Awnings on Swan 41

Dear All

  I want to take my "new" Swan 41/31 "Trinket" across the Atlantic next year, and need to construct some hot weather awnings. I want one awning ( sometimes called a bimini?) that can be used while sailing to keep the sun off the cockpit, and another to cover the whole boat aft of the mast when in port. This obviously needs some sort of frame just aft of the boom end.  I think the larger awning should go right above the boom when the mainsail is not set.

  I have been right through the forum without finding anything on this topic.

  Does anyone have any ideas or photos for this?

Cosmo Little

Hi Cosmo

You doing ARC?

MIke

Hi Cosmo,

I have a Swan 411, Wotan, which is not dissimilar. I did not go for a bimini on the grounds that I thought it was not very Swan (wrong!) and I was too mean! However I did have an awning made, which covered the area from the wheel position to forward of the companion way. The awning had sides which came down to just above the guard rails. It was supported by  4/5 glass fibre poles which slid into long pockets athwartships. The awning had to be split in two aft of the topping lift and was rejoined with velcro. The whole thing was tied in place aft on the backstay and forward around the boomvang fitting and laterally using a waggoner's hitch to the guardrails.Iit worked very well providing good shade and some privacy. It was made of white material. You needed to take it down when the wind blows hard, but it worked in the Caribbean. The lazyjack supports had to be lowered to erect the awning.

Have a good trip,

Anthony

Anthony

Hi, Anthony

Thanks for your reply, as far as I could understand, you did not make a frame with permanent deck sockets at all. I assume your fibreglass poles bent round like a polytunnel?

  I have been considering the problem, and think that I need a s/s pipe frame under the boom, which will take the front edge of the bimini. This will mean adding a new sheeting position on the boom, maybe 1m forward of the end. The boom is massive, and only originally sheeted right on the end because of the roller reefing.

The only sensible place for the frame sockets is right on the toe rail. The back end of the bimini could be a straight pole just lashed to the backstay, with vangs to stabilise it.

The frame could be raised when in port with extension pieces right above the boom, and would then form the centre support for an awning that would stretch from mast to backstay.

any comments, anyone

regards Cosmo Little

Hi Cosmo,

I am sorry to have taken such a long time in replying. I have been abroad and also changed my computer! No the awning was not designed to be used while under way. It simply consisted of 4-5 fibreglass poles placed athwartships across the boom and extending out almost to the side of the hull. The poles were pushed into pockets sewn into the awning. The awning had sides which came down to the cockpit coaming level. As i said, i never got into Biminis!

Cheers

Anthony