Do you ever take your bimini down?

[David B]

Originally Posted by Windinyoursail

I would like protection from extreme sun a or bad weather.
But it should be able to be removed easy and still be sturdy..

I like this concept of a fixed arc with solar on it (Bestevaer 49 Zenith)
(Sorry I'm new how do I insert a picture that I have?)

I don't really like the looks as it is being quite square, but in this case function over from.
I am now designing this arc having three layers of solar panels that I can slide forward towards the pilot house to form a Bimini.

Just keeping the square form of above sample will create a quite hideous form. So I hope to be able to design it more curved with an ultimate goal of having a smooth curved shape by curved solar panels or other way..

I want it to be strong so I would like the poles to slide through or on a rail on the deck. Thats the next challenge, I don't want someting I could hit with possible bare feet or something I could trap a foot toe.
Aluminium rail with a solid block of teflon/nylon as glider would be long lasting and maintenance free.
If such a slider on deck gets to hard I'm thinking of an telescopic system all from the arc but I 'm afraid that would mean for the arc to become huge to be strong enough as it would be holding up the whole structure, up to some six meters long....

The second and third arc should be easy and fast moved in or out and fixed quickly and reliable. I thought of a way to make the transition between these arc's water tight, I even would like them to line up at the same hight by a mechanical leverage system, simple and maintenance free and to be activated by stepping on it and use your body weight.

I'm in doubt if I would need/want it to, when fully extended, connect to the pilot house, would make the structure bullet proof....

I think it's time to install a program to make technical drawings on my computer, any tips on that?

Aesthetics are a very personal thing, but for what it is worth, our solution was to design an arch that matches the compound curve of the main arch on the boat. The other important point is that we cut into the pushpit, so that the arch is fully integrated rather than just bolted on beside the pushpit. This makes everything very solid (with full bimimn and dodger up, we have been exposed to a 60 knot squall straight into the cockpit, and nothing moved at all).

On that arch we have three semiflexible solar panels that you wouldn't know are there. Next stage is two more semiflexible panels zipped or stud mounted onto the top of the bimini - again, you won't know they are there (cabling via connectors, through the tubes).
That gives us 400 - 500 watts of solar - all effectively invisible.

[Windinyoursail]

Something like this is what I talk about.
It looks like the arches supporting the bimini are fixed, or how do you retract it?
From guessing I would say you leave it in place most off the time?
Esthetics are indeed very personal, but I won't say not important to me, although in a lot of cases it would be function before form. A Bimini is one of these things that could ruin the looks completely and thus is worth some designing..