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I just read a nice article about putting Bimini hatch flaps in so that I can get to the mizzen. That’s a great idea, especially when you have the connector piece between the Bimini and the Dodger installed. I just had that problem last week when it was so cold that I had zipped in the connector piece, and ultimately decided not to put the Mizzen up because it would have been so much trouble. The only piece I would add to that suggestion would be to install a stack-pack on the Mizzen so all you have to do is drop it into the bag and pull a zipper string. I just installed stack-packs (custom built) on the main and mizzen and I love them. It solves one of the big complaints I have with having to put on sail-ties and then strap on a big, heavy and clumsy sail cover, not to mention storing it. Just drop and zip. I wondered if the author of that article had put any mast steps on the mizzen for easier access, especially for an old short guy.
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CS,
If the article you read was under Cruising Tips or Boatworks in
SAIL magazine, it was mine. Last I heard it was slated for their
February issue. No, I haven’t put ladder steps on the mizzen
mast, but do have them on the main. My boat has a tall LPG box
between the mizzen mast and the wheel pedestal that I stand on
while furling, etc, the forward part of the mizzen sail. Aft I
stand on the stern cockpit seat. Piece of cake, and I’m all of
5’7″.I am amazed that no-one, to my knowledge, has ever provided
access like this on aft cockpit ketches. When I bought
Silverheels, I knew I needed a bimini and I knew I needed to get
at the mizzen sail. I searched everywhere for a solution to that
quandary. After many months of head-scratching I “invented” the
zippered hatch flaps. Once I had the idea it seemed obvious, and
once I installed them on my boat it proved to be a perfect
solution.I’m presently in the process of making a hardtop bimini for my
boat. I designed and fabricated low profile sliding hatches for
the forward mizzen sail access, and am now mounting Sunbrella
hatch flaps on the aft section of the bimini (because sliding
hatches back there would be awkward). It’s going to be awesome!
No leaks ever again, it’ll never wear out and it’ll never need
re-stitching. How cool is that!I still don’t see how anyone can sail an aft cockpit ketch
efficiently in warm climates without instant access through the
bimini top.Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
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I look forward to seeing your completed project, Tor. Of course, once you have that nice dodger built, it’s a pretty easy matter to climb on the dodger from the front to do your mizzen mast work…a thought I’m sure you’ve had. That is how I currently do mine when the connector panels are ‘in’. My hard dodger top is in no way as sturdy as what you’re building, so I step lightly.
David
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David,
I’m just now installing the Sunbrella zippered hatch flaps on the
aft panels. (Solid, sliding hatches would’ve been awkward back
there.) Once that’s on and I run a final bead of bedding into the
center seams, the project will be essentially finished.I did not make my hardtop bimini strong enough to stand on. Can’t
imagine a situation where I’d want to stand up there. Certainly
not to deal with the mizzen sail underway, which seems like a
sure way to fall overboard. The opening hatches in my new hardtop
bimini provide all the access you’d ever need, just as did the
equivalent openings in my Sunbrella bimini top these past 7
years.However, I did put a 14″-wide plywood core in the middle of my
hardtop dodger. I stand on that once in a while to reach a small
awning outhaul block on the front of the mizzen mast when I’m
putting up the big deck awning, but it’s original purpose was for
mounting a small, flip-up boom crutch for the main boom. (That’s
still on a to-do list somewhere.)I hope to have final photos of the bimini in another week or so.
Oh, some happy news for me. Cruising World just bought my short
article, “Homemade Hardtops,” outlining how I built Silverheels’
hardtop dodger and bimini. Yay!Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
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Hi CS,
Having just completed a hard bimini I have also found that using the standard sail cover is as issue (no that it wasn’t with the original bimini), and a stack-pack will solve the problem. Current procedure of sail ties and cover are done by standing on the aft pushpit rail and some steps on the mizzen mast.
Tor’s sliding hatch sounds interesting and I look forward to the details. The one change to the solid bimini (future project) is a see through window in the centre between the solar panels to check on the sails – not only the mizzen, but the main as well.
Would be appreciated if you could spare some details of your custom stackpack’s.
Regards
Dennis
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Dennis: The stack-pack concept pretty much the same by all vendors, however there are some detailed differences that I wanted to capitalize on. The Mack-pack plan seemed to be the closest to what I wanted. With it the lazy jacks connect to the boom (so you have a stronger topping lift effect) and the sail-cover has slots in it so the lazy jacks can loop through them. ( http://www.macksails.com/mackpack.htm ) That would work fine if you don’t already have lazy jacks, and you can start from scratch rigging them to match the holes in the stack-pack. Mack only sells the total package. I, however, already had lazy jacks, and I didn’t want to throw them away and buy new ones from Mack, and then have left over hardware and screw holes where I had removed the old ones. Sunbrella gives good video instruction on how to make your own, however their concept is to have the lazy jacks connected to a pvc rod that resides in a slot in the top of the sail-cover, rather than connecting to the boom. I didn’t like the looks of a 3/4″ pvc pipe on top of my sails, and besides, I still would have to modify my current lazy jacks. So I had my own made, much like the Mack Stack, only I had the holes cut precisely to fit the lazy jack lines that I already had. My lazy-jacks only have 3 lines on the main, and 2 on the mizzen, and they work fine. As a matter of fact, since they stack the sails just fine, I prefer them over the 4 line main and 3 line mizzen since you have fewer snag points when hoisting the sails, a problem with full batted sails). One consideration, and a mod I may make on my existing lazy jacks, is to put a block at the mast and a longer line to the boom with a cleat so that I can lower the jacks out of the way from that point without having to slide them through the slots on the sail cover. That’s probably not a clear description, but suffice it to say that it is potentially problematic if i am trying to raise sails with any beam wind.
Summary: The stack-pack is great for our boat. The big main and the hard to reach miz are now tied and bagged as soon as they are dropped. PS. I still want a couple of mast steps on the mizzen mast. -
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do you have solar panels that would get in the way of the
openings?
A: No panels up there yet. If I do add them, they won’t be in the
way.How are you guys attaching solar panels to the bimini?
A: I haven’t really studied that yet, but it shouldn’t be
difficult.and does the mizzen boom cause shadow problems?
A: Certainly the mizzen boom will cast shadows, but it’s not a
problem. One side should always be in the clear (other than
shroud shadows).What I have yet to decide is whether the charge (from only one
panel much of the time) is worth the expense and bother of the
installation. They’d necessarily be pretty small panels. Same
goes a pair on the dodger hardtop. We’ll see.Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
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Hi CS,
Two pics here of the hard bimini
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/117161376876600674340/albums/6103286430664503969
My solar panels are 130W each. They are attached on the front with aluminium brackets that are screwed and tapped into the solar panel frame and then into the 32mm stainless frame that holds up the bimini. The rear brackets are bolted through the bimini roof.
There is still room between the solar panels for a hatch, and the panels have been located close to the outside edge to limit the shadow (which is inevitable). Overall, the benefits of the panels on top of the bimini far outweigh any disadvantages. Flexible panels would be great, but I already had the non-flexible type.
In time I may opt for a flexible panel on the hard dodger. The effectiveness of the wind generator (yet to be installed) will drive this requirement.
Cheers
Dennis
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Nicely done Dennis!
Pete
On 2/17/2015 7:18 PM, Miss Kathleen via maillist wrote:
Hi CS,
Two pics here of the hard bimini
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/117161376876600674340/albums/6103286430664503969
My solar panels are 130W each. They are attached on the front with aluminium brackets that are screwed and tapped into the solar panel frame and then into the 32mm stainless frame that holds up the bimini. The rear brackets are bolted through the bimini roof.
There is still room between the solar panels for a hatch, and the panels have been located close to the outside edge to limit the shadow (which is inevitable). Overall, the benefits of the panels on top of the bimini far outweigh any disadvantages. Flexible panels would be great, but I already had the non-flexible type.
In time I may opt for a flexible panel on the hard dodger. The effectiveness of the wind generator (yet to be installed) will drive this requirement.
Cheers
Dennis
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Another idea on the solar panel conundrum: I bought a 50W thin flex panel that is easy to move about the boat and follow the sun. I have two 140W panels mounted over the bimini, but the shadowing issues on the ketch are vexing. I store the 50W panel under the forward cabin mattress (1/8″ thick), and built a 35 foot extension cord. Then I hung a pigtail from the solar panel controller (on the nav panel) so that it hangs down slightly, but unobtrusively, over the nav table. When we’re anchored for more than overnight, I plug in the extension cord and deploy the 50W panel. It’s not too large, but I can always find a spot on deck in direct sunlight, so I net 2 to 3 amps all day. Not a huge amount, but a nice augment to the rigid panels and the wind turbine.
David Tye
Blue Moon, #189
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