bimini options

K

k_setchfield

.
Feb 19, 2010
80
Hi everyone,

I'm thinking about dogers, biminis, and cockpit tents for the first upgrade of our new vega.

I've seen a few vegas that have a bimini placed aft of the main sheet with the rear stay passing through a slit in it. I wonder how people raise and lower that type of a bimini without undoing the stay! Looking at basic two-bow biminis like the ones at Cabelas. I also wonder if they are even worth the trouble...seeing as they are so far aft do they even keep you out of the sun at all!?...

Not interested in moving the traveller to mid-boom. Have wondered about putting it on an arch/frame, however. Never seen anyone do that on any sailboat anywhere though!

Also thinking about getting a dodger, but the only one I found online ready to order is about $1200 at newjsi.com. Again it seems like it'd be so small as to provide almost no sun protection.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Kristopher
 
D

dougpol1

.
Feb 13, 2010
528
I am no expert on canvas work but my wife was though the technology may
have passed her by in recent years.. When back stays had to go up
through a Bimini she alway put a hole in for the stay then cut a slot
to it from the back. The slot used common sense fasteners to close it
up. Worked fine and there was no need to take back stays loose to put
up and lower the Bimini. Our boat has the main sheet attached about 12
inches forward of the end of the boom using a bail. The sheet goes
down forwards to the front of the cockpit. This is great as it lets a
Bimini go farther forward. When not sailing a connector piece can be
snapped in between the front of the Bimini and the back of the dodger
with a hole through it for the main sheet. The boom on a Vega is kind
of low so there will likely be some pros and cons where a Biminy is
concerned but a good canvas shop can work all that out for you. The
problem is it's expensive. A good Dodger will likely run between $2000
and $3500 from busy shops. One just starting may be cheaper but you
won't get a lot of expertize from them. Dodgers don't generally provide
much sun shade. They do keep spray and rain from boing down into the
cabin when the hatch is open. They also help keep spray of the helmsman
to some degree. When at anchor the also create a lot of draft through
the cabin when the forward hatch is open. For this they are great on
hot sticky nights. If you get a pro to make your canvas I would not
over rule him on to many places . Most of those guys have made a lot of
them and they pretty much know what works and what does not.


Dougk_setchfield wrote:
 
J

j.hunter9999

.
Oct 30, 2019
574
Doug - Can you provide a bit of information re: the location of your traveler. Did you mount it on the wood piece at the forward end of the cockpit? How did you attach it? What prep work was involved? How did you attach the bail on the boom? Just screw it on? How do you like the setup? Pros and cons? Things you would do different? Any problems with the mainsheet clearing the dodger? Do you have an original dodger installed, or one made to match the original? Any issues with you mate working the sheets when the mainsheet comes across? Do you feel its strong enough in a major blow?

I've been considering this for some time and have yet to make the leap. I have all the parts for a new traveler, but haven't installed it yet in either spot.

Thanks,
Jack
 
D

dougpol1

.
Feb 13, 2010
528
Jack, I didn't install the traveler the previous owner did. The bail
hangs on a bolt that goes all the way through the boom. I recently
bought her and have only sailed her in winds 5 to 25 knots other than
one day of Ghosting. I found no problem with the set up. There is a
piece of mahogany run across the front of the foot well. Not the
existing one but anther piece about 4" back from the one over the engine
control panel It is bolted through the seat top I believe. I need to
check that out, to be sure there is a backing plate underneath the
seat. The track is bolted down onto the wooden cross beam. All this
seems OK. In a moment of messing with something I let the main jibe
running down wind the sheet smacked my wife on the arm raising a whelp
the wind was not high at that moment. In high winds this could have been
bad. I am not sure that a Bimini can be installed if the main sheet is
at the aft end of the cockpit. There may not be room the backof the
bimini would be pretty far forward and ther would be a good chance of
the sheet catching on the back end of the Bimini if there was a jibe???
I am thinking about using the roller reefing with a different boom
shape but I have to see if a Bimini can be used with it as the main will
then need to sheet to the end of the boom. For us the Bimini is more
important. At our age, Mid seventies, a roller furling on the back of
the mast would likely be the best for us. It would be expensive and not
very efficient but Climbing around reefing is no longer the best thing
for me either. Doug

Douglas Pollard Albin Vega Sealegs 2225
j.hunter9999 wrote:
 
W

winslowbuoy

.
Jan 31, 2009
122
In my experience the mainsheet is best sheeted at the aft end of the cockpit on a Vega. if the mainsheet is at the fore end of the cockpit, when tacking or in the case of an accidental jibe the mainsheet suddenly crashing across could cause serious injury to anyone moving in or out of the cabin. Very often when things start to go wrong you want the crew up on deck in a hurry and thats when the mainsheet can behave in unexpected ways.

Another point against the forward end in our climate, (UK), is that crew on deck normally shelter under the sprayhood at the forward end of the cockpit, apart from the danger of the mainsheet striking them or pinning them in the corner, is that it is most uncomfortable to sit on a mainsheet track unless you get enjoyment from that sort of thing.

Mike

________________________________
From: Douglas Pollard dougpol1@...
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, 30 April, 2010 1:56:28
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Re: bimini options & Traveler Location

Jack, I didn't install the traveler the previous owner did. The bail
hangs on a bolt that goes all the way through the boom. I recently
bought her and have only sailed her in winds 5 to 25 knots other than
one day of Ghosting. I found no problem with the set up. There is a
piece of mahogany run across the front of the foot well. Not the
existing one but anther piece about 4" back from the one over the engine
control panel It is bolted through the seat top I believe. I need to
check that out, to be sure there is a backing plate underneath the
seat. The track is bolted down onto the wooden cross beam. All this
seems OK. In a moment of messing with something I let the main jibe
running down wind the sheet smacked my wife on the arm raising a whelp
the wind was not high at that moment. In high winds this could have been
bad. I am not sure that a Bimini can be installed if the main sheet is
at the aft end of the cockpit. There may not be room the backof the
bimini would be pretty far forward and ther would be a good chance of
the sheet catching on the back end of the Bimini if there was a jibe???
I am thinking about using the roller reefing with a different boom
shape but I have to see if a Bimini can be used with it as the main will
then need to sheet to the end of the boom. For us the Bimini is more
important. At our age, Mid seventies, a roller furling on the back of
the mast would likely be the best for us. It would be expensive and not
very efficient but Climbing around reefing is no longer the best thing
for me either. Doug

Douglas Pollard Albin Vega Sealegs 2225
j.hunter9999 wrote:
 
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