Awning Advice

[Mike]

Greetings Fellow Sailors:I am going to make a cockpit awning for my C-27. It is in the design phase and I need some advice on how large to make the thing. My boom is about 11'-4" from the mast and the cockpit is around 7' from outside of coaming to outside of coaming. Can anyone advise me as to the dimensions of their awnings or how far back approximately from the boom end does their awning extend? Do the rear lower shrouds get in the way? Thanks.

 

[Bob Camarena]

Try This

Buy a couple of small telescoping whisker poles (I've found them to be a bit sturdier than telescoping awning poles). Then fashion an awning out of nursery-type shade cloth. It's inexpensive, easy to work with (there are a variety of snap-on plastic fittings available), and lets the breeze through.You can experiment with size and set-up and, if you decide to do so, can make a final version out of canvas. I've stuck with the shade cloth version.On my C-30 I put one pole over the boom forward of the companionway slide and slide the aft pole through a 1.5" PVC pipe coupling fitting lashed to the point where my split backstay joins to the backstay. I left an extra 4' or so at the back that I can either roll up or tie down to the stern rail for extra shade. I have a dodger and can even rig the shade from the top of the dodger back, under the boom, as a sort of a see-through Bimini. Rigged this way, I can sail with it up and can still see the main.