Ray
New member
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2011
- Messages
- 271
- Reaction score
- 0
- C Dory Year
- 2007
- C Dory Model
- 25 Cruiser
- Vessel Name
- Seaweed
Hi All!
I had made one of these for one of my previous boats and found it very useful. It is a bow awning to both shade from the heat of the day, and protect from rain in the event you want to keep a hatch open.
The awning was cut as a basic rectangle with curved sides to force it to stretch tight when the corners were pulled taught. The fabric is some leftover "Oyster" Sunbrella we had.
There are six attachment points with webbing tabs. Four at the corners, and two on the centerline each, fore and aft. The three forward attachments are just short lengths of line left standing. The three aft attachments are clips that fasten up under the "brow". One of the clips is shown here (I might need to get a more elegant-looking solution for the hardware).
On the brow, I put three stainless 1/4-20 carriage bolts (e.g., http://www.mcmaster.com/#93180a208/=pbow9t), set back from the edge, where the awning would clip in. I cut square fiberglass holes into the brow to accept the carriage bolt shoulder. I sanded the tops and painted them with black enamel.
On the underside, I threaded matching 1/4-20 stainless eye nuts onto the carriage bolts.
There are then three of these eye bolts underneath the brow for the awning to clip onto.
The other end of the awning is just tied to various parts of the bow rail as needed. Here it is tied to the top of the rail all the way around.
You can see how much shade is afforded the bow deck.
The awning has lots of advantages:
If it gets really snotty, you can tie it off down at the bottom of the rail for more protection.
Or even leave the center up high, and put the sides down to the base.
Hope this is helpful to some - we have found these awnings VERY useful in the past......
Very Best Regards,
Ray
I had made one of these for one of my previous boats and found it very useful. It is a bow awning to both shade from the heat of the day, and protect from rain in the event you want to keep a hatch open.
The awning was cut as a basic rectangle with curved sides to force it to stretch tight when the corners were pulled taught. The fabric is some leftover "Oyster" Sunbrella we had.
There are six attachment points with webbing tabs. Four at the corners, and two on the centerline each, fore and aft. The three forward attachments are just short lengths of line left standing. The three aft attachments are clips that fasten up under the "brow". One of the clips is shown here (I might need to get a more elegant-looking solution for the hardware).
On the brow, I put three stainless 1/4-20 carriage bolts (e.g., http://www.mcmaster.com/#93180a208/=pbow9t), set back from the edge, where the awning would clip in. I cut square fiberglass holes into the brow to accept the carriage bolt shoulder. I sanded the tops and painted them with black enamel.
On the underside, I threaded matching 1/4-20 stainless eye nuts onto the carriage bolts.
There are then three of these eye bolts underneath the brow for the awning to clip onto.
The other end of the awning is just tied to various parts of the bow rail as needed. Here it is tied to the top of the rail all the way around.
You can see how much shade is afforded the bow deck.
The awning has lots of advantages:
- In the summer, this helps to keep the V-berth cool.
It allows the pilothouse or V-berth hatches to be partly open in the rain.
It keeps the window A/C in the center opening windshield out of the sun.
It collects cooling ventilation straight into the boat like a funnel when anchored bow into the wind.
If it gets really snotty, you can tie it off down at the bottom of the rail for more protection.
Or even leave the center up high, and put the sides down to the base.
Hope this is helpful to some - we have found these awnings VERY useful in the past......
Very Best Regards,
Ray
