New Bimini Sun Shades -- Privacy Please!

Once we returned back home from an emotional and stressful week in Seattle for my mom’s memorial service,  I was ready to do the 3R’s, Rest, Relax, Read and not much else.  Fortunately, the first couple days back in the BVI’s were windy and rainy and we spent much needed time unpacking, reorganizing, getting caught up on emails and blogs. 

One way some of us deal with emotional loss is to try and get your life back in order again.  Somethings you have some control over, but even simple things can be a challenge on a boat.  You can’t just put things away just any old place.  Everything must have a place. Also, you must remember where that place is for future retrieval.  I mention that only because you would think it would be easy to remember with so much less physical space (we are only 44’ long & 13.8” beam at the mid point) but even with the help of Walter’s computerized layout system we lose track of things on occasion and while looking for one thing, we find other stuff we forgot we had on board!  And so it goes…

Once the weather cleared we were ready to move to a quiet spot to relax and get a few boat projects out of the way.  We found Little Harbor on Peter Island to be the perfect spot with the occasional catamaran captain moored and getting ready for the next charter.  Walter was eager to get the AIS installed which soon became an all encompassing project with cushions here and there and difficult wiring runs from the cockpit to the navigation station.  I'm sure Walter covered that ad nauseam in an earlier blog post!! 

Nice peaceful Little Harbor, Peter Island Note the paddle-boarder on the left

Walter is at it again!

I helped when needed and postponed my sun shade sewing project as that would have been much too much going on.  I did manage to get all the metal zipper pulls replaced with plastic pulls and functioning on the bimini.  Every metal zipper had seized up requiring lots of vinegar, Zipper-Lube, and patience.  Never use metal zippers or pulls on a boat including zippers inside your cabin as sooner or later they will deteriorate and seize up.

Once all the zippers were functional we would be able to remove the Bimini from the metal supports and I could attach the new Sun Shades to the Bimini with zippers. Once Walt had completed the AIS project I got out my Sail-rite sewing machine and went to work measuring, cutting, and sewing the new panels.  The panels are pretty basic with bungee cord to the life-lines.  We made them extend  forward and aft of the zipper attachments to provide more protection from the sun.  When the sun shades are up they look a little like butterfly wings on each side. 

Finally, on day four with all the projects behind us we sat out in the cockpit in the lovely shade and some privacy after a swim  thinking….why didn’t we do this years ago?  So many epiphanies while cruising.  One for sure, you can't do everything at once and you will always have a never ending list of projects.  Just keep work & relaxing in balance....that's our goal.