boats because the carpenter does not consider the natural curve of the boat overheads. one of my friends has a lovely huge ketch and house roof is flat. kinda tells eyes to look, as something is out of wak..
i watched the soft tops fly away in tropical storm winds..as i sail high winds occasionally, i do not want my omy itis fading due to weathering soft top to shred as i sail.
hence the observation of a neighbor down here who tired of constantly replacing sunbrella canvas due to wind damages, built a hardtop.. awesome. yup.
won me over.
if ye dock queen, daysail, weekend and short term sail, or race, biminis are unnecesary unless you are in a rainbelt and need covered for parties. dont want to water down the booze.
the sunshade is just as, if not more important while sailing as it is at anchor. skin cancer is definitely out here.
direct and reflected sun cause eye damages.. what is not to want about a hard bimini if you make long sailing passages in tropical waters. lessens risk.
dodger is also a good idea--with screen instead of isinglass...mine will also be of wood.
but, then, my boat can support and accommodate this.
the sleek performance production sloops look like crap with these.
but i have a formosa and can get away with this.

I think you nailed it with the skin cancer and it doesn't have to be tropical waters.

[JPA Cate]

As to rubbing strakes, here's another reason. Although you are used to travel lifts for hauling boats, in fact, in many places, marine railways are used, and there, your rub strake protects you when going onto the car, and off it. Especially if there's a strong crosswind blowing. [Don't ask. ;-) ]

[exMaggieDrum]

This conversation is making me want to try and add rubstrakes to my boat now. But that is a big project.

Regarding soft versus hard biminis, I too thought it would be good to be able to roll in the canvas if needed. As a practical matter, it becomes a big job if you mount solar panels on top, even when you go to great lengths to make it possible to do that but leaving cutouts for the supports, etc. I found that I would be very reluctant to do it. My new/old boat has a canvas bimini on a very well done, stout frame, with big solar panels. The canvas gets very dirty rapidly so needs cleaning often. I have decided that I would prefer a hard bimini and may change mine in the future.

Zeehag, you are entirely right in noting how some biminis catch your eye because they do not enhance, or match, the lines of the boat they are on. They can help make a good looking boat, perhaps not ugly, but odd. My friend who built his own did it perfect. It enhanced the lines of the boat and looked like a factory design/build. A nice curve is the key I think.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by exMaggieDrum

This conversation is making me want to try and add rubstrakes to my boat now. But that is a big project.

Regarding soft versus hard biminis, I too thought it would be good to be able to roll in the canvas if needed. As a practical matter, it becomes a big job if you mount solar panels on top, even when you go to great lengths to make it possible to do that but leaving cutouts for the supports, etc. I found that I would be very reluctant to do it. My new/old boat has a canvas bimini on a very well done, stout frame, with big solar panels. The canvas gets very dirty rapidly so needs cleaning often. I have decided that I would prefer a hard bimini and may change mine in the future.

Zeehag, you are entirely right in noting how some biminis catch your eye because they do not enhance, or match, the lines of the boat they are on. They can help make a good looking boat, perhaps not ugly, but odd. My friend who built his own did it perfect. It enhanced the lines of the boat and looked like a factory design/build. A nice curve is the key I think.

You have that right. Ugly design often goes well beyond hard biminis.