Bimini

One longstanding item in our upgrade plan for Circe was building a Bimini, together with wind and shade screens, for additional shelter in the cockpit and to provide a mount for our solar panel array. Unfortunately, due to repeated project schedule changes to accommodate our shifting priorities and weather conditions, the canvas job had fallen far down 'The List'. As we were getting ready to order the solar panel system we needed to move it forward quickly so we had somewhere to mount the panels. Here is Circe (below) before we started the canvas work.

We researched several local canvas shops looking for one that could meet our five 'must haves' for the job:

1) Good Quality.

Cheap canvas offerings from part time or sideline operations are ten-a-penny, we wanted a professional job.

2) Complimentary Design.

We wanted a design and build style that blended well with the existing dodger. Just matching the right colour Sunbrella wasn't going to be enough.

3) Lead Time.

Some shops that were interested in our job were booked out 2 - 3 months. We wanted to move quickly.

4) Whole Job to be Done at Our Slip.

We have far too many things going on to spend a week at someone's work dock waiting for things to be made and assembled. We wanted an 'on site' solution.

5) Fair Price.

There is a difference between getting what you pay for and getting reamed!

To satisfy our criteria we had to travel a bit further afield than we had planned, but we finally settled on Pacific Crest Canvas in Alameda. They are a well established outfit with a good reputation, they quoted a good price even with the travel time included and best of all they could do our job almost immediately. Eric McKinley came out within a few days and took preliminary measurements. He was back in less than a week to install the finished frame and start fitting the Pacific Blue Sunbrella fabric.

Here is the frame being assembled and aligned with the dodger. We spec'd a 1" tube frame with rigid rafters and bracing, not webbing straps, down to the cap rail. We also wanted the main mounts down close to the gunwale, not perched on top of the pushpit rails where a lot of flexing can occur.

A shot of the first fabric fitting. We were pleasantly surprised at how closely the new Sunbrella matched the original on the dodger and stack-pack, despite them being almost 5 years old.

Another view of the fabric being fitted.....that's a heck of a lot of clamps!

Eric was back in 3 days to fit the completed top and start to.......... 

...........mark and measure the transition panel to the dodger and.........

.......the pushpit wind cloths and shade screens.

Once again Eric impressed us with his speed, he was back at the slip for final assembly of all the other pieces and parts in a week. First up was the transition panel to the dodger.

........next was the shade screens and........

.........finally the wind cloths.

We had Eric leave the lower edges of the stern shade screen loose. We'll fit some pad eyes and lace it down when we've finished fussing with the solar panels.

Here is the finished ensemble from the stern and........ 

......from the side and......

.......again in a long shot. Now, where are those solar panels?