Boom angle

[drh1965]

I'm about to have a bimini top made for my boat and I had a question I hoped someone might be able to answer. I've noticed on a lot of other sailboats that the boom seems to be pitched up from a 90 degree from the mast. It appears this is done to gain headroom for the bimini top. Wouldn't this cause the main to be incorrectly shaped? Or is being pitched up ~10 degrees acceptable?

Thanks!

[Sailormann]

Bimini Frames are adjustable in height (usually) so that you are able to put the boom where it is supposed to be when you are sailing. In port, it is not unusual to lift the boom up with the topping lift in order to gain more headroom (or bimini room) in the cockpit.

There may well be some folks who sail with an angled boom, but it's not necessary to do so.

[drh1965]

Ah, thanks. I didn't realize the biminis frames were adjustable. I'll be sure to ask for that feature...

[Ex-Calif]

We are having the sunbrella all redone right now. One thing that we are adding is a zipper joint to the front of the bimini so we can attach an awning section that will extend to the shrouds. You can get quite creative.

While our boom has a kicker it doesn't hold the boom high enough for us. We are adding a ring that will align with the boom on both the top and the bottom of the fabric. This way we can clip the topper to the fabric and then clip the boom under the awning to the same ring.

Hard to explain but it is how we avoid having a split in the awning or a hole for the topper.