Bimini

[Fredefird1]

Jay,

Thanks for your comments, they are very helpful.  I have just received by Bimini but I have not installed it yet.  I think I will line everything up first before I do any cutting.  I do have one additional question.  Can you sail with the bimini open?  If you can, do you have to have the boom attadched to the backstay with the pigtail (to keep the boom high), or can you still sail with the boom unattached?  When I look at the boom when it is unattached to the backstay, it seems awfully low, in fact too low for a bimini to clear it.  I was hoping I could sail with it unfolded.  Maybe I just need to raise where the boom and gooseneck attach to the mast.  What do you think?  - Thanks, Fred.

[jaguaretype]

Fred, you should be able to sail with the bimini unfolded, and if not then you should shorten the main tubes.  Obviously, the bimini does impede your forward view and view of the sails.  The pig tail is used in lieu of a topping line to hold the boom up when the mailsail is furled.  Assuming you unfold the bimini when it is slid aft as far as it will go, you shouldn't have to hold the boom up with the pig tail when unfolding.  Again, all of this depends on the length of the main tubes.  Jay.

[LConrad]

Just an FYI that I just bought and installed the Ameribrands bimini as well.  It was the 78" wide, 46" high, 72" long model.  I cut about 7" off to get 41" high, and it seems to be working well.  The double wall tubing is solid. I upgraded to stainless steel fittings (not the tubing).  I would recommend this one.

Thanks to all the folks who posted this discussion topic.  It was a big help to me.

[Shawn]

Old thread but I figured I'd update it... I just finished installing the bimini from Ameri-Brands on my 23/3. The manufacturer is Carver Industries and it looks well made. I went with the stainless steel tubing since I'm on the ocean and True Brown sunbrella which will match my sail bags. I cut about 8" off the main tube to get the height down.

I went with a 4' track (which is aluminum) and it just fit to give a wide range of positioning. With the bimini all the way forward it covers the companionway which could be nice at anchor. Couldn't sail that way as it blocks the winches though.

Shawn

[Bob23]

Shawn:
   Thanks for the revive. I am interested in seeing what you've done. Any chance you can post photos or email 'em to me? My address is in my profile. Thanks!\
Bob23

[LConrad]

Shawn,

Mine is about the same as yours. The first shipment from Ameri-Brands was the wrong shade of blue and the stainless was scratched. However, they quickly made everything right. I also used 4 foot track, but generally don't use that much.

[Shawn]

Bob,

Sure, here are some photos....

This is roughly where I think the bimini will need to be to sail. Maybe slightly forward from this position. Access to the foredeck is still not too bad with the bimini up. It seems easier to get out of the cockpit then it is to get back in.



Zoomed out a bit:



Track installed:



Bimini all the way back on track. I didn't bother to tighten the rear straps.



All the way forward on track.



Another view all the way forward:



As you can see the forward eyestraps are not positioned well for when the top is all the way forward. I'll probably just hook to the handholds when I have the top all the way forward. I put the eyestraps where they are to try and keep them out of the way from going forward when the bimini is in its typical position for sailing. Even at this position they straps are slightly to long so I have to wrap them around the tube one turn to be able to tighten the straps down when in the sailing position.

Depending upon where the bimini is in the track the lifelines will either go on the outside or inside of the frame.

Shawn

[Shawn]

"I also used 4 foot track, but generally don't use that much."

I went with it as I liked the flexibility it gives as far as where I store the bimini when it isn't up. I think it will let me put the top in front of the companionway hatch when it is closed which is good. I can't have it on top of the hatch as my 40w solar panel is there.

Where do you like to store your bimini? Does my sailing position for the top look about right?

Thanks,

Shawn

[Shawn]

Looking at these pics is funny... when I first went to look at Serenity (she was not named that then) I liked everything about it...except the brown.

However, it has really grown on my though, just looks very understated and classic. Good thing too since I did the name/registration numbers in the same color and bought a foredeck and mainsail bag in the same sunbrella True Brown.

Need to get her to the water......

Shawn

[SpeakEasy]

I recently purchased and installed a new bimini on my 1990 23 D.  The particulars are: Ameri-Brand Products, Inc. (http://www.websweeper.com/php/bimini_tops/bim-001.php), aluminum bimini top BIM-A4675U (78" wide, 46" high, 72" long) for $262.69 and a pair of 3' aluminum side tracks 62001 for $23.75, shipping from California to Arkansas for $24.00, and a price discount for $26.27 with a total order cost of $284.17.  The top and track came with all the necessary fittings and screws, however, the screws for attaching the tracks and padeyes to the deck seemed oversized and therefore I replaced them with smaller screws pruchased for a few $s from Home Depot.  I am very pleased with the quality of the bimini, and Ameri-Brand offered all the Sunbrella fabric colors thereby enabling me to match the original brown fabric on the mainsail and tiller covers.  The cost was less than that for a bimini from Overtons.  JSI provided the OEM biminis to Hutchins, and according to them the OEM bimini measured 78" wide, 39" high, and 60" long.  The additional foot in the length of the Ameri-Brand bimini poses no problem, particularly when the bimini is mounted on a track.  The track enables me to either slide the bimini back so that when folded it can rest on the stern pulpit against the backstay (after unclipping the main sheet conected to the boom with a captive pin D shackle), or to slide the bimin forward so that it can rest against the cabin top.  I had to drill out the rivets holding the fittings to bottom of the main bimini tubes, cut-off 9.9" to reduce the height of the bimini, and then rerivet the fittings.  Since the main tube rises at a 45 degree angle to the deck when the bimini is unfolded, cutting off 9.9" lowers the height by 7" from 46" to 39".  As the boom seems to have quite a few inches of clearance over the 39" height, some may want to cut fewer than 9.9" off the tube.  While you can purchase stainless steel rather than aluminum tubes from Ameri-Brand, the weight of the stainless is a disadvantage.  Ameri-Brand uses double wall tubing, and the strength of the tubing is not an issue.  Jay.

I want to give a huge "thank you" to Jay for this post, even though it is ancient. I took this info and used it to order a bimini from the same outfit using the same specs. The price, of course, was not the same! I installed my new bimini last week, and on Friday, it had its maiden voyage. Everything seems perfect! I love when things like this happen! Jay did the research, and I benefited. Thanks!
-Speak