Awning or Bimini or Dodger?

[Capt Hook]

I think the choices are somewhat geographic too.

Down here on the Gulf (of Mexico) Coast I see very few dodgers but many biminis. I think dodgers are more common in the northeast. I have a bimini on my boat and think it would be fairly unbearable down here in the summer without one. I considered adding an awning for additional shade while at anchor but my lazy jacks made that more difficult to do than I was willing to tackle. But happy I have a bimini.

[Sea Hunt Video]

I gotta throw in with Captain Hook on the Bimini. It is essential gear on a sailboat in the South - especially from April - November.

I have a dodger frame that came with S/V Bali Ha'i. She spent her youth in NJ. The dodger frame sits in the garage.

Captain Hook - take a look at the last photo from John Stone. It looks like he has a line running from the mast aft to the stern just BELOW the boom that supports the awning amidships. If I am looking at it correctly the awning would not be affected by lazy jacks. I have thought of doing something similar to provide additional shade from the forward edge of the Bimini to the mast.

Perhaps John S. could post additional photos or provide some "how I hung it" explanation.

[John Stone]

Sure. I'd be happy to describe it. But first, I disagree a bimini is essential in the south--I live in the south too and spent six months sailing in the west indies this past year--a bimini is not essential. Last summer I sailed under blazing heat in coastal North Carolina and never wanted a bimini--though I did want some shade. I lived is S Florida for 15 years as a kid, sailing the whole time, so I am familiar with the Florida summer sun. The set up I have serves that purpose. A bimini has a solid frame. Sure, you can fold it down but, it's always there. If you are good with that then it's not an issue. For me it was. My system is inconvienent if you don't want to expend the effort to set it up and take it down. It's a choice. Compromises.

What I have now--I have a gallows frame over my companionway--you can easily see it in the top photo. I tie a line on to it at the centerline and then aft to the backstay. I tie the front corners of the canvas square to the outside corners of the gallows frame after I throw the canvas over the line. Then I use rolling hitches to tie off the aft corners of the canvas to the life lines. It's not in the picture but I usually spread the aft corners of the canvas with a boat hook. That way the canvas lays more flat--like an awning vice a tent. But, for that particular day, I was looking for some quick shade. I have the mainsheet aft on the bridgedeck, vice forward of the companionway as is the case on so many CDs, thus the mainsheet is a bit of an obstruction for me. The leading edge of the canvas is just aft of the mainsheet. Not a problem if I am short tacking or on the same tack for extended time. But for gybing, I have to untie the front end of the canvas, gybe the main then retie the canvas.

If you mounted a gallows frame on a standard CD, with a mid deck traveller, you would have no obstructions rigging the system I use . . . you could tack and gybe with it up. As we say in the Marines--you'd be fat, dumb, and happy.

[gates_cliff]

When I regenerated this thread I had no,idea it would produce so much valuable info.

I'm now convinced that a Bimini is not viable, especially on a 27. I don't have a boom gallows so that arrangement doesn't seem feasible either. Might still consider a dodger, but I'm not sold on that approach either.

So now I'm fat, dumb and happy and "Bob's your uncle!"

Have to say "fat, dumb, and happy" was a phrase used in my family for as long as I remember. No Marines in the family, but had all the other branches covered. My father was a sailor in WW II, my oldest brother a Navy aviator, next brother an Air Force Intel guy, and I was in the Army, and sort of have the Coast Guard covered as I'm in the CG Auxiliary.

[Sea Hunt Video]

I'm now convinced that a Bimini is not viable, especially on a 27.

Cliff:

Why do you say this A Bimini is ideal on my Cape Dory 25D. Cape Dory 27s and 25Ds have essentially the same deck, rigging, mast, boom, tiller, etc. My Bimini is on an aluminum frame that folds up and back towards the stern when not deployed. It works perfectly.

[gates_cliff]

I think the biggest constraint is the boom height. There's hardly head room beneath the boom now, and if a Bimini frame was added there would be less. Plus with the mainsheet, traveler positioned at the aft end of the cockpit a Bimini would have to end forward of that.

Maybe I'm wrong, haven't seen one on a 27 or 25 so can't quite envision it.

[Capt Hook]

In my mind a Bimini and a dodger serve totally different purposes.

A Bimini is for shade and a dodger is for protection from spray.

[Capt Hook]

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/57397

Here's a CD 27 with a Bimini.

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/55443

Here's another.

Saw listings for a couple CD 25s with Biminis too.

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/54105

Most CD 25 pix with Biminis showed them folded up.

[gates_cliff]

In my mind a Bimini and a dodger serve totally different purposes.

A Bimini is for shade and a dodger is for protection from spray.

Agree, have considered a dodger just keep the cockpit dry.

[Sea Hunt Video]

I think the biggest constraint is the boom height. There's hardly head room beneath the boom now, and if a Bimini frame was added there would be less. Plus with the mainsheet, traveler positioned at the aft end of the cockpit a Bimini would have to end forward of that.

Maybe I'm wrong, haven't seen one on a 27 or 25 so can't quite envision it.

Cliff:

You are correct. I had forgotten that I moved the boom up the mast 11" so that I would have standing headroom in the cockpit with the Bimini deployed. I was ordering new sails so I talked with both the sailmaker and the rigger to get their opinion about what this would do to sailing characteristics, stability, etc. Both said it would have negligible if any impact.

The mainsheet and traveler are not impacted by the Bimini. It was measured so that the back edge of the Bimini had sufficient clearance from the mainsheet and blocks.

Sadly, for reasons not here relevant, I have done limited sailing with the new rig but to me, a rookie who knows VERY little, it seems fine. I do very much enjoy the Bimini on sunny days.

As for John S.'s comments, I am sadly the living embodiment of one of the Marine Corps' mottos - "Fat, dumb and happy". In old age I have become fat; I have always been dumb; but I have always tried to be happy (except with the Red Sox or Dolphins lose )

[Capt Hook]

Roberto, the Sox just took the second one from the Orioles in Baltimore and and now have sole possession of second place in the AL East.

This thread has nothing to do with that team in LA.

[John Stone]

Roberto, I'd much rather be fat dumb and happy than lean smart and miserable. The key is happy.

[tjr818]

...
You are correct. I had forgotten that I moved the boom up the mast 11" so that I would have standing headroom in the cockpit with the Bimini deployed. I was ordering new sails so I talked with both the sailmaker and the rigger to get their opinion about what this would do to sailing characteristics, stability, etc. Both said it would have negligible if any impact....

On our 27 when we had a new sail made we had the sailmaker shorten the leech of the main by ten inches. That gave us the headroom we needed and allowed us to leave the gooseneck in it's original position. That only cost us 9 square feet of main, so the impact was negligible. The head room, priceless!

[gates_cliff]

Tim, Roberto:

Hmmmm, food for thought! My main is in need of a few small repairs anyway.

Tim, just to be clear, the sailmaker reduced the leech only? Not the luff as well? And the sail modification didn't impact performance, etc?

Thanks

[Tom Keevil]

I hope nobody thought that my strong opinion was designed as a criticism of anyone else. We all have the same goal - to get as much enjoyment out of our boats as possible, and there is no "correct" route to that. I envision this board as a resource for people making decisions about their own boat, and the more different approaches they see, the better their final decision for them.

When I was a bit younger I know I was critical of people who motored when there was wind, or who worked on their boat and never took it out, etc. I'm way past that now, and happy to see people enjoying their boats however they do it.