[Rhodes22-list] (no subject)

[DCLewis1 at aol.com]

Folks,
 
Recently we’ve sailed a couple of times with the Bimini up - the sun was  
just too hot.  I put it up at the slip to motor out of the harbor.   When we 
cleared the breakwater I collapsed the Bimini long enough to get the  mainsail 
out, and then put the Bimini back up.  Comfort-wise, it’s much  better with the 
Bimini up on a hot summer day, I recommend it - the shade makes  all the 
difference.  
 
Handling the headsail was not much affected by the Bimini, except that it’s  
hard to see what’s going on at the top.  BUT, I have a hard time monitoring  
the mainsail - the entire sail is completely obscured by the Bimini.  Once  the 
sail is out and the Bimini re-set, all subsequent mainsail adjustments were  
all “by feel” and by listening.  I can crane my neck around the aft portion  
of the Bimini from time to time to spot check what’s going on with the main  
sail, but it’s not convenient for easy monitoring.  It would really be  great 
if there were a small window, or flap, you could see through to check out  what’
s going on “up there”, or maybe even have an opening in the Bimini that you  
could reach through to adjust the mainsail since all the IMF mainsail “
controls”  are on the boom.
 
Are there any other sailors on the list that sail with their Bimini  up?  If 
so, how do you monitor the mainsail and the top of the headsail? 
 
It’s occurred to me that having a window along the top of the Bimini- or  
perhaps even a flap that could be secured, and that you could reach through -  
might be a good and useful thing.  Or you might have a window that could be  
covered by a flap to keep the sun out if you weren't interested in viewing  
aloft.  Any thoughts?  I hate the thought of carving up our nearly new  Bimini.  I’
ve looked in West Marine and Defender catalogs and I haven’t  found anything 
like this.  The Biminis in the catalogs appear to be made  for power or sail 
boats - the tops are solid, no windows.  But sailboats  have this problem where 
you want to monitor what’s going on above you - unless  I’m missing something.
 
I think the R22 is kind of unique when it comes to it’s Bimini, on larger  
boats the mainsail isn’t totally obscured, or there is deck space that will let  
you look out from under the Bimini and monitor what’s going on “up there”.   
Smaller sail boats don’t usually have Bimini’s (I think).  On the R22 the  
Bimini covers nearly all the cockpit - which is good, but that really obscures  
the main sail.
 
Any thoughts?
 
Dave.
 
 



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