Bimini Tops for 25's

[Minnow]

Now that the hot summer sun is beating down on my follicly challanged head, I'm trying to figure out a bimini solution for covering the cockpit. At this point, I don't want a full camper canvas, just some shade.

Because of the raised cockpit floor, most of the designs that I've seen have used a shorter top with a ramped section to connect the cabin roof to the bimini. I dont want to cut off the airflow, and I think this would make a tougher duck gettiing into the cabin. Also , I'm not concerned about blocking the rain.

What I'm leaning towards now is a 46" tall, 6' long 3-bow top attached with clamps to the rails. This would give me 6'6" headroom and put the forward end of the top about 16" directly above the aft bulkhead.


The biggest problem I see is access when boarding or docking, with the front support bow blocking the normal path. Do most people stow the top when docking?

The other question is color. My last boat also had burgandy accents, and I found that a lot of heat radiated off the dark top. I think a light colored top, like silver to match the non-skid, or natural to match the hull, would be a better choice, but probably wouldn't look as good.

Any comments, suggestions, or links to member pictures, would be greatly appreciated.

[Valkyrie]

Minnow,

Check out my album for custom canvas. My canvas guy found a solution for not cutting off air flow. Maybe you can get an idea from what he did.

I'm 6' 3" and SCALP-GIFTED, so I know what you mean. I don't fold my canvas back while getting on and off, but my arrangement takes only about two seconds to strike.

Nick
"Valkyrie"