On the subject of Sailrite, I can't say enough good about their customer service. We had a couple questions along the way which we posted on their forum and I kid you not I never had to wait more than a 1/2 hour for an answer. My only comments at all are that we either missed the fact that the zipper for the backstay wasn't included or they didn't say, so if you're doing one of the kits be sure to buy a zipper for the backstay. Also, we used some of the binding to bind the center seam that goes over the center bow, something they didn't do but I felt was necessary to assure that the seam would survive the constant abrasion of the bow. This means that you would need to buy an extra 10 yds or so of the binding if you want to do this.
All in all it was a great project that turned out better than we had anticipated. Tim did most of the sewing since he wanted to learn and brought some really good ideas to the table even though he was unsure of the procedures. It turns out that sewing and riveting aluminum are very similar indeed.
Things learned:
- When it's 110° heat index, bring the bimini frame home and work in the air conditioning.
- Sailrite machines should be oiled every time you change the big 250yd spool of thread.
- Wood floors make great places to lay out bimini fabric. Carpet would have sucked.
- A couple days uninterrupted would have been better than a week of 4 hours each night after a long day of work.
- Spend the money and buy a hot knife if you're going to do a bimini.
- Spend the money and buy a swing-out binding attachment. It saves a TON of time.
- Watch the DVD about 20 times before you start out.
- Don't be afraid to attempt this. It is most definitely not rocket science.
The Last Zipper!
What you're seeing on the top is the reinforcement square for the backstay opening. We have twin backstays.
An underside view
An underside view of the zipper that leads to the backstay opening.
Nice corner work, huh?
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