Canvas Upgrades

Contents:
New Sails
Added cruising spinnaker to inventory in 2001, and replaced the 135% Genoa in 2002.  These sails are shown on the top two of pictures.  Sail were made by Quantum thru the Solomons loft.
Click on picture to view at full resolution
Click on picture to view at full resolutionA new fully battened mainsail from Quantum was added in 2003 and shown in the picture on the right.  With the exception of the mizzen, Sarah now has a completely new (since 2001) sail inventory.

Click on picture to view at full resolutionJack Tyler has been working on me to add a mizzen stay sail my sail inventory.  I have added the picture (bottom) he provided me of their 424 Whoosh under maximum sail area on a sail from the Bay Islands to Grand Cayman.

I think I'll start talking to Quantum about this sail in 2004.  In the mean time I'll add another halyard block for this sail to the mizzen.

Sail Covers
Click on picture to view at full resolutionWhen I purchased Sarah the sail covers were serviceable, but old and worn.  They were also black - not my favorite color.  When I purchased the new Genoa I also had Leonard Canvas in Solomons (Quantum Sails) make me a new set of sail covers for the mizzen and mainsails in Sunbrella Toast.  Leonard also made the cover for the wheel.
 Dodger and Bimini
The Dodger that came Sarah was ugly (Black!) and poorly designed (it was difficult to get around the Dodger when going between the cockpit and the deck.  I kept the Dodger until we completed the Bermuda Cruise as I felt we needed some protection for the cockpit.  My crew believed we needed even more protection and improvised a Bimini from bed sheets.

When we returned from Bermuda I discarded the Dodger (it was badly worn) and began planning for a new one and a Bimini.  I wanted the width of the new Dodger to be inboard of the cockpit coamings so it would not be so difficult to climb out of the cockpit onto the side deck.  I also wanted the Bimini to allow me to stand under it at my full height (6'2").  The later requirement led me to raise the mizzen boom about 1'.  This is the maximum I could raise the boom without requiring the mizzen sail to be re-cut with a shorter hoist.

In 2003 I started to seriously talk to canvas fabricators.  I considered a hard dodger like the Wavestopper, but decided the low main boom and and proximity of the mizzen mast did not make that solution practical for Sarah.  The biggest problem with the fabricators is that there are so few of them in the mid-Chesapeake area.  There are only two in Solomons.  I could go to Annapolis, but even there there are only a handful of shops.  I finally decided to turn the work over to Clark McKinney of Quantum Sails in Solomons.  There were a lot of compromises required to come up with the final product primarily involved with getting around the mizzen  mast in the middle of the cockpit and the low boom over the trunk cabin.  The major compromise for both the Bimini and the Dodger is that I will not be able to lower them with the booms in place.  In order to achieve both head room under the canvas and strength in construction it will not be possible for either of them to fold under the booms.  This is not a major issue for the Dodger as I expect to leave it up in all weather.  However, I may need to remove the Bimini in preparation for a storm.  Currently the solution will be to remove the Bimini cover from the bows and leave the bows in place.  The obvious alternatives are (1) to cut down the height of the Bimini to allow it to be lowered or (2) to re-cut the mizzen to allow the mizzen boom to be raised another foot..  Neither alternative is very attractive.  One solution suggested by a friend is to loosen the set screws holding the secondary bows to the primary bow and allow them to slide down the primary bow until they are low enough to clear the boom, then fold everything forward against the back of the mizzen mast.

I think this solution is workable, but it will require some minor modifications to the existing configuration.

  • Install and secure collars immediately above the secondary bow attachment points to provide a reference for where the jaw slides must be secured when raising the Bimini.
  • Replace the set screws in the jaw slides with fast pins so the slides can be released and secured quickly.

 

I'm sure there are other issues that would have to be dealt with to implement the solution.  For sure it will be a 2-person job.  If I am single-handing I will probably have to just take down the cover and leave the bows in place.

In any case I don't plan to make any modifications for a month or two until I get used to having all this canvas around the cockpit.

In summary I am very satisfied with the quality and value I received from Clark and his staff at Quantum Solomons.  My wanting to tweak the design is part of the process of adjusting the product and myself to the best solution, which is never apparent at the start.  The product I received conformed to the design we worked out together and was delivered at a fair price.
Click on picture to view at full resolutionHere the bows of the new dodger in place.  Fabric was still being put together at this time.  This gives me 48" of clearance above the bridge deck to enter and exit the companionway.  This is adequate, but will require me to stoop a great.  This is probably a good thing as it will keep the head of anyone going through the companionway well below the height of the boom.
Click on picture to view at full resolutionTwo weeks later both the Dodger and the Bimini are in place. 
Click on picture to view at full resolutionLooking at the Dodger and Bimini from the bow.  The Bimini is about 6" higher than the dodger.  The limit on the height of each are the mizzen and main booms, respectively.  The result is I can stand under the Bimini at the helm and see over the Dodger.  Something I wanted.
Click on picture to view at full resolutionFrom above.
Click on picture to view at full resolutionFrom the side.  The Dodger conforms to the coach roof and is within the cockpit coamings.  This allows anyone to step onto or over the coaming when going forward.  The previous Dodger was attached outboard of the coaming making it difficult and awkward get around it and onto the deck.

 
Click on picture to view at full resolutionView from under the Bimini.  The Dodger support is strengthen by vertical support attached to the cockpit bulkhead.  This support allows the side curtains to be released without weakening the dodger.  The side curtains must be released to allow a full 360 degree rotation of a 10" winch handle.
Click on picture to view at full resolutionClark added vinyl strips to take the wear of the mizzen sail and cover rubbing on the top of the Bimini.

Because the mizzen sail control lines are cleated to the boom directly over the Bimini I replaced the cleats with rope clutches on the forward edge of the boom.  This allows them to be adjust easily with a lot more leverage than reaching out over the top of the Bimini while standing on tip toes.  See Mizzen Running Rigging for details.
Click on picture to view at full resolutionIn order to allow the Bimini to be as tall as the mizzen boom permitted, I borrowed an idea from Jack Tyler and moved the mizzen sheet tackle to stern rail.  The bottom fiddle block in the tackle is attached with a snap shackle.  After setting up this arrangement I discovered it also eliminated the need for a vang on the mizzen boom.  When sailing off the wind I can rotate the sheet tackle and the leeward running backstay.  The backstay is moved forward and secured to the base of the mizzen shroud and the sheet tackle is moved to the pad eye vacated by the backstay.  That will allow me to maintain a downward, restraining force on the mizzen boom without using a vang.
New Dodger in 2011
While berthed for the winter of 2010-2011 in Jacksonville, FL I decided I really needed to replace both the Dodger and the Bimini.  Over 7 years of constant exposure, including two very cold winters had taken their toll.  I had re-stitched and patched both items on several occaisions.  Now the material was starting to give way.
I am reasonably confident that I could make a new Bimini as the panels and zippers are mostly straight.  The Dodger is another matter.  I left that to the professionals, in this case Pat's Canvas & Sail Repair shop next to the Ortega Yacht Club Marina.  The new dodger is shown on the left.
When I ordered the new dodger I requested several modifications to the existing one and the canvas shop recommended some more.  In the picture on the right the clear vinyl panes are covered by a removable panel.  This was done at the recommendation of the shop as it provides protection for the vinyl, extending its life, and also provides shade for the companionway.
In the picture on the left I have removed the cover to expose the clear vinyl windows.  One of the major differences from the old dodger is the size of the center window panel.  This openning panel was much larger on the original.  The zippers for that panel provided the opening for the traveller control lines.  This not a bad idea, but it made it somewhat difficult to roll up and secure that large opening panel.
It will be a lot easier open and close the new panel.
The view from the cockpit.
This is a closer view of the openings provided for the port traveller line and the main sheet.  The opening on the far left will be used for an inboard lead for the staysail sheet.  I plan use rope clutches on that and the main sheet, so they can both be trimmed by the existing main sheet winch.
This is a view of the starboard side of the dodger.  Just two openings here.  I have purchased a used Lewmar 25 winch for the stay sail sheet on this side.
Another change from the old dodger is the method to secure the opening panel.  As stated above, that large panel was difficult to roll up and secure, almost impossible for one person.  Usually I just flipped that panel over and on top of the dodger when I wanted to get some air to the cockpit.  I had no way to secure the panel in that location and it often was blown down in front.  That position also put stress on the top of the zippers, causing broken teeth and ripped threads.
For the new dodger the shop sewed a couple of D-rings into the top of the dodger (as shown on the left) and attached short strings to the bottom of the pane.  I can now flip the openning panel onto the top of the dodger and secure it without stressing the zippers.
One feature of the dodger was delayed until a local metal fabricator could make the grab rails.  With the rails installed on both sides of the dodger I now have something strong and secure to hold onto when moving between the cockpit and the deck.
The grab rails are thru-bolted to the frame tubes.
Cabin Curtains
I inherited a complete set of simple curtains for the port lights on the Sarah.  These were not elegant curtains, but they served the purpose of privacy and kept most of the harsh sunlight out of the cabin on hot summer days.  They weren't very attractive (picture on the left).  However I had enough projects so I just lived with them.
I have no idea how old they were in 2006 when Bob Calt offered to wash them while we were in Madeira on the way back to the USA.  Only five of the eight curtains came back from the wash.  The UV had gotten to them and they all but disintegrated in detergent and water.
So now I had three port lights with no curtains.  I lived with that for the next three years until in the summer of 2009 when I arrived in New Bern, NC.  I quickly discovered that summer sun in North Carolina really required awnings and port light curtains.  I started a project to make a deck awning, but the material I purchased, Sunbrella Shade, proved to be a little tricky to work with, especially for my limited sewing skills.  I decided to attempt a little smaller project before starting on the deck awning.
The hatch awnings seemed to be more important than curtains so I started on those first.  I was following an instructional video from SailRite on how to work with Sunbrella Shade.  In their video, SailRite sewed nylon webbing along the material edges, then sewed binding tape over the reinforced edges to provide a finished edge.  I had no difficulty sewing the webbing to the material I cutout for the hatch awnings.  In some ways this is simpler than hemming the edges.  However the second step tested and exceeded the limits of my sewing machine and my skill.  I could not get the binding and the Shade material to pass cleanly through my SailRite Yachstman machine, even though I was using a binder attachment to feed the binding tape into the machine (picture on the right).  I experimented with many pieces of test material, but I could not get the material to feed through my machine.  I tried using just the Shade material without the nylon webbing.  That would feed, but I couldn't keep the shade material inside the binding fold.  All it took was a second of inattention (e.g., trying to keep the machine speed slow and steady) and the Shade would slip out of the binding.  It looks really easy on the SailRite video.  The reality was a little different for me.
Part of the problem was the limited space I have for a sewing machine in the Sarah's main cabin.  I set the machine on the central pedestal of the dinning table and used one leaf to catch the material coming through the machine.  There is very little counter space to the left of the machine to support the material while is it being fed through the machine.  Consequently I'm fighting gravity trying to keep the material and the binding tape together.  I experimented with turning the machine 90 degrees and using the table leaf as support for the material, but then I had to sew standing up and I couldn't see what was happening under the machine.  The result was the same - the material and the binding separated before being joined by the machine.

So I once more re-grouped and tried what I thought would be a simpler project - port light curtains.  For this project I decided to forego both the webbing and the binding on the edges.  In stead I would do a simple hem.  I tried to do a mitre corner with the hem, but even that proved a little difficult, so I went the very inelegant overlapped corner hem.  The result for the port light in the head is shown on the right.
Although it is certainly nothing elegant, I am satisfied with the result.  This curtain does the three most important things I wanted from the new curtains.
1, Provide privacy.
2. Cuts down on the heat from the sun.
3. Lets in the maximum amount of light while still achieving the first two goals.
The other nice thing about this approach to making curtains, it took only a few hours to make curtains for the port light in the head and the port light in the shower stall.  The shower stall curtains are shown on the left.
The curtains are mounted on the port lights using the screws that hold the internal port light trim in place.  I replaced the #8 x3/4 round head screws in the trim with #6x1 flat head screws, which held the curtain track mounting in place.
Then the track was snapped into the holders on the top and the bottom of the port light and the curtain carriers were slid into the track.
For the carriers I used the Snap-On Tape from Sailrite.  This is a nylon webbing tape with Snap-On studs attached on 4-1/2" centers.  All I had to do was sew this tape to the top and bottom edges of the finished curtain.  Then I attached the Snap-On carriers (also from SailRite) to studs on the awnings.  The carriers slide into the track.  You can see the Snap-On studs through the material in the pictures of the awnings mounted on the port lights.   I also purchased the Small Screw Stops from SailRite to secure the carriers in the track.
On the right is the new curtain installed on the port light in the galley.  It allows a generous amount of light, but very little heat.   This picture was taken in the early afternoon in August.  Sarah is berthed facing West, so the port-side lights get a lot of nearly direct sunlight.
Notice I had not yet removed the old curtain rod when I took this picture.
I'm not going to brag about these curtains (they a pretty rough construction), but they do serve the cabin much better than the old curtains.
There are four relatively large (20" wide)  port lights and four relatively small (10" wide) port lights on Sarah.
On the left are two of the small port lights.
I may have cut the curtains for the small port lights a little too narrow.  They barely cover the width of the ports.  They seem to work though so I won't be re-making them.  I'll just trim down the tracks a little.
For the two opening ports I used self-adhesive backed Velcro to attach the curtain material to the port light.
This is the opening port light in the main cabin.
And this is the opening port light in the forward cabin.  Using Velcro the port light can be opened without removing the curtain.
I'm not sure how well the Velcro adhesive will hold on the aluminum frame of the port light.  The Velcro I used for the main cabin port light has been in my parts bin for several years, so I don't expect it to hold very long at all.  The Velcro I used in the forward cabin was recently purchased, so it will be the benchmark for adhesion to the frame.
If the Velcro adhesive does not hold I could go to JB Weld.
There is really no reason for me to remove these curtains so this may be a non-issue.
My final curtain project was the clear acrylic companion way wash board.  The only draw back to the clear board is it let a lot of direct sun light in during the morning or afternoon hours.  This made the aft cabin very hot on summer days.
This curtain is attached to the board with Velcro on the upper, outer corners.

Well it looks like my curtain project is pretty much over.  Now onto the real sewing project - hatch and deck awnings.  Then I can put the sewing machine away for another year.
Hatch Awnings
Hatch awnings were actually a higher priority than the port light curtains.  This August has been very hot and heat from the sun beaming through the hatches rendered the air conditioning useless.  So my first priority was to cut the material for the hatches and lay it in place weighted down with winch handles.  This proved the effectiveness of the Sunbrella Shade material as a sun cover and it allowed the air conditioning to keep the cabin habitable while the outside temperature was over 95F.
This allowed me to work on the curtains while I was still designing the hatch awnings.
The picture on the left is the completed awning for the galley hatch.  If you look at the pictures below, taken within a few minutes of this one, you can see that the sun was nearly directly overhead.
Also if you look closely at this picture you will see that the varnish on the hatch frame is badly in need of refreshment.  Now that I have a UV screen on this hatch, maybe the next varnish job will last more than a few years.
The main issue in the design was how I would attach the awnings to the hatches.  I finally decided the simplest fastener would be Dot snaps, but then how to attach the snap stud to the hatch frame.
My initial solution was to use pop rivets, but I wasn't sure if the pressure of a pop rivet might deform the stud.  I was also more than a little anxious about drilling holes in the frame.  Jack Tyler suggested using J-B Weld, which I had not considered until that moment.  Then the issue was whether J-B Weld would hold the stud to the frame when the snap fastener is pulled apart.  I had purchased a piece of flat aluminum stock to test the pop rivets and I used that to test the J-B Weld.  That test seemed to be successful so I attached four studs to the hatch over the galley with J-B Weld.  The picture on the right shows the snap stud on the frame.  Actually this particular stud did come loose when I first pulled the snap fastener apart.  I did not get enough epoxy on the stud base, so I re-attached it.
One of the problems using adhesive to attach the studs to the frame is that the frame is an extrusion, actually a flat tube rather than a solid piece of flat stock.  The inner and outer surfaces are not parallel, which makes it difficult to put a clamp on the stud when it is glued to the frame.  This is less true on the sides of the frame, but a significant problem on the front of the frame.
I could have cut darts out of the corners of the awnings as I was sewing the hems.  This would have made the awning form a shape more conforming to that of the hatch frame.  I opted for the easier method of just mitering the corners.  It may not be as elegant, but it works and I didn't have to spend time figuring out how much of a dart was necessary to match the curve of the hatch corner.
The picture on the left shows the completed awning for the galley hatch.  I can open and close the hatch with the awning in place.
I put two snap fasteners each on the forward part of the hatch frame and the two sides.  There are no fasteners on the aft part of the frame to prevent any interference with the hatch hinges.
I think I can leave these awnings in place all summer, even when sailing.
Well, the JB-Weld never held reliably.  Some of the studs held for repeated separation from the sockets, but many came loose from the hatch frame.  There just isn't enough surface contact between the stud base and the frame in addition to the difficulty clamping the stud to the frame described above.  After two years the awnings were only being held by two or three fasteners, and I expected some of them to let go the next time I removed the awnings.
While in Jacksonville for the winter I discussed this with Mike of Pat's Canvas and Sail Repair shop, and he suggested I use pop-rivets.  He loaned me his rivet press and gave me a bunch of studs that are riveted.  I  drilled 1/8" holes in the frame where the JB-weld has let go and riveted the studs.  These studs are a standard product from DOT fasteners (Durable).  I believe I could have just as easily revitted one of the standard Durable studs using a normal blind rivet.  The real key to this working well was Mike's rivet press, which has a small diameter die for the rivet stem.  This die fits into the stud without deforming it.  My rivet press has a larger die, and I believe it would deform the stud.  So, I may be looking for a another press with a smaller die.  I didn't rivet all of the studs.  Those that were still secured by JB-Weld are still on the hatches.  I will likely need to rivet these some time in the future.  I  also will likely want to attach other canvas items to metal with DOT fasteners.
Shade Awnings for the Cockpit
Sarah's Bimini is not very large.  That is largely the result of the geometry of a Ketch rig.  I also wanted to keep the Bimini inboard of all rigging.  I've  seen some P424 Biminis in which the running backstays are inboard of the Bimini, going through a hole in the Bimini.  I prefer to have none of the rigging incumbered by the Bimini.
A small Bimini means not a lot of shade in the cockpit in the late afternoon.
Finally, in April, 2011, I decided to do something about the lack of shade and also to use up some more of the Sunbrella Shade material I bought for the deck awning that may never be made (certainly not with Shade).  The result is shown on the left and below.
I made the awnings in three panels, one for the sides and two for the stern.  Generally I would never need awnings on both sides of the cockpit.  The sun will either be directly overhead or to one side or the other.  So I attempted to make the side panel such that it could be mounted on either port or staraboard.  That was a fairly successful approach, although it does fit a little better on the port side.  The stern panels each cover one half of the end of the Bimini.  This means I can remove the starboard panel to use the gas grill, which mounts on the stern rail on that side.  I can also remove the port panel to get at the outboard motor.
OK, so it looks like I just hung up a couple of my bedsheets.  Elegance was never the objective.
Anyway it works.  I completed this project during an unusually warm Spring day in Jacksonville, FL.  The afternoon temperatures were in the low 90s and the Sun was brutal.  It was very hot and uncomfortable working in the cockpit to install the fittings.  Once I had the side panel up, things improved greatly.
The panels are secured to the Bimini with Common Sense fasteners (AKA twist locks).  The bottoms are secured with elastic cord.
These awnings are only for times at anchor or dockside.  Even then they need to be taken down in high winds.  The Sunbrella Shade material is a very loose weave and could be badly distorted by even a moderate amount of air pressure.  In order to stabilize the material I hemmed each panel with nylon webbing.  The tops and bottoms are hemmed with 1-1/2" webbing (to hold the fasteners) and the sides were hemmed with 3/4" webbing.
Working with Sunbrella Shade
Shade is a loose weave fabric made of the same acrylic used for most other Sunbrella fabric.  The loose weave allows a considerable amount of light through the fabric, but cuts down significantly on the amount of harsh sunlight (UV and IR).  It is sold primarily as covers for the large windshields on many power boats.  It should also be an excellent material for awning hatches and port light curtains.  I may be stretching (figuratively and literally) the technology in using it for a deck awning.
I ordered more material than I needed for the deck awning from SailRite.  I figured I would make a few mistakes and allowed for a certain amount of wastage.  Then if I didn't waste too much I would have enough material left over to start on the hatch awnings and curtains.
When I received the roll of material I got my first surprise.  I expected the outer edges of the roll to be finished and sealed in the same manner as the other Sunbrella fabric I've dealt with.  Instead the outer edges of the Shade material are unfinished and need to be trimmed and sealed.  This is similar to the upholstery material I used 15 years ago to make new cushion covers for the cabin of my previous boat.  The deck awning will require at least three long (13') panels.  I had not planned on having to trim and seal the long edges of these panel, just the short ones.  This was one more reason to start on the small projects (hatch awnings and curtains) before starting on the deck awning.
Cutting Shade and most of the other Sunbrella acrylic fabric is best done with a hot knife.  SailRite sells a hot knife for about $150.  If I had known I was going to have to trim and seal the long edges of my awning panels I might have opted for that tool.  Instead I purchased a 40W soldering iron with a cutting tip.
I have several soldering irons in my electrical tool box, but I elected to purchase one and dedicate it to cutting acrylic fabric.  It will stay in my canvas work tool box.
I still needed a place where I could cut the 54" wide fabric.  Patricia Tyler suggested the aft cabin berth, and that turned out to be the best place.  I purchased a 4'x2' piece of Luan plywood as the cutting surface and laid it on the berth.  This gave me a surface on which I could both measure and cut the fabric.