Rear bimini sunshade

Tuesday 21 Apr, KY day 38: Intensive sewing day constructing the rear bimini sunshade.

It’s another hot day on board without the over-boom shade on. The strong wind is cooling and the new side shades to the bimini are good, but their mesh material doesn’t totally block the sun, glare from the sea and heat. We are already debating making a MkII version, out of solid material, which we can use at anchor when we don’t need visibility through them. Now that we have the pattern, further additions to our ever growing fleet of shades (!) should be easy sewing.

And on the subject of sewing and bimini shades: today sees major intensity manufacturing the rear bimini shade. Getting all the curves right, top and bottom, is a big challenge. I must have gone from the saloon sewing room to the bimini for test fittings at least 20 times. Bit by bit it comes together and by bedtime it’s all done except for binding the lower edge. I’ll leave that till the morning as I need to watch the SailRite video on how to add bindings. We’re super pleased with the result. It follows the curves on the cockpit coaming and bimini perfectly. With the side shades also attached, we giggle that the cockpit now looks like one of those netted terraces you so often see in the gardens in Carolinas and Florida, to keep bugs out. But with the front of the cockpit still “open”, our terrace is more like a bug scoop than bug exclusion. They can get in but they can’t get out!

Not a lot else happened today. Oana read her books, I had a wonderful after-lunch nap and at sometime, a swim around the corals with the GoPro, trying to capture the underwater garden and sea life below Cloudy. I’m sure there are more fish arriving each day. Will have to get the dive gear out one of these days, and take Oana down there.