Looking for (ugh) canvas ideas

[Stinkpot]

I hate exterior woodwork and canvas. However, despite my better judgement, I'm considering adding a canvas bimini top to my boat to keep me & crew happy. I already have a two foot overhang aft of the winterback, but want to add a canvas bimini which can be extended another 5 feet or so beyond that, but can also be collapsed, or rolled up and maybe stored up underneath that two foot overhang.

Ideally with the fewest modifications, add-ons, support poles, etc as possible. In fact, I'd love for it to be able to extend straight out with NO vertical supports whatsoever, but I can't come up with anything yet.

Aesthetically, I'd like for it to take the same curve as the camber of the weelhouse roof (when viewed from the transom) and follow the same roofline when viewed from the side (if that makes any sense). One complication could be that on the starboard side, I have a steering station, so the wheelhouse side doesn't go as far back as the port side.

So, I'm looking for ideas, advice, pictures of what you may have. Also, if anyone has a good recommendation for a canvas guy in/around SE Connecticut, please pass that on. Here's a pic of the overhang I have now.

 

[F/V First Team]

Do we have a side-to shot as well?
What do you want, a type of clamping system on the washrail?

 

[Stinkpot]

Do we have a side-to shot as well?
What do you want, a type of clamping system on the washrail?

Here's a side-to shot. Still open to ideas on the tie-down, clamping, track or whatever system. Just trying to keep things 'clean' and minimize the drilling or addition of toe-stubbing, thigh cutting or gunk collecting appurtenances if at all possible. I'll try to get some shots of other boats' tops to post here to give a sense of what I like. Thanks!

 

[WoundUpMarine]

sorry i dont have any ideas, but beautiful boat!!

 

[steveinak]

Might be a bit off base but how about a sliding molded piece of fiberglass the same shape as the roof, the slides could be right next to the handrails on the roof. It would be stiff enough so it wouldn't need any supports.
Do you know who made the handset on your sliding door??

 

[Stinkpot]

Might be a bit off base but how about a sliding molded piece of fiberglass the same shape as the roof, the slides could be right next to the handrails on the roof. It would be stiff enough so it wouldn't need any supports.
Do you know who made the handset on your sliding door??

Sort of like a hard-top convertible? Cool idea, and my radar mast is set pretty far forward that this is feasible, however I typically store a pair of kayaks on top, so this could be a PITA. But, good thought.

The sliding Fort Knox, holy $h!T, bank vault Diamond Sea Glaze door is awesome. Nothin's getting through that sucker. The door handle/lock set is equally as tough. I pulled up the original door quote for the door, from H&H Propeller Shop in Salem, MA which has it listed at just over $3k in 2003! It says that it is equipped with a "Mobella Lockset", but I'll double check that because the keys say "Tivoli" or something like that on them. I'll get back to you.

Thanks.

 

[MDI45]

Stink,i was going to say the same as Steve but maybe aluminum on a track...only problem i see is the teak hand rails....you could roll it back off the roof and lock it down to match the contour of the house

 

[steveinak]

Mount the yaks toward the front of the canopy so most of the weight is forward and even if you needed to make it longer just put a slot in the panel to clear the radar mount. Make the channel shaped sliders out of UHMW plastic and have another 3 or so runners for the roof to slide on, its slicker than shit and easy to work with, you could even make the yak cradles out of it. Have DSG make you another Fort Knox sliding door and just lay it on the roof?? Mount a small rocket launcher on the back edge of the slider for a few rods. This is got me thinking on how i might make one for my rig?? Could a guy lay plastic down on the roof of the house and then just layup glass/core on it, that way you'd be using the roof for a mold for the new top panel and get the crown of the roof molded right in, i'd bet it could hardly be noticed if the plastic slider was white just like the existing roof. I've also got a yak to put on my roof so this has really got me thinking now.

I suck with using the paint feature on my computer but maybe you can get what i'm talking(typing) about.

Red= sliding roof panel
Blue= slider channel and runners
Green= yak cradles
Yellow= yaks
Black= rocket launcher

 

[Stinkpot]

Okay Picaso of the Paint program, now you got me thinking. The hard top idea is cool, it would have to be rigidly supported, somehow, if & when I experience any heavy seas or gusts of wind while its extended aft so it doesn't rattle or pull any screws, etc...

I still think I'm leaning towards canvas though, cause it's light and can be rolled up and lashed up underneath the overhang without interfering with the yaks, the tie-downs on the roof or the future rocket launchers.

Below is a boat I saw a couple years ago. I like it's size & shape, but I don't like the vertical supports (they look like they'd be in the way) and this top seems semi-permanent in that I don't see how this one is retractable or stowable without removing it completely.

BTW, the lockset on my DSG door is from a Norwegian company called Trioving Trioving 5316/8, Trioving 5312/8, Trioving Marine Locks. Not sure what model lockset I have but there's a few on their site that look similar. Hope this helps.

Mount the yaks toward the front of the canopy so most of the weight is forward and even if you needed to make it longer just put a slot in the panel to clear the radar mount. Make the channel shaped sliders out of UHMW plastic and have another 3 or so runners for the roof to slide on, its slicker than shit and easy to work with, you could even make the yak cradles out of it. Have DSG make you another Fort Knox sliding door and just lay it on the roof?? Mount a small rocket launcher on the back edge of the slider for a few rods. This is got me thinking on how i might make one for my rig?? Could a guy lay plastic down on the roof of the house and then just layup glass/core on it, that way you'd be using the roof for a mold for the new top panel and get the crown of the roof molded right in, i'd bet it could hardly be noticed if the plastic slider was white just like the existing roof. I've also got a yak to put on my roof so this has really got me thinking now.


I suck with using the paint feature on my computer but maybe you can get what i'm talking(typing) about.
View attachment 6280
Red= sliding roof panel
Blue= slider channel and runners
Green= yak cradles
Yellow= yaks
Black= rocket launcher

View attachment 6281

 

[Stinkpot]

Okay, excuse my crude sketch, not quite to scale, but here's kinda what I'm thinking. Made from SS or alum tubing. I'd like the side 'ladder' style supports as they could make convenient grab rails for those standing in the cockpit area underway and they'd give good support to the canvas.

Just not sure how I'd make this whole thing collapsable so that when I don't want it extended, it's not in my way. Still thinking...

 

[steveinak]

I like that, wannabe Picaso of paint!! Thanks
How about the aluminum frame on some sort of sliding track? like a giant drawer slide? then you could just lace/velcro the canvas on to it. Don't they sew some kind of stiffeners/ribs into sails? then you wouldn't need a center support for the frame for the canvas to hold its shape?? I have these toggles that we use to connect the shrimp pots to the main line of the shrimp gear, you could set them up with a bungee cord and just loop the toggle through the bungee for a quick strong attachment.

 

[F/V First Team]

Who is your supplier for those toggles?

 

[F/V First Team]

Okay, excuse my crude sketch, not quite to scale, but here's kinda what I'm thinking. Made from SS or alum tubing. I'd like the side 'ladder' style supports as they could make convenient grab rails for those standing in the cockpit area underway and they'd give good support to the canvas.

Just not sure how I'd make this whole thing collapsable so that when I don't want it extended, it's not in my way. Still thinking...

View attachment 6285

Drop the center, unbutton the canvas and slide the whole rig forward so that it is under your overhangs. Two quick release pins and some snaps. Some pvc or hdpe routed with a circular slot should make good slides that you dont have to grease and maintain, just give em a shot of food grade silicone every now and then.

 

[F/V First Team]

Like so, give or take
Canvas would just wrap around the tubing and snap onto itself

 

[steveinak]

Who is your supplier for those toggles?

i kinda own the mold. how many you want?

 

[F/V First Team]

Need to rig up some new gear, how much would 100 set me back?

 

[Stinkpot]

Like so, give or take
Canvas would just wrap around the tubing and snap onto itself

Wow, now we're getting high tech! Nice drawings. Makes my sketch look like a coloring book...

I like the concept. Tell me, is that hdpe circular channel something that is commercially available, or is it something that I'd have to fabricate (just need the proper router bit, I s'pose)?

Your whole set up looks like it would work pretty well. I would just have to check two things:

is there sufficient overhang on the sides of my roof to accommodate this without hitting the window frames and

will the slight curvature of the wheelhouse sides prevent me from sliding a straight canvas frame along the track.

But, we have some potential here. I'd still love to see any pictures that might be out there showing what others have done.

Thanks for the idea and the time putting together those drawings - nice work!

 

[steveinak]

Need to rig up some new gear, how much would 100 set me back?

I'll send ya pm.

 

[noreaster]

How about a krig like the drawing in post 10, but put a hinge in the middle, so it can fold forward on to itself in half. This is more semipermanent, but it would work. The frame would have to be pretty flat so it would fold well, and it would not match the great crown you have in the house roof. .02$

 

[F/V First Team]

Wow, now we're getting high tech! Nice drawings. Makes my sketch look like a coloring book...

I like the concept. Tell me, is that hdpe circular channel something that is commercially available, or is it something that I'd have to fabricate (just need the proper router bit, I s'pose)?

Your whole set up looks like it would work pretty well. I would just have to check two things:

is there sufficient overhang on the sides of my roof to accommodate this without hitting the window frames and

will the slight curvature of the wheelhouse sides prevent me from sliding a straight canvas frame along the track.

But, we have some potential here. I'd still love to see any pictures that might be out there showing what others have done.

Thanks for the idea and the time putting together those drawings - nice work!

The channel would have to be made, but in doing so you could also fit it to what overhang you have available. You could adjust the piping dimensions to fit as well. Easiest way to hang the whole thing is to have the pipework slid inside the sleeve, anchor the ends of the sleeve with some C-clamps and see if the pipework will slide freely. Then you screw (and bung, if that's your thing) everything in place. Just keep the sleeve to the outboard edge of the overhang on the ends, the middle should take care of itself. Pipework in the drawings is one inch, just to give you an idea of the scale. First drawing is free