Pensacola FL Sailing Blog - sailingnightwatch

Most side curtains roll up for passing through. This promotes scratches and a low openings. My old back just does not bend like a 5 year old anymore. There had to be a better way. I decided to hinge them from the forward end instead of the top. Instead of rolling them up, we swing them forward like a door and they snap to the canvas on the top of the windshield. Perfect. This also has kept them from developing small scratches that are caused by rolling up the plastic with any dirt or salt residue on them

This is a sailboat with its primary winches on the aft deck. Therefore, we had to have the back curtain where they could be opened to operate the winches without scratches! Well, with no better ideas, that was how they were designed. Another problem became apparent after installation was that when rolled up they stuck out into the side deck area in which you step up to the back deck. Not good. We found that the straps that hold up the rolled curtain can be used to snap up the curtain when partially opened. Nice when it is cold out. Along the same lines we now snap the curtain up half way to one of the snaps that hold the straps in place when they are not being used. This also gets tem out of the way when moving up to the aft deck. The good Lord lets us dumb ones just stumble into things once in a while. As the temperature rises, we remove them while sailing.

During the coldest of weather, when the sun is out, it is warm in the cockpit. We eat our weekend breakfasts there whether at anchor or at the pier. It is a great place to read during those cold winter days. And the best is on a cold day when you sail by some friends all bundled up as if they are heading for the ski slopes while we are in a short sleeve T-shirt. Love it.

About two years ago I designed a opening for the windshield that is about 8 foot long.  I also sprung for the best clearest plastic I could get.  This is nice but is hard to roll tight like the cheaper grades.  Working with our canvas man, we came up with a way to swing the opening back and attach it to the bows of the bimini.  With this set up we can open it all the way while sailing during the heat of the day or only unzip it partially to allow just the right amount of breeze in while dinning.  My ideas are so good.  We have found that we now put the windshield up a month sooner and take it down a month later.