Sailboat vs Powerboat Bimini ?

[Feral Cement]

There are a lot of "off the shelf" biminis available for powerboats, but when I inquired, I was told they won't work for a sailboat. Can anyone explain the differences bewteen a sailboat and a powerboat bimini?

Or better yet, got one to sell me?

Thanks,

John

[S/V_Surya]

I do not know the difference but I am trying to sell mine. I removed mine and I am now attempting to construct a hard Bimini.

Stainless steel tubing not aluminum. There are some fittings that need to be replaced but not expensive parts. Tubing 1" SS
Dimension width 89"
Height 46"

Make me an offer if this will work for you.

[Feral Cement]

That is WAY too big for my Catalina 27! Too bad - it was a win/win waiting to happen.

John

[witzgall]

The truth is that they MIGHT work, might not. The power boat stuff is usually much less sturdy, designed to be used on inland waters and small boats. Big power boasts use custom canvas and the same hardware as most sailboats. The stresses if mounted to a heavier platform are substatial. On a small runabout when the wind fills a bimini, the boat heals over, and on a heavier boat, much less so - the hardware and cloth are taking more strain.

The general consensus is that at least 7/8 stainless tubing is needed for a proper sailboat dodger.

The other issue is fit - you have to of course make sure that the thing fits your boat - the mounting points all have to work, sheets out of the way, etc.

I have looked in the past at these as well, and have not found one that would work of our boat. Yours may be different. The prices are sure attractive! Good luck and tell us if you find something that works!

Chris

[Steve W]

probably has something to do with a combination of the bimini height interfering with the boom, mainsheet attachment location, backstay location, beam etc. I suspect you could find one that will work, once you take some measurements and compare to what is available.

[Abaco]

As others have indicated, pre-fab powerboat Bimini's are made of aluminum tubing and are designed to stand under. Powerboats have a lot less free board than your Cat. 27. If this is a boat you plan to keep a long time, I recommend you use the largest diameter stainless steel tubing you can afford. The bimini becomes the primary hand hold when getting on and off the boat as well as when standing in the cockpit. Stronger the better.

[phantomracer]

we put a powerboat bimini on our other sailbot (Macgregor 26M) and the size was identical to the factory one (at 1/3 the price). Got it from Overtons. They have aluminum and SS frames to choose from.

Take careful measurements.. Found one that could work on our Ohlson 38, but the season is close to over, so the pressure is off to get one this year.

[Feral Cement]

[QUOTE=phantomracer;517012]we put a powerboat bimini on our other sailbot (Macgregor 26M) and the size was identical to the factory one (at 1/3 the price). QUOTE]

Got any pics of this? Top up and down would be excellent.

Thanks,

John

[phantomracer]

[QUOTE=Feral Cement;517018]

Originally Posted by phantomracer

we put a powerboat bimini on our other sailbot (Macgregor 26M) and the size was identical to the factory one (at 1/3 the price). QUOTE]

Got any pics of this? Top up and down would be excellent.

Thanks,

John

Try this
MacGregorSailors.com • View topic - Bimini Source for 26M

MacGregorSailors.com
MacGregorSailors.com (not sure if these will work if you are not logged in)

someone took a lot of time to find what fit on the Mac. Your mileage may vary finding one for your boat.