Date: November 2015

The project: Add on to the existing dodger – a bimini and side panels?

The considerations: We plan to cruise in the winter (setting off in early January for Seattle Boat Show) so having this protection is going to be essential. Not to mention protection from the sun once we hit the tropics. The only consideration is whether or not to full enclose the cockpit.

Time: Not ours… thankfully. For this project, we enlisted the professionals. It took about 2 weeks.

The outcome: Fantastic job by La Fabrica in Vancouver! The structure is solid (and we asked extra stainless supports), the canvas is a perfect, tight fit. Overall, excellent attention to detail and super high quality work.

We opted to do two side panels on each side, but not fully enclose the back. So far this has worked well; we still feel protected and we don’t get wet. We’ll see how it goes in heavy following winds/seas.

Eventually we will add removable Phifertex side and back panels – to provide additional sun protection in Mexico – an absolute must.

I have to giggle when I compare this to Hydroquest’s bimini. We bought the stainless steel tubes in Vancouver, drove them down to the Mexico. We had them bent, and then installed them ourselves. We used various canvas specialists (in La Cruz, La Paz, and Neuvo Vallarta) to help us, and it still looked a bit shoddy by the end.

I tell ya, this bimini paid for itself the first upwind winter crossing of the Georgia Straight.

Looking Naked Before:

No Bimini

She looks good! Bimini shot in Seattle in January