Great Storm Video 55 knots 20ft Waves

[Kenomac]

Here’s a great storm video I found on youtube of a cruising boat during a delivery.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I14VuDMyyVc

[belizesailor]

Looks like that bimini wasnt quite up to the task.

[Pelagic]

Thanks Ken
What a shame about their Bimini.....but it does highlight that design's vulnerability

Totally unnecessary if they had taken the canvas down !

Glad I have a pilothouse for these conditions

[Kenomac]

I looks to me more like the dodger failed, the crew tried to unzip it, then the wind tossed it and the frame back like a mousetrap slamming shut. It’s a good thing and lucky that nobody was hurt. The bimini also looks to be shredding.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I looks to me more like the dodger failed, then they tried to unzip it, which then tossed it back like a mousetrap slamming shut. It’s a good thing and lucky that nobody was hurt.

Yes, but the canvas was already failing in many places, so just a matter of time before the flimsy stainless collapsed under wind pressure.

Living in the Tropics, I opted for full sun coverage and protection from heavy monsoonal rains.

Even though the material is Stamoid type and the stainless supports structurally rated to carry 4 large solar panels, in two racks I designed it so that the Bimini can be removed by 2 people in about half an hour.

My system is easily rated for 60 knots, but not typhoon conditions, so it comes off when we are expecting one

The problem with the Jeaneau type Bimini is that it needs the canvas to tension and hold the stainless supports.

Surely stainless could be designed to stay up independent of the canvas?

[DDabs]

Good friends of mine. This is on a 2016 Jeanneau 54.

[phorvati]

Why are they still trying to motor into the wind? Oh wait its because they don't own the boat and don't give a sh*t. Maybe not all delivery captains are like this but this is one of the reason's I would never let anyone deliver my boat.

[Polux]

Why they did not took the bimini out?

[Kenomac]

I think it’s a good idea to watch this kind of video to see what can happen offshore, or even just off the coast. We’ve been hit suddenly by an unexpected 50 knots several times.

[Red Sky]

I was on a delivery back to San Francisco from Hawaii and experienced 36 hours of 50+ knots of wind and waves a bit bigger than those shown. The way the bimini was shaking, I was afraid we were going to have to cut it loose if any of the fittings failed. The thought of dealing with wildly thrashing stainless steel tubing with broken, jagged ends was a bit scary.

[Pelagic]

Those type of "Marina Biminis" are really an accident waiting to happen, unless they can be folded down ergonomically

[alctel]

What was their sail plan? Looked like a trysail with no foresail? Kept them moving pretty good and they didn't seem to get tossed around too much

[zboss]

Originally Posted by alctel

What was their sail plan? Looked like a trysail with no foresail? Kept them moving pretty good and they didn't seem to get tossed around too much

That looks like a in-mast furling sail.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Red Sky

I was on a delivery back to San Francisco from Hawaii and experienced 36 hours of 50+ knots of wind and waves a bit bigger than those shown. The way the bimini was shaking, I was afraid we were going to have to cut it loose if any of the fittings failed. The thought of dealing with wildly thrashing stainless steel tubing with broken, jagged ends was a bit scary.

Their dodger frame looks similar to ours which can easily withstand high winds, but theirs looks like the zippers failed (maybe they were’t zipped and only velroed), then allowing the wind to tear it apart. The framework then just slapped back like a giant mouse trap when the guy unzipped the remaining zipp on the port side. Not at all a smart move without first securing the framework to prevent what happened. The bimini support lines don’t look tight enough.

I think the failure can be more attributed to operator error than the bimini/dodger structure. As in why was it up and why was it not tightened properly? BUT... the bimini and dodger on a new Jeaneau covers a lot more real estate using a relatively small frame compared to our center cockpit boat (our tubing is wider diameter and heavier). So I’m also thinking theirs was not built to withstand the kinda bashing that was taking place. I have to wonder if the cockpit cushions survived without blowing overboard?

BTW: I posted the video to watch the weather and boat and to enjoy, not to criticize the crew.

[Kenomac]

Here's what the dodger/bimini looked like before the storm on another Jeaneau 54; it looks like it can be folded rather easily. It's BIG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnvpWYs3lF8