Glen-L.com

I bought a Sunbrella Bimini top back in July and finally decided to see how it looks on the boat. Personally, I don't want to do it, but the sun is not something we take lightly (pun intended). After knowing three people who have died from Melanoma, we pay attention to exposure.

So, I mounted the top to a 1x4 piece of cedar and placed it across the boat so that when folded it is right behind the rear seats. It is high but at least you can stand up inside the boat. I upgraded to all stainless steel. The mounting screws are screws, not bolts. I may get some bolts and epoxy a piece of wood inside to add some extra strength. There is only one bracket per side and the top is easily removed from them if I don't want it on. I already have four fender hangers which are like mini cleats that the straps are connected to. When I placed them on the boat, I was thinking a little about the top. It also has mounting hardware for the straps if I decide to use them.

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2011 MALAHINI - KICKED IN THE HEAD

I wake up with a 16ft woody every morning
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534DBtp1Cnc
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/2011malahini/

I am with you and really dont like them on a boat. I am going to do mine for the same reason (Flying Saucer). I want to be on the lake when it is hot and sunny but dont want to think about skin cancer. I did enough of that bad stuff to my skin when i was a kid.

Something I have learned about biminis is having standing head room comes at a price. If you are adding a bimini for relief from the sun, "high" seriously reduces it's effectiveness. If the sun were directly overhead all day long it would make no difference but that is not the case. Often at the hottest part of the day - 2 to 3 pm - the sun is low enough that a standing high bimini provides very limited shade for people seated in the boat. If you are standing your upper torso is shaded but seated, particularly on the sun side, you become exposed very quickly.

Everyone has their own style of use in a boat but for me I find I am seated the majority of the time. The amount of time standing or moving about is so small it is hardly worth considering. And if I have the bimini up I want it to shade me as much as possible. Therefore, I usually want my biminis a low as practical. On my Cabin Skiff I and not stand under either the pilothouse top or the bimini - I have to stoop over when moving around. But I don't find this a problem and it is a compromise I readily make provide considerably more hours of shade than a standing high bimini would yield.

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So Many Rivers,
So Little Time....

Man do I know what you mean about the angle of the sun. We had a 24ft pontoon boat and had the same issues with the bimini up. BTW, it was always up (my wife requires it). My kids were really annoyed when I sold that boat. Can you believe it? Kids upset about selling a pontoon boat It was one of the new ones that had a ski package and of course had all that space and seating.

_________________
2011 MALAHINI - KICKED IN THE HEAD

I wake up with a 16ft woody every morning
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534DBtp1Cnc
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/2011malahini/

Hi all. I'm a marine trimmer (for trimmer read upholsterer) in Australia. I couldn't agree more with Ray about bimini hights and protection from the sun. High biminis become almost useless except during the couple of mid-day hours. But there is another two points; lower biminis also look much sleeker and more stylish on most of the boats seen on this forum. And secondly, lower ones are also less affected by the wind and your speed. Yes, moving around is more difficult, but a small price for skin protection.

Another way to increase the protection is to get an upholster (trimmer over here) to sew velcro on the two long edges and make a 'zip' on side which can be added on the side the sun is hitting. If made out of a breezeway type material (or perhaps shade cloth) this curtain can be largely transparent and yet reduce sun damage considerable. Maybe ugly to some, but I live in Tropical North Queensland and you do not spend time in our sun without paying a large health cost. So, it becomes either do something or stay home.

Graham

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God bless all who sail here