Cockpit Sun Protection

[Ed Valente]

I have an Olson 911 Se and am looking for suggestions for shading the cockpit. We're expecting our first child next month and intend to start him early. The delima is that the mainsheet is located just forward of the helm, splitting the cockpit, making a bimini difficult. We still race the boat. Therefore, would like something easily removable (and not too odd looking) for for that purpose. Or can anyone recommend a creative canvass guy in the Chicago area ? Sorry Seth, no new sails this year . Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Ed V.
S/V Dionysus

 

[chrism]

You could go with two biminis... I've seen that before I think. One for the helmsman, one for everyone foward of the mainsheet.

I'm not familiar with your boat, so I should probably go and look at it...

Chris

 

[Loren Beach]

UV B-Gone...

A lot of boats have your "problem" including our Olson 34 and many models of Ericson with travelers either aft at the wheel or on a bridgedeck.
J Boats seem to solve this quandery with a large bimimi over the cockpit that stops just short of the end of the boom. Then, with a dodger that comes back as far as the mainsheet tackle, you only have a reasonable slice of area where the sun (and in our part of the country, the rain) can fall on you.
We have been slowly moving the "great bimini project" up our project list and plan to have one built sometime in the next several years.... It will cover the helm station up to the boom end. This will probably involve the stern rail in the overall design.

Keep us posted,

Loren in PDX

ps: if anyone knows of a 911SE for sale, a friend is looking for one

 

[rob m]

on a previous boat i added a snap shackle to the traveller end of the mainsheet tackle, allowing it to be unsnapped from the traveller and snapped to the toerail when not in use. thus i could use a full cockpit awning under the boom at anchor. this also removed the falls of the mainsheet from the cockpit, which always were in the way when not in use. underway, sunscreen and the dodger alone provided protection.