I'm looking for a bimini for our O'day 26. After doing a lot of research online, I've come to the conclusion that I will not find one for under $1000. We don't have that kind of money to spend on shade. Are we out of luck? Several sites offering custom biminis, including this one, advertise that their products are specifically made for sailboats. They include options such as backstay cutouts and windows for viewing the mainsail. Also, from what I've read, stainless steel frames seem to be the only way to go. Is that true? Considering that we would only be using the bimini on lighter air days, is the sturdy frame necessary for coastal cruising? West Marine offers pre-made biminis for around $350. Would it be worth it to buy one and have a canvas shop add a backstay cutout and window? Since we have never sailed with a bimini, we have no idea what is important and what is unnecessary. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Need help finding affordable bimini
- Thread starter Mike8088
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With the bimini in place, one of my requirements is access to enter and exit the cockpit along with being able to fold the frame with the bimini attached and cover for storage while still being able to sail the boat. The window is nice but more important is access to and from the cockpit without needing to be a contortionist. Head room is a given.
With my stainless bimini frame (the only way to go) there is a dodger frame attached to it. I can deploy the dodger and no bimini or visa versa. There are many variables to see. Check out everyone you can and ask for examples of their work. If I were to have a bimini made be sure you ask for the lifetime thread. Regular thread lasts about a year and Sunbrella thread lasts about 4 yrs where the really good thread lasts about 12 yrs. Spend the extra $60 for the best thread you can get and use 303 every year for protection and waterproofness of your bimini. Once you do the bimini you'll never regret it. At the dock we hang lights off the frame over the cabin. You can't go to big either.
We love pictures.
Keep it up,
Ctskip
With my stainless bimini frame (the only way to go) there is a dodger frame attached to it. I can deploy the dodger and no bimini or visa versa. There are many variables to see. Check out everyone you can and ask for examples of their work. If I were to have a bimini made be sure you ask for the lifetime thread. Regular thread lasts about a year and Sunbrella thread lasts about 4 yrs where the really good thread lasts about 12 yrs. Spend the extra $60 for the best thread you can get and use 303 every year for protection and waterproofness of your bimini. Once you do the bimini you'll never regret it. At the dock we hang lights off the frame over the cabin. You can't go to big either.
We love pictures.
Keep it up,
Ctskip
I've thought about this for my Hunter and wondered if a quality used bimini with the proper mounting width and height would work. I might have to have the cutouts for the backstay added, but it would be worlds cheaper than having a good one made. A lot of the cheaper ones use anodized aluminum frames. I really don't know if they are strong enough although I would think the wind stress on a sailboat is much less than a power boat that might regularly run near 30 knots.
Here on the Chesapeake, a bimini is a must for sailing between late May to mid-September. I would not own a boat that could not accomodate a bimini and sold a boat some years ago that was an excellent sailing boat but, due to its low aspect ratio boom (Alberg design) could not carry a deployed bimini when sailing. Yes, they are relatively expensive, but think of it as a comparable cost to buying a mainsail, also a must. I also agree with the other posters here that stainless frames are the best option. I would not recommend either buying a used one (unless it is nearly new) or buying a cheapie and having it modified. To me, a bimini is a real safey factor in keeping the possibility of skin cancer at a minimum. Don't take chances with this kind of stuff....plus you'll love sailing a lot more when the hot sun is shielded.
Its all in the strength and aluminium tubing just isn't all that strong. I use mine as a hand hold for entering and exiting the cockpit. The fit and the quality is there, where as aluminium has no quality at all. Sitting at the dock the wind blows strong at times and I feel at ease with stainless as the bimini frame. Stainless will last you a long time where aluminium won't. Besides how much will you save with one over the other anyways? 50%?
Keep it up,
Ctskip
Keep it up,
Ctskip
Take a look at the Sport-Brella. I bought one of these for $40 in Costco. It works fantastic. It's 8' across and covers almost the entire cockpit. Also has side flaps so you can tie them down to the lifelines. They also make a 9' if you need that big. I highly recommend it.
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Alan, I like the idea of the umbrella! I checked the price for the brella and right now they have it for 79.00 I might get one, any suggestions on how to mount it?
there are used ones out there with just as much strength as your brand new 3500 dollar one--and they only cost 85 dollars, thereabouts..lol....no difference from th especially made 3-4 k dealie on th enewer plastic shiney boats that stay in the marina at cocktail hour....i habve sailed on many boats--i have found no diffwrwnce between the used items and new in the functionality on board a boat--just the huge payment is the pnly difference--no one NEEDS to pay retail--was drilled into my head by the heirs of thw american can and great lakes shipping fortunes--my ancestors and their friends--REAL monied folks do NOT pay retail for ANYTHING!!! is how they keep their money--LOL.....rant over--LOL---look seriously into the pre-owned market...is a good one..i never have seen any aluminum bimini structures--lol--they are all made from stainless steel--unless your area of the country has found a new way to rip off the recreational boater--bimini structures are stainless steel....
.i will be mounting my solar panels to my new to me bimini--lol--isnt just for sunshade--is also a rain shade on a cruising boat....so the umbrella idea on a smaller boat isnt a bad one--lol---might have to fabricate some kind of attachment point.....
on a smaller boat, wouldnt a tilley hat be a better purchase?? not as expensive and does the job well......doesnt take up space in the cockpit....
.i will be mounting my solar panels to my new to me bimini--lol--isnt just for sunshade--is also a rain shade on a cruising boat....so the umbrella idea on a smaller boat isnt a bad one--lol---might have to fabricate some kind of attachment point.....
on a smaller boat, wouldnt a tilley hat be a better purchase?? not as expensive and does the job well......doesnt take up space in the cockpit....
Jerry,
We were lucky and got it on sale. I saw it on Amazon for $63. In any case it's a good deal. It has a retractable center post that you can use to adjust the height and there are loops on the edges for tie downs. I use a couple of velcro straps to mount the center post to the binnacle. It's extremely stable and very effective.
We were lucky and got it on sale. I saw it on Amazon for $63. In any case it's a good deal. It has a retractable center post that you can use to adjust the height and there are loops on the edges for tie downs. I use a couple of velcro straps to mount the center post to the binnacle. It's extremely stable and very effective.
And I can imagine that it looks just marvelous. Speaking of umbrellas. We were at a out door concert last week and there was a pontoon boat with a picnic table with benches and a umbrella with the anchor light on top. It looked so, shall I dare say, hillbilly. I was going to take a picture, but the image is still burned into my head.
Keep it up,
Ctskip
Keep it up,
Ctskip
First determine the possible alternatives regarding size and location for a bimini top on your boat. The factors to consider are whether the vessel has wheel or tiller steering. The height of the boom and how far back does the end extend to. Also the location of the main sheeting mechanism. A bimini needs to cover the area where the helmsman sits and if the vessel has wheel steering that will make the location far aft requiring backstay cutouts. The bimini must be high enough for you to sit under but low enough to clear the boom. You will also need to be able to operate the main sheet without interference. Some sailors cut their main sail and raise their booms and relocate the travellers to be able to install a large bimini top on a small boat but in reality there is no need for a full cockpit bimini top. There is no need for SS tubing as an aluminum frame will perform well providing adequate support and sturdiness. A plastic window to view the main is not necessary. Take some measurements as far as height, width, length and location desired and compare prices between a chandlery and a local canvas shop. The determining factor will probably be the need or not for a backstay cutout but also find out what would be the cost to add a backstay cutout to a pre-manufactured top. Here in Florida a bimini top is a necessity but perhaps in Rhode Island it may be just be a convenience so if the cost is not warranted or if the boat cannot adequately accomodate a bimini the use of an umbrella as mentioned would be an ideal solution.
dyi
I have a bristol 27 and I live in a cool and very rainy area (Prince William Sound, Alaska). I need a bimini to keep the dry. I too could not afford the high price of stock biminis.
You do mean bimini.... not a dodger right?
My solution was to figure out exactly how big a bimin my boat could use effectivly keeping clear of the main sheet and keeping clear of the boom.
Then I bought just the cover part... a vinyl /heavy canvas bimini from Bass Pro shop made by Attwood. (three bow style). It wasn't that expensive..... 79-80 bucks.
Then I bought one inch 316 stainless tubing (found at an industral supply outfit) and made my own frame with a home depot conduit bender. (The frame is the most expensive part of the set up. ) Making this part is a bit tricky but if you practice on cheap conduit you'll learn how to make the bends. (I actually used conduit for a season making sure my size and all would work...... but it's a bit flimsy.... not a good long term solution).
On Ebay I found the bimini fittings for attaching the frame to the boat and the fittings to attach the tubbing together.
Look at pictures of biminis to know how to engineer the whole thing.
I probably have less than 400 in the whole thing. I did this 5 years ago..... It still looks and works great.
I have a bristol 27 and I live in a cool and very rainy area (Prince William Sound, Alaska). I need a bimini to keep the dry. I too could not afford the high price of stock biminis.
You do mean bimini.... not a dodger right?
My solution was to figure out exactly how big a bimin my boat could use effectivly keeping clear of the main sheet and keeping clear of the boom.
Then I bought just the cover part... a vinyl /heavy canvas bimini from Bass Pro shop made by Attwood. (three bow style). It wasn't that expensive..... 79-80 bucks.
Then I bought one inch 316 stainless tubing (found at an industral supply outfit) and made my own frame with a home depot conduit bender. (The frame is the most expensive part of the set up. ) Making this part is a bit tricky but if you practice on cheap conduit you'll learn how to make the bends. (I actually used conduit for a season making sure my size and all would work...... but it's a bit flimsy.... not a good long term solution).
On Ebay I found the bimini fittings for attaching the frame to the boat and the fittings to attach the tubbing together.
Look at pictures of biminis to know how to engineer the whole thing.
I probably have less than 400 in the whole thing. I did this 5 years ago..... It still looks and works great.
A few Ebay vendors have universal Biminis for $125 + $20 shipping. They have almuminum frames, but look to be decent. That's probably what I am going to do.
Many biminis are so high and narrow as to let the cockpit be filled with sun or rain and would pretty much be useless anyway. Make yours as wide as you can, and as long as you can. Have the radius as tight as possible (12 inches?). As far as aluminum bows are concerned, be assured that people will lean against it, or use it to push your boat (or theirs) off. Sailrite.com has kits. Baconsails.com may have a used one to come close to fitting your boat. If you have a home sewing machine, you can make one. I found that the price of a Sailrite machine has more than paid for itself.
I was at a salvage yard in Tampa not long ago and they had several stainless steel frames for sale. I did not try and wheel and deal with them, was not interested at that time, but I would find a local salvage yard before going the aluminum route. You want something that will last a long time. Aluminum has it's place on applications, but there is a serious load on the bimini when the wind kicks up.
For my B23-5 I made a "bimini" by attaching an upright pipe to each side of the pushpit, put a SS TEE on top of each one to run a pole through both. With a rod-pocket in the canvas to go through the pole. It was more like an awning, but alot less work/expense than a true bimini. You'd have to see what forweard attachment points would work on your boat, but I put the same rod-pocket and pole on the awning forward end and could run a line to each spreader.
I am in the middle of making a sunshade tunnel for my sailboat. It'll measure about 13 ft X 13 ft.enough to protect the cabin and make it cooler below. The arches will be fiberglass tent poles made to length. The actual cover will be of Tyvek. Strong, yet resistant to the sun and it's UV rays, yet very light and stores about the size of a basketball. If your cockpit is small enough you could find a car cover made with it, cut it to size and make your own frame. Tyvek can be sewn on a household machine. Just be sure to come down the sides a bit. Only because the sun isn't always directly overhead. While on the hook I hang a side shade off the bimini for the cockpit. It blocks the view on one side, but it's worth it for the shade.
Good luck
Keep it up,
Ctskip
Good luck
Keep it up,
Ctskip
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