bimini
Hi Rob I looked at a bunch of biminis.The one from Catalina is nice but pricey. I was looking 6 years ago.The sites have gotten better and user friendly I bought a bimini made of alluminum frame with sunbrella it came from west land its 54" x 81" I bought a large one .It is as wide as the frount of the stern rail and gos from the swim ladder to the winchs .My dodger and bimini are even in the frount, one over the other.Im 6' and i wanted to be able to stand up so i made the top 6'2" by the wheel and cut the poles down about 6 ".I marked the stays with tape at the 6'2" hight then I used a carpenters level to get the distance from the tape on the stays to the stern ladder.I cut two holes in the top where the stays go thru and adjusted it .Set it all up and found the exact spot the stays run thru the top, mark them. At home i glued blue 6" round water proof leather on the sunbrella with 5200 then sewed it by hand.where the stays come thru i used brass gromets.The bottom of the bimini bolts to the deck about 3" in frount of the stern rail and a few inches in side.When the top is up it stays on the back stay. I removed my back stay adjuster it just hit my head imade my rear stays longer 8' off the deck my sail hit the top when i tacked so i raised the boom up 6" and taped a screw in to hold it .The next year i bought a new main sail and cut it to clear the top .I removed the back stay and went with a solid vang.I would get the SS tube its much stornger. I have a 80 watt solar pannel up there two but thats another story. John
