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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

"best money I ever spent"

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/09/2007 : 05:24:43

Several years ago I made the comment that I would never have a bimini. (Don, you were right, I was wrong). I think the most common comment made by owners of bimini is that they are the best money they ever spent. Several friends have "seen the shade" and put them on this summer and after sitting under one while rafted up on Saturday I had to agree that shade is good. I broke down and ordered one last night. The search I did here on the site led me to GO2Marine.com were I ordered a Westland 46H X 72L X 67-72W, I went with the aluminum/Sunbrella/chrome fittings.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2007 : 08:26:34

Good goin', Frank!

Coincidentally, I just put my bimini up yesterday to keep from getting cooked in the 95 degree heat. I usually, leave it down early in the season when you need the sun to keep you warm from the cool breezes blowing over the cold water on Lake Erie, but when the summer sun starts beating down on you and the lake warms up, its hello shade.

The comfort a bimini provides is almost indescribable and you'll wonder why you didn't do it years ago.

Edited by - on

haley
1st Mate

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USA
59 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2007 : 11:15:48

Frank,

How did the install go? Did you have to fiddle with your traveler? Did you mount it on slides? I am still a potential owner, but the bimini is very attractive.

I did get Don Casey's book on canvas. I bimini is beyond me, but was thinking of a simple sun shade for while at dock. My thinking is it can shade a larger area.

John

Edited by - on

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2007 : 11:45:34

I was looking at the biminis on CD - any thoughts?

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mfasis
Navigator

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114 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2007 : 12:27:42

I'm with you Frank. I was against having a bimini on my boat for a long time. But after spending a week on my boat last year during a windless heat wave, I decided to cave. I ordered mine from Overton's (I think it cost around $220) a month ago. I just got around to installing it on custom track slides this past weekend. I really like it although I am still trying to get used to sailing with it. I plan to take some pictures soon.

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2007 : 12:53:32

In the past couple of months I have test sailed two different Ericson 32s. One had a bimini with a single upright which was in the way of the jib sheet winch handle arc. Not good. The other had a double upright which kept out of the way of the winch handle. Much better. One had a little window so you could see your windex, which was Very nice.
Both were great in the sun.
I wonder if you could sew on a couple of loops on top to clip in a flexible solar panel.

Edited by - on

Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2007 : 13:57:53

"Only God can say always and never." -- St. Francis of Assisi.

Brooke

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indiejoe
Deckhand

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USA
23 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2007 : 14:31:25

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by haley
 
I did get Don Casey's book on canvas. I bimini is beyond me, but was thinking of a simple sun shade for while at dock. My thinking is it can shade a larger area.

John
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I had the same thoughts, shade while docked/anchored, and after some thought and investigation I bought some canvas and some shock-cord poles and came up with this:

Dropped the temp in the cabin by 10 degrees easily, without having to put up the windscoop. I've still got a few adjustments/improvements to make so it stretches out nice and tight, but it was a nice bit of shade ancored out on a hot, calm July 4th.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2007 : 14:50:55

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Gloss
 One had a bimini with a single upright which was in the way of the jib sheet winch handle arc. Not good.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

With my bimini, I too do not have a full swing of the winch handle, but due to a balky shoulder, I'd always just ratcheted the winch handle towards me anyway instead of doing a full rotation especially when winching the last few inches.

Edited by - on

RCarie
1st Mate

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USA
51 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2007 : 21:32:50

Frank,
Mine 89 came with a Bimini, sometimes I like, some times I don't. The plusses outnumber the minuses. Mine has a fixed pivot point. It is positioned so that it covers the companion way and the foward part of the cockpit. This is a good position. I would recomend this. The aft part my cockpit is uncovered, this allows me to stand up and see the tell tails. I'll probably be replacing mine soon, so I'll be interested to see how you mount yours. My goal is to mount a new one on a slide so that I can lay it on the stern pulpit when it isn't in use. A good friend has an 89. He recently bought a bimini from CD along with CD's Quick Release Hardware for the backstay and is awaiting shipment. If everything is positioned correctly, I think a quick release of the backstay and mainsheet would allow the bimini to lay on the stern pulpit. I'll be watching his progress too.
Keep us posted.
Randy
#5947

Edited by - on

John Bixby
Navigator

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118 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2007 : 21:37:33

MARK
Which model did you order from Overtons.
john on Ms Achsa
Galveston Island, because life's to short to live in Dallas

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2007 : 22:29:26

Wish we had bought our bimini 25 years ago. Could have had a lot more pleasant sailing in the hot summer months. Bought one online about 2 years ago from Boat Covers Direct for our Catalina 22, and we were able to transfer it to the C-25 we bought last fall. The folks at BCD were great to work with. All I had to buy extra was another set of mounting brackets for the C-25. now I can use it on either boat.
Since we have a tall rig, the 36" height works well. Still have to reef the main, but I can have the boom just above the sail track opening and have about 4 inches between the bimini top and the boom.
David

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At Ease
Admiral

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672 Posts

Response Posted - 07/10/2007 : 16:29:29

You'll love the bimini. My C320 had something I never thought I'd like either...now I can't see ever doing without one...a dodger.

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Captain Bill
Navigator

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USA
148 Posts

Response Posted - 07/10/2007 : 18:53:06

Frank,

Please take plenty of pictures after the installation. I have a great difficulty in getting on top as my bimini sits low on my TR. Will be interested to see where you mount it. I love mine in the 90 degree weather we're having now but it's a pain to get under to go to the jib. As David mentioned above, I may have to reef and raise the boom.

Bill

PS: The Admiral is doing great!

Edited by - on

John Bixby
Navigator

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118 Posts

Response Posted - 07/10/2007 : 23:12:40

Frank,
Went to the website and wondering how you came up with a height of
48". I measured mine less the space from the cockpit floor to the
combing and got a way different number.
john on ms achsa
Galveston Island.... because life's to short to live in Dallas

Edited by - on

mfasis
Navigator

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114 Posts

Response Posted - 07/11/2007 : 08:05:02

John,

I got this one:

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Sunbrella_3_Bow_Bimini_Top_6_Long_Width_79_84_Height_46_40& cname=& r=view& i=29797& aID=14A

Although, I dont think I paid $289 for it.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 07/11/2007 : 10:02:42

I am uncertain at this point whether I will mount at deck level or coaming height. An 89 is completely different than most 25s so I do not have a genoa track that runs all the way to the stern. I figure I will use a pipe cutter and massage the final dimensions. Don't be coy, what dimensions did you come up with?

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John Bixby
Navigator

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118 Posts

Response Posted - 07/12/2007 : 15:21:55

Frank
I came up with 64 floor to bottom of boom, less 24 floor to combing,
Then the guy at the factory said take off another 3 to keep the boom from rubbing. I got 37" for the height. Can't wait for you to post
pics and give a review.
john on ms achsa
Galveston Island....because life's to short to live in Dallas

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ct95949
Captain

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Aruba
300 Posts

Response Posted - 07/12/2007 : 16:17:26

I have the same bimini from Westland only with stainless tubing. It is 81" wide, mounted on the genoa track and 46" tall (track to boom).
Go2Marine was the retailer but the unit is shipped directly from Westland who could never explain to me why a frame with 4681 stickers on every piece measured 54" from the mount to the top of the middle bow. After endless calls and e-mail photos they sent me a second 4681 frame that also measured 54"! To make a long story short I cut the legs down to 46", have a spare frame in my garage and Go2Marine only charged me for the Sunbrella fabric

.
I keep my boom down a few inches so the battens don't hang up on the backstay so 48" for track mounting sounds right and 81" wide just means more shade. The first photo shows the fabric loose because I unhooked an aft strap to get off the boat easier, it's usually snug.

Edited by - ct95949 on 07/12/2007 16:30:20

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 07/12/2007 : 16:50:04

Ordering one to Mount on the coaming will give you the least amount of shade, but you will be able to walk around it more easily if you need to go forward while it is up. Using the last picture above for reference, I centered mine (the one from the C-22) and it landed in the blue area right about where the dock line shadow is. Works fine and positions just forward od where the bimini is in the Fair Lady picture above.
Also, I ordered a tan color on a hunch that it would feel a bit cooler and show less fading over the long run. My bimini cover is royal Blue and matches my mainsail cover.
David

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