Cheapo Sun Shade

[Captain Rich]

Hi Fellow Marinaters,

Cap’n Rich here. I live and fish on the Gulf side of Florida off of Tarpon Springs.

I recently bought a 19’ Fisherman C-Dory. It came with a ‘back drop curtain’.

As many of you know, the sun is brutal here and I wanted a sunshade but balked at prices, not to mention that I’m broke.

So I took my ravaged brain and fabricated a stand for the back drop curtain.

Plz be kind, I don’t explain things well.

I went to my local home supply store and purchased some white PVC tubing, a couple end caps, two 90-degree elbows and 3 pipe couplers. I put the thing together to form an inverted U. I have a rod holder in each corner of the transom. I put one 6’ (two 3’ sections with a coupler) section down in each vertical rod holder. Use the 90’s at the top to run a pipe between them horizontally. This forms an inverted U. I thread the drop curtain thru the hard top holder and fasten a snap on each side. Then drape the transom end over the PVC and put a plastic spring clamp on each end to hold it in place. I use the 3 pipe couplers so that I can disassemble the 3 long sections of pipe for storage convenience. I glued only one end of the coupler and took the unglued pipe end and with a channel lock pliers, ever so gently squeezed the other end of the pipe a teensy out of round so friction would hold it in the coupler and still be able to disassemble same.

It works great, looks good, shields me from the sun and probably cost less than $25.

If my instructions are confused, drop me a line and I’ll try to expand.

I fish in the Tarpon Springs area on the Gulf side of Florida and answer to On_Line_Systems. Yep, I used to work in I.T.


Cap’n Rich .)

[Catman]

Cap'n Rich, if it works, what the heck. By the way, Tarpon Springs is about my favorite place in Florida. I enjoyed walking the tourist dock and eating grouper, and everything else not nailed down. Took a tour boat spin with the dolphins. Now I proudly wear my Tarpon Springs tee-shirt.

[Plan C]

How about a picture?

Dave