The Projects Continue


Mai B 1

Posted 7/6/99





Index

More Projects

Bimini

Main Halyard Tweak

Life Jacket Storage

Mainsail Outhaul

The Bimini

While a stock bimini 36in x 72in would work fine fine on a P165, I decided to build one on my own to maximize cockpit coverage and provide maximum headroom. I went to a local custom bimini builder and bought the frame made to my dimensions (primarily because aluminum stock was very hard to find around here).

The steps were fairly simple
  • Set up the frame on a wooden base.
  • Sew up a blank of sufficient size.
  • Drape/fit the blank to the bimini frame.
  • Mark the edges of the frame.
  • Cut to size and add frame pockets
That's my son, Michael (almost 6'tall) during a lunch break, on the Indian River, off Titusville, FL
I had plenty of reference books (2 by Don Casey alone) and my trusty Pfaff sewing machine. The large pieces of fabric were difficult to handle/feed and align, but things worked out pretty well in the end. The bimini straps were hooked to shackles attached to the base of the shrouds (4 more holes avoided). The finished product entirely suits my needs and I am quite happy.

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The Main Halyard Tweak

One of the few problems with running the halyard to the cockpit is the greater effort required to fully raise the mainsail (it is easier to pull down than out). Not wanting to mess with more hardware, I decided to try using a Trucker's Hitch as illustrated in Bruce Bingham's Sailor's Sketchbook
Basically, this involves tieing a loop in the main halyard, running the sheet around the cleat, back through the loop and attach it back at the cleat. This effectively gives you a 2:1 mechanical advantage without adding any new hardware.
In practice, I raise the main as usual until the load starts to build up, and then tie a figure 8 knot (on a bight) near base of the mast (this provides the required loop). The halyard then continues as described above and is cleated off normally. No additional line was required. This has worked extremely on our last couple trips and my son was even heard to remark "creepy" (I think this is a good thing).

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Life Jacket Storage

While the cabin on the P165 is well laid out, a stack of 4 life jackets takes up a fair chunk of space. A sudden inspiration had me attach industrial self stick velcro brand strips to the collars of the life jackets and to locations just below the deck, aft of the backrests on the hull liner. This allows the easy storage of 2 PFD's on each side without effecting the usable berth space.

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Mainsail Outhaul

Ok, I admit it, I usually forget to adjust the outhaul until the mainsail is up and the fun has begun. By that time it is usually inconvenient with someone else at the helm (did I mention that I have big feet?), and very difficult when solo (I can only reach it with the main close-hauled).

The obvious solution was to relocate the outhaul cleat back toward the base of the boom. I chose a location that I could reach from the cabin and would not be blocked by the bimini. I used 3/16 inch line and utilized a "truckers" hitch again to generate a little mechanical advantage. This works quite nicely and is a big improvement.

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