Cockpit Awning Design Ideas?

[dasein668]

We're probably going to put together a cockpit awning of some sort for next season. I'm looking for good design ideas for such a beast. We have no dodger, so I'm thinking of an over-the-boom design which would cover the companionway as well as the cockpit... But maybe under would be better? Battened? We are thinking of maybe a ripstop, as Sunbrella would fold up to a very large package for an awning of this size, I think, but maybe no?Material? Other considerations?

[Tim]

Some thoughts that should apply to any awning:

• 1. Sailcloth is noisy and untenable in any breeze; ripstop would be too lightweight and would billow significantely in a breeze, and probably be noisy by itself. I can't see it being suitable for a number of reasons.
  
  2. Acrylic canvas (Sunbrella) is a good choice, though it is stiff when new; with use, it softens significantely. I don't think I'd consider anything else, frankly. It also resists water and mildew, and is an effective sunblock (as much as anything). It can be tightly rolled and/or folded, even when new. It's quiet and effective. I think you might regret any other material.
  
  3. Light colors are best to avoid heat buildup, but consider installing a darker layer of material (lightweight, like nylon) on the bottom to reduce glare. A white awning would be intensly bright beneath; your "silver" might be a bit glare-y as well, but would certainy be better than white. A soft color on the underside would be pleasing, perhaps. This could be added later on if deemed necessary, and isn't a requirement.
  
  4. Ensure that the awning can be easily deployed--and easily removed. If it's too complex, it will not be used frequently enough, and could be a problem if a storm blows through. You want something that you can put up quickly, and that will withstand 20 knots (minimum) of wind without a problem.
  
  5. One removable side curtain would be nice--one that could be used on either side, depending on orientation. This can help block the low-angle sun in the late afternoon, as needed.
  
  6. Consider a versatile design that could be rigged over the boom for headroom, but could also be rigged beneath the boom if desired. The boom can make a nice ridge support that could eliminate the need for battens, possibly.
  
  7. You'll likely need some batten material if the awning is large (excepting #6 above), but storage is an issue. I'm not sure how to overcome the problem of stowing battens, which could be up to 8' long if you build a really big awning that extends well forward, on the minimal deck space of a Triton.

[Figment]

My boat came with an awning. The basic design of mine is that it's a roughly 8' square with battens down two edges and one down the middle. The aft end of the ridge is secured to the backstay, the forward end is lashed atop the flaked/covered mainsail. The "eaves" are held apart by 7' wooden rods (a "collar tie" in the construction world) which poke into grommets in the corners. Light lines from these grommets secure to the stern rail and the lifelines to keep things basically in place.
I've only used it three times, but based on that, I'd say....

1) Go over the boom. Unless you have lazyjacks or some other rigging to foul by doing so, going over the boom is the only way to get enough headroom to preserve sanity.

B) Sunbrella. Definitely. Tim is spot on with his comment about light colors, too. Mine is white (well, it started life as white) and it is uncomfortably bright.

Finally) If you go much longer than 8', the side battens will need to be quite stiff/heavy to make it stable in a breeze. Or you'll need an intermediate collar-tie pole. As Tim mentioned, using anything longer than can be stowed in the forepeak will quickly become a hassle. If you find you need to go longer than 8', you'll probably need to do it in two pieces anyway, so I'd start with the 8 footer and see how it does, then build an extension if deemed necessary.

I feel kinda silly going on and on about this. Surely some of our friends in the lower latitudes will have much better advice to offer.

[CapnK]

A suggestion: Try making it from other, cheaper material than what your finished product will be made with. Blue tarp material is cheap, relatively durable, and pretty ugly, but will work well for prototyping. WalMart has, in the camping section, an extra thick tarp of that same material, silver on one side, and a dark tan/brown on the other, and it's a lot easier on the eyes. :) Under $10 for an 8' x 10' (there is a 10' x 12' also, and some smaller sizes).

I have been using one of these as an awning/sunshade all summer here in South Carolina, and the UV is just now starting to affect it (I haven't treated it with any protectant). I have it slung over the boom, and use a whisker pole aft and a boat hook forward to hold it out from the teepee shape it would have without any other support. The forward corners get tied to shrouds, and the aft corners get cleated to the deck. The tarp holds up to wind well (it's been up this whole weekend while Ophelia haunts the near-coast), is not very noisy when held under tension, and is a snap to set up and take down.

This fall I'll be building a cockpit enclosure for winter use, but I think that next summer I'll use on of these tarps again. The brown side I have down, and the silver side facing up reflects heat. Having adjustable poles at the ends, I can drop it into a teepee shape for more protection in the case of blowing rain (if I'm onboard - which is a lot, since I liveaboard - the companionway is always open), or put it up and almost horizontal by extending the poles fully for max ventilation.

I second the idea that Sunbrella is most likely the best material all around. It's weight keeps flapping down, and it's UV resistance is incredible. It'll stow easier after use, when it softens up.

[CapnK]

Here's a pic of an earlier incarnation of my setup. The heavy duty tarp mentioned above is over the boom, while my Spring tarp (cheapo single layer) is now in it's dying throes and serving as a foredeck shade (not very attractively, granted, but efficient nonetheless :)).

You can see a bit of the whisker pole towards the aft end, I wasn't using the boat hook forward when I took this shot.

Note CrewDog Camerahogs. :D

Shading most of the deck from the summer sun with these two tarps made a huge difference - probably 10 degrees at any given point in time - which, when there's no AC (I don't believe in the stuff, makes my nose runny :)), is quite a consideration. Even in the heat of July and August the boat was liveable by late afternoon. Or, if you laid there very still right in front of the fan while thinking "February", during the day. :D

[dasein668]

Interesting points by everyone. Thanks.

I had been thinking, I guess, more along the lines of a tension awning like you see in yards sometimes. I'm not sure, actually, what they use for fabric on those.

As for battens, if necessary, I'm thinking of using collapsable fiberglass poles like these.

[daysailor17]

The fiberglass tent poles are a stellar idea. I had a rip-stop nylon tarp I used over the boom that was super nice because it was easy to set up, it shed water nicely, and it was not heavy or difficult to store. It was given to me by a friend that bought it off REI.com, but have not been able to find one anywhere! The boat originally came with a nice awning made of heavier Sunbrella material, but it was heavy to use, put up and it didn't "sail" as nicely in a breeze. The thing would just blow around pushing the boat against the dock (moorings are sorely missed in the midwest to keep the head to wind in a blow). If you use Sunbrella, it may be too heavy for the fiberglass poles. Mountaineering tents are made of the rip-stop Nylon, the trick is to have a nice rounded surface for the wind to blow against (hence the poles). I used a fiberglass pole with attachment points at the companionway with a zipper. Anyone ever see a "Moss tent" awning? The tension with strategic longitudinal poles makes a sweet cover. This is why I am looking for a sewing machine, so I can test this tuff out.

[dasein668]

FOLLOWUP:

I now have a write-up about my awning on my site, here:
http://www.dasein668.com/projects/summer06/awning

Thanks for all the input!

[dkall]

Try Stamoid; it has a vynyl coating on both sides. Keeps out 100% of water and sunlight. Comes w/ a light light beige offwite on the outside and then a light brown or light blue on the inside. We used this fabric for years before we needed to replace it. Nothing much worse than a light drizzle but you can't be on the boat because of the drips through the fabric.

Just my two cents.

[dasein668]

I actually wasn't expecting a vinylized product at all with the Odyssey. The descriptions made me think it was going to be closer to Sunbrella in finish than it actually is.

As for the weeping of the fabric, it doesn't happen in drizzly weather?only after it's been actually raining for a couple of hours. Still, it is a little bit annoying, but then again its a drastic improvement over before?when I had none!

Too bad Stamoid doesn't come in more color options. Beige, off-white, and light blue definitely don't go with my color scheme, either.

[dkall]

http://www.perfectfit.com/product.asp?P ... 5&l2=15630

Now maybe boats in the N want a darker color up top. I prefer a lighter color top and a color warmer underside. It was qute successful before in the tropoics.

Don't know what your color scheme is but good luck.[/i]

[dasein668]

Ah, I misread your post to believe that the beige with white or blue were the only colors available. My mistake!

It's a bit late for me?they Odyssey worked well enough that I'm not going to rebuild right away. It might not be perfect, but I'd say I'm 95 percent pleased with the results.

As for color, my boat is dark green, with light Snow White decks and light grey nonskid, so beiges just don't go! My canvas is Sunbrella Silver.

Thanks for the tip on the fabric though. It's good to hear peoples' results with different materials.

[PGplastic]

Another consideration:

The edges of the awning can be cut with a slight concave curve. The corners will be a little extra pointy, but, flapping will be minimized once pulled tight. Kites often have this cut to the aft edge of the wing. Some mountaineering tents have the same edge, too.

BTW, nice quilt.

Paul

[Peter]

Nice job, Nathan. I think I'll try building one for the Vega.
Peter.