Photo Request: 22 Extended Bimini Aft Curtain

[DaveInRI]

Hello. I’ve been browsing the photo albums and searching for pictures of how the aft curtain(s) attach on a 22 cockpit enclosure / camper canvas / camperback which extends behind the lazarettes. The canvas maker I’ve chosen for my bimini says that he will only make one with the back all on the same plane, so it is tight and looks good. I’m trying to download a few pictures to show him it can be done (while the boat is shrink wrapped here in the cold north) so that the corners go behind the hatches but the splashwell curtain also allows a Honda 90 to tilt up out of the water without curtain contact. Does anyone still active on the forum have some pictures they’re willing to share? Please and thank you.

For instance, some of these pictures show that it seems plausible, but not necessarily in the same plane— but I can’t quite tell 100% the details. Either way, I think that it can look good and would like a bit more “proof”.

 

[DaveInRI]

Twins would likely tilt up into a smaller space within the splashwell, and even this has to curve back up after rounding the lazarettes. There’s also a rack/table inside which might be helping with the flat shape of the aft curtain.

 

[DaveInRI]

This isn't a 22, but shows an exaggerated "triangle tube" effect on the transom that I'd prefer to avoid, but I don't think it's fully possible-- seems you'll always have a little bit of a "love handle" curve on the back even if you stay in front of the rear cleats. So, I'm trying to find the "least this" photo on a 22 that still encloses the lazarettes and still allows a single motor (vs smaller profile twins) to tilt up out of the salt water.

 

[DaveInRI]

Well I've found the pictures necessary to "prove" it can't be done "on the same plane" (were I able to get on my boat now, it would have been much faster!).

I've seen a few splashwell tables that, for a single motor, have a notch cut into the back to allow tilting. That notch is forward of the rear portion of the lazarettes. It's less so on twins, which are shorter and thus stay more aft in their up-tilted positioning. It's not by much, and perhaps when I unwrap the boat I'll see that I can tilt it "up enough" with the aft curtain down to give me the clearance I need, but that seems unlikely.

The "smile" curtain in the "smile" one (w/ transom bars) looks as if the motor is pressing into it lightly, and that also seems a lot more "on the same plane" (and does not snap into a transom table) than some of the others. I wonder about using a stretchy material or perhaps even an "expansion zipper" like some suitcases have, to add room when needed and keep it tight when not. (Rather not either of those ideas).

Once I get the plastic off the boat later this week, I'll be able to mess around with tilting upwards. I'm just trying to get my design ready for when the canvas guy comes out next week (and I have to politely argue that all on the same plane isn't the primary goal and that it will look and function just fine).

 

[DaveInRI]

The tan one is from C-Eagle. Here are some more pictures showing how they did it. I think they just made the aft curtain "baggy" to allow the motor to push into it, because it also looks like they have a cooler pushing backwards from inside the cockpit at another point (unsure if it's snapped or just zipped down there).

 

[ssobol]

I would consider making a zip out section or opening to allow room for the motor head to tilt up. It only needs to be as big as the part of the head the intrudes into the enclosed space.

 

[DaveInRI]

I would consider making a zip out section or opening to allow room for the motor head to tilt up. It only needs to be as big as the part of the head the intrudes into the enclosed space.

Thanks. I saw some like that, where it's almost like a mailbox opening for the motor to poke its head into the enclosure. It wouldn't be bug or waterproof, though, without some next suspenders/belt layer. But that might be the way to think through it.

 

[ssobol]

Thanks. I saw some like that, where it's almost like a mailbox opening for the motor to poke its head into the enclosure. It wouldn't be bug or waterproof, though, without some next suspenders/belt layer. But that might be the way to think through it.

It would depend on how often you have the motor tilted up. Usually when cruising I leave the motor down all the time except for shallow water.

 

[DaveInRI]

Unwrapped the boat today. With this outboard (2019 Honda 90) there’s just no way to tilt it up and out of the water while also keeping the cowl behind the lazarettes— not even close.

Pics show: one pic fully tilted up; one pic tilted just out of the water (fist pic); and one pic tilted just behind the lazarettes for a “straight across” aft curtain (for that one thr motor bottom is well underwater still).

You’re either doing the King Canvas style straight across the back of the cockpit, or having triangular tubes / some mailbox door center opening / stretchy center seams / excess sag to tilt right into.

It works well enough on twins straight across, though.

I’d like the ability to have an aft curtain down and tilt fully out of the water, but also gain lazarette space (or at least gain their usage as a table top for cockpit usage), and a splashwell table.

Still scheming, but don’t see a way and it feels due time to compromise. Might give up the lazarettes (there’s batteries in both now anyways— and fuel water separator, which worries me mixing gas and spark in the same box), and find a way to better capture the space between the gas tanks.

I do also like the idea of the bimini top extending further aft than just the cockpit/splashwell line, for more sun protection as it sets, but then again I’m having the curtains made from sunsure and that may be redundant. I could potentially downsize from a 3-bow to a 2-bow for cost savings, which in this regional market would certainly be helpful. And simplicity.

Hmm.

 

[DaveInRI]

Still trying. If tilted to just be out of the water (not fully up) and using the slant back snap attachment locations, a curtain could extend up to a bimini bow fully behind the lazarettes, but then you have the triangle tubes.

Alternatively, I now see I could maybe have the bimini go back all the way, but have the aft curtain attach to it further forward, running perpendicular to the splashwell like the King Canvas ones do. So I’d have bimini coverage but not lazarette access (fine), and get a straight across rear curtain. I’ll have to sketch it out with regards to the frame. I know there’s some on here that did this, but their frame came out of holes in the aft which to me meant bugs. I wonder if that significantly increases the station wagon effect…

Also, I know I’m sort of “dear diary” posting on here, but maybe it’ll help somebody else one day. No replies needed, but suggestions always welcome and appreciated.

 

[C-Wolfe]

I understand your desire to keep access to the lazarets, even if for nothing else than the flat surface they provide. I have seen some that have an arch over the engine(s), I haven’t reread the whole conversation so I’ll start by apologizing if I miss this discuss somewhere. As for the rain it will, even with some wind, fall into the engine well and back over board. You can add a velcro or zipper to the bottom of the arch to attach an oversized pieces of bug screen that you can tuck around the engine. That would not work while underway, but in my experience having boated in a buggy area for the last 20 year, its not really needed to have it bug proof if your moving. It should work just fine at anchor. It doesn’t need to be perfect, your enclosure will not be seal perfectly, you’ll have a gap between each snap on the cabin side and along the gunnel, plenty big for bug to get in, but in my experience (again) they don’t try that hard.
Hope that helps someone

 

[DaveInRI]

I understand your desire to keep access to the lazarets, even if for nothing else than the flat surface they provide. I have seen some that have an arch over the engine(s), I haven’t reread the whole conversation so I’ll start by apologizing if I miss this discuss somewhere. As for the rain it will, even with some wind, fall into the engine well and back over board. You can add a velcro or zipper to the bottom of the arch to attach an oversized pieces of bug screen that you can tuck around the engine. That would not work while underway, but in my experience having boated in a buggy area for the last 20 year, its not really needed to have it bug proof if your moving. It should work just fine at anchor. It doesn’t need to be perfect, your enclosure will not be seal perfectly, you’ll have a gap between each snap on the cabin side and along the gunnel, plenty big for bug to get in, but in my experience (again) they don’t try that hard.
Hope that helps someone

Thanks, Stephen. Yep, I saw an arch one, a rectangular slot one, and one that just had a baggy aft curtain they tilted right into it until taut (and, when down, also pushed it back with a cooler until taut). I hear you on the "just do that and cover the bug holes when you stop", as well as the "rain back there isn't getting into the boat, it's getting into the splashwell". I guess I wanted to try and find another way.

Attached is one with the mailbox slot, I happened to have saved already (look inside).

Also attached is one that, while a different transom design, used my idea about a Bimini going far aft and then the curtain just making the return farther front (slight corner "triangle tubes" as I'm calling them). You can see the appeal of that much larger a Bimini compared to any of the ones that stop at the back of the cockpit (like the black/red one also attached)-- especially with the prices in RI. Might as well get more coverage.

When comparing "salty" (around lazarettes but at the front of splashwell for tilting) with say "sally's sister" or any of the other short biminis, there is an aesthetic preference to a same plane rear curtain (I wouldn't use a single panel like here, but it shows the linear niceness). In seeing those, I'd rather lose the lazarette access for the "prettier" back window (even if split in 2 or thirds with one fat middle and 2 skinny sides), especially since my outboard tilting up (on its highest existing mounting hole without re-drilling the transom; higher than how it came) goes so far forward and I desire to preserve that function. So maybe that's the compromise. Now I just wonder how I can get an extra foot or two behind that same plane / straight across curtain, without extra poles or the diaganol brace poking through and making bug/water holes, like was done on Valkrie (I like the length of their Bimini, but i'd want the rear curtain to be further in and straight across, sacrificing the lazarettes and upper splashwell for tilting ability, as we beach and Gunkhole regularly.

Somewhere between it all, i'll end up up with something