Bimini height for tall people -- please read and respond !!

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cathyinct	Bimini height for tall people -- please read and respond !!		Lead	[-]
Posts: 310 04/01/06 14:37:56	Tags : None I am 6' tall but my hubby is 6'5 with his boatshoes on. We are trying to design a new bimini and the canvas maker thought we might be able to accomplish more height by reducing the length of them bimini to sit behind the boom so that we might in turn raise it. She thought she could get more height by changing the angles of the original frame, but I don't feel she has. Question. 1. Are any of you really tall and how high are your biminis...... can a bimini be "too high" ? Ours is 80 inches behind the wheel. 2. We only have 72 inches to the side of the wheel and that is sometimes where we both stand when sailing..... -- this means we may have to weld about 5-6 inches to get that part to 77 inches and then the center would be at 85 inches. 3. We look over our dodger to sail the boat. Can't imagine looking beneath it. Any advise besides cutting off a portion of our legs ? How high are your biminis before and aft of the wheel ?? I appreciate your feedback. CAthy in CT
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dickbutler	Re: Bimini height for tall people -- please read and respond	#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 55 04/01/06 14:58:12 Moderator	Hi Cathy, I never thought to measure my bimini but will do that next week when I am at the boat and let you know. I'm 6'2" and have plenty of headroom, in fact I think it's at least about 5-6" above me and I look under the top of the dodger from the wheel. If the Bimini were any higher I would expect to have a chafing problem with the sail cover. I'll be happy to send photos if you want to send me an email to dickbutler@gmail.com. Dick Butler Escapade #837
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azure42	Bimini	#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 391 04/01/06 19:55:36	Cathy, I'm 6' 2" and I'm like Dick....I fit under the bimini with enough room to spare for a tall hat. Bimini Photos I'm not on the boat to measure, but maybe that's not what you're asking for -- are you planning to have your bimini made shorter in length and taller in height? I don't believe that would cause any trouble as long as you make sure the leading edge of the bimini is aft of the boom end. Like Dick suggested, the boom or the sailcover will chaff the top of the bimini (we had a leather strip sewed along the leading edge for this). One possible issue -- with the added height, yours would be above the boom-end and you may have trouble getting a transition piece to go from bimini to dodger. When you are measuring, if you're not planning to keep the leading edge aft, be sure to remember that the boom gets "shorter" when it's sheeted in hard -- like in a rolly anchorage -- and it will be several inches lower then. That was our miscalculation, but the leather solved the problem. All of this could be avoided if you'd consider looking for a shorter husband....just an idea. Rod Williams Azure, #343, 2-cabin Alameda/San Francisco Bay, CA.
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cathyinct	Re: Bimini	#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 310 04/02/06 07:27:02	Ha.... I thought about getting a shorter husband.... but we got the 42 footer for the headroom.... else a new husband might have me sell and get a 36 footer ?? I definately have reduced the length of the bimini so that the boom does not hit it....... our last one was getting seriously scraped and ruined..... but now its just wondering if we will be the only Catalina with a 85 inch tall bimini. The connector will be made ONLY after I have this bimini thing done RIGHT. The only way I can see getting this at the correct height is to weld to the existing tubes. I frankly don't like the tubing we have.... but don't want to spend more money on tubes. I thought this would be an easy project and its just not coming out as the canvas maker had suggested. Drats. I just feel I paid for alot and didn't get what we wanted.... time is a wasting. Thanks for allowing me to vent. There has to be a really tall sailor out there !! CAthy in CT
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azure42	Bimini	#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 391 04/03/06 05:11:02	With standard 1" stainless steel tubing you shouldn't have to weld on extensions....they should be able to join the butt ends with inserts and adhesive or pop rivets. It makes a strong, clean-looking joint that you can hardly see. There are also external couplers with set-screws that don't look too bad. Rod Williams Azure, #343, 2-cabin Alameda/San Francisco Bay, CA.
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cathyinct	Re: Bimini	#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 310 04/03/06 10:51:38	Thanks Rod for that information..... I will be calling her today. CAthy in CT
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sashay567	Re: Bimini height for tall people -- please read and respond	#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 240 04/07/06 09:59:27	Cathy, The bimini on Sashay is 87" tall just aft of the wheel. It lessens to 81" about 8" aft of the forward edge of the cockpit table. The foward edge of the bimini extends forward under the boom about 12". The connector slopes down to our hard dodger which is 65" high at the companion way. The connector is about 30" from the forward edge of the bimini to the aft edge of the dodger. The bimini is also full width. The bimini frame is mounted to the stern rails. I'll take pics if you want them. We have no problems sailing with the bimini up though we don't do that very often. Rodney Kidd, C-42 #567 Sashay, 2 Cabin Fin, Marina Village, Alameda, CA
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cathyinct	you have one tall bimini	#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 310 04/09/06 18:12:14	Hi Rod, You sure have a tall bimini. Our 97 boat appears to sport a Catalina factory made bimini. We had it "tweeked once". You are 87 inches aft of the wheel and we are only at about 80 inches. I can't imagine there being a whole 7 inches of difference. For my tall hubby, I am shooting for raising it another 4 inches to get him 80 on the sides ( of the T cockpit) and then get 84 inches high aft of the wheel. Our bimini will be behind the boom so that there is no rubbng, but it will now be higher than the boom. Thanks for taking the time to give me the measurements... nice to know that we won't have the tallest bimini on record ! I had them put on a SPURS. Now I may be painting on Wednesday. Vacuuming tomorrow. I am excited. Need to pick up a zinc. And one for the MaxProp. I still need to compound and wax. It's still early. Best regards, Cathy
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yorkrose	Re: Bimini height	#8	[url]	[-]
Posts: 357 04/09/06 19:03:19	Cathy, The bimini on our boat measures about 85 inches above the deck behind the wheel. This bimini was part of the original order for the boat, and I suppose one might call it "factory made." However, I believe most of this stuff never sees the inside of the Catalina factory. Such factory accessories are usually installed by the commissioning dealer. I don't know whether there is a standard supplier, but even if there is one, it is entirely possible that any given bimini (or dodger) was made by another supplier. I know that was the case on our previous "factory new" Catalina. As Rod Williams pointed out the other day, it is pretty easy to lengthen the bows. As a quick experiment you could even use something as simple as one-inch wooden dowels with cheap non-stainless couplers to try different amounts of extension. Because the boom height depends on the rig tune and the cut and condition of the mainsail, each boat may be a bit different. The best fit (or compromise) will probably come from the measurements and/or testing on your own boat. Regards, Gene Fuller Yorkshire Rose, C42 #870
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countferrari	Bimini and Tall People	#9	[url]	[-]
Posts: 103 04/10/06 11:47:44	I am 6'4" and that is the reason we bought the C42. The headroom is excellent. The bimini is about 3-4"??? over my head which is fine. I have it off for racing and on for cruising. The transition part ( between dodger and bimini) is off for sailing and on for anchoring if rain threatens. I just pull the pins on one end and the two lateral extensions just fold to the dodger (or can be removed with two other pins. The Bimini can then be folded back against the backstay. I look through my dodger windows most of the time due to cold and rain issues here in the NW. Not too bad. Be sure and add a window over the helm on the Bimini to see the top of the mast and sails. We also have two flexible solar panels rigged on the top of the Bimini for summer use. I notice I can sheet my main down to rub the top if I really crank it down so there is a magic number to use. Good luck.
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cathyinct	my tall bimini	#10	[url]	[-]
Posts: 310 04/12/06 14:57:44	After much thought, we finally elected to go 85 inches aft of the wheel which should give us 79-80 inches in the T-section to the side of the wheel. This should may the "boss" happy. It did require us to cut the length of the bimini by about 6 inches to keep it clear of the boom. WE have enlarged the clear window on the bimini and created a nice zipper for the backstay. So, when we go to sell it ------- if our kids ever let us do -- ha,ha, -- it will be highly marketable to some really tall sailor ! Cheers and thanks to the group ! Cathy in CT
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Bimini height for tall people -- please read and respond !!

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