Bimini clearance on a Cat30
Consider the placement of the frames and stays with respect to the sheet winches. You will need plenty of room to swing the handles. Remember that your arms and shoulders operate well beyond the end of the winch handle. Tacking ain't no fun if you keep getting tangled in the bimini stuff. From what I've seen, most binimis on sailboats are too short (fore and aft), too narrow (athwartship), and positioned too far forward. A good idea is to have the aftmost frame behind the backstay. Even though it requires a zipper or some lacing, it's worthwhile. Else when the sun is not directly overhead, the helm will not be shaded. If the frames are mounted in tracks they may slide aft and be secured to the backstay when not in use. This, of course, assumes that your backstay permits you to stand erect while at the helm. With respect to boom height, some Cat30s have the gooseneck mounted in a slide used as a downhaul to increase tension when the sailboard is at the top of the track and there are scallops visible. Sometimes I see Cat30s that appear to be sailing with up to a foot of space between the top of the sailboard and the truck. This indicates that the boom could be raised. You may wish to check this on your boat. On pleasant days, a bimini can't be too big. But when the wind kicks up, they must come down in a hurry or the sailing gets mighty uncomfortable. If I can be of any help, email me at thefantasea@cs.com. Happy sailing.
