Finished Bimini Construction

[carlosproa]

After 4 years thinking about building a Bimini for my EDELCAT33 catamaran, then scraping the project to do a hard top, then COVID came, then material prices rocketed and forced me to go back to square 1….. I finished the frame and building of a 11 ft wide by 7 ft long 3 bows Bimini.

Here are some pictures to share. I do have the list with all the goodies I had to order from Sailrite.

The frame was purchased used from a monohull in Ft Lauderdale 4 years ago, it was cut down the middle and I purchased steel tubing to make it 11 ft wide. I think I paid $50 for the used frame and about $100 for the tubing. Originally it was going to be 13 ft wide but things change.

Took me an afternoon to build the platform and cut the frame, another afternoon the build the templates into the frame, the equivalent of 4 days to measure, cut, sew the fabrics and build straps. And one bitch of a day just installing it in the sailboat.

The biggest issue was handling such a big frame by myself and later on to installed while moored. I learnt my arm grip muscles for installing 3/8 stainless steel rivets went down in 4 years, and I developed tennis elbow on this lovely activity of installing 12 mere rivets to connect the whole thing

I decided to try Sailrite TEX92 PTFE thread, which I found to be super expensive at $127, and very challenging to get a nice even sew as it tended to skip and bunch up, even with the lowest tension posible.
Material is white Sunbrella.

Anyhoo - is done!

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by carlosproa

After 4 years thinking about building a Bimini for my EDELCAT33 catamaran, then scraping the project to do a hard top, then COVID came, then material prices rocketed and forced me to go back to square 1….. I finished the frame and building of a 11 ft wide by 7 ft long 3 bows Bimini.

Here are some pictures to share. I do have the list with all the goodies I had to order from Sailrite.

The frame was purchased used from a monohull in Ft Lauderdale 4 years ago, it was cut down the middle and I purchased steel tubing to make it 11 ft wide. I think I paid $50 for the used frame and about $100 for the tubing. Originally it was going to be 13 ft wide but things change.

Took me an afternoon to build the platform and cut the frame, another afternoon the build the templates into the frame, the equivalent of 4 days to measure, cut, sew the fabrics and build straps. And one bitch of a day just installing it in the sailboat.

The biggest issue was handling such a big frame by myself and later on to installed while moored. I learnt my arm grip muscles for installing 3/8 stainless steel rivets went down in 4 years, and I developed tennis elbow on this lovely activity of installing 12 mere rivets to connect the whole thing

I decided to try Sailrite TEX92 PTFE thread, which I found to be super expensive at $127, and very challenging to get a nice even sew as it tended to skip and bunch up, even with the lowest tension posible.
Material is white Sunbrella.

Anyhoo - is done!Attachment 281217
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Well done! Did you reduce width to allow the mainsheet to not catch it so easily?

[AKA-None]

Really nice work there

[carlosproa]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Well done! Did you reduce width to allow the mainsheet to not catch it so easily?

Actually it was to allow more freedom with the two winches that I use for the asym chute and the Code zero headsail. Looking back, I should have kept the original set up but not worth crying about spilled milk. I did have to make a couple of changes on the boom to push back the main sail lines.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by carlosproa

Actually it was to allow more freedom with the two winches that I use for the asym chute and the Code zero headsail. Looking back, I should have kept the original set up but not worth crying about spilled milk. I did have to make a couple of changes on the boom to push back the main sail lines.

Thanks. This sort of thing will be one of our future projects, too, even though I might go for hardtop over one if the two helm seats instead.
So have a seat with hardtop and autopilot controls and the other one with winches, but without hardtop.

[JPA Cate]

Hey! That looks super. Nice work, Carlos. I wonder why you had trouble with the thread bunching??? I don't use one of Sailrite's horizontal spindles for the thread, just put it on the floor. I have had problems with dropped stitches, that were cured by taking a dent out of the bobbin case. Apparently correct clearances are essential.

Ann

[Chotu]

Really nice work, Carlos!

It’ll make the boat much more comfortable. I wasn’t familiar with this model cat. Looks like a real screamer.

[carlosproa]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Really nice work, Carlos!

It’ll make the boat much more comfortable. I wasn’t familiar with this model cat. Looks like a real screamer.

I guess is the JEEP equivalent of a boat [emoji23] or sometimes I think it looks like a 1972 Chevy Vega or an AMC Pacer - not pretty but quite comfortable and worry free

In theory each hull sleep 2 on a “large” berth and 1 in the bow berth, plus 2 more people in the nacelle. I had 8 people for 3 days but it was crowded. 4 people is not noticeable.

At anchor I can deploy a very large canvas, but no good when the main is up. So sometimes we just sail with the code 0 or asymmetric spinnaker and call it good enough.

The idea of the Bimini top is more for when all sails are up.