Category 4 Marine Trimming Exterior WINNER

Company Name: S B Marine Trimming

Project title: Hanse 470

Project location: Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club

Fabric name: Stamiod 6002, Makralon, Achilles roll glass

Fabric supplier: Bainbridge, Nolan UDA

Component supplier: bainbridge

What are the project specifications?

New design suspended bimini with connected canter lever spray dodger roof including new stainless steel framework, 3 LED lights and 2 masthead windows with zippered flaps.

Removable Polycarbonate front spray dodger clears with opening centre window.

Full removable and rollup cockpit clears to enclose the whole cockpit. All made in separate pieces that can be used independently.

What was the purpose of the project?

5 years ago, my client slipped down a flight of stairs and broke his back. After 4 years of operations and rehabilitation, he was in a position to go back to what he loves and bought a yacht. The problem was that the boat in its current set up was very difficult for him to use and given that his goal was to live onboard with his wife and cruise the Witt Sunday Islands, a radical change in design was necessary.

We threw a few ideas around and once we started down this road, the project grew into an awesome outdoor space which is extremely functional for my client.

What is unique or complex about the project?

The biggest challenge was to remove the structure that was already there including all the obstruction of the existing framework and provide one that offered more coverage with less obstruction. Incorporating the spray dodger was also a huge challenge due to its width compared to the back of the bimini. We removed the old frames, altered where needed and reinstalled 1 frame aft by welding it to an existing targa and using another frame forward which meant we only had one mounting point on the deck for the entire structure. We then attached a new spray dodger roof frame which was cantilevered forward of the rest of the roof. We also attached horizontal rails between these 2 fixed frames which supported another 2 frames to support the roof fabric.

The other challenge was the fact that the roof is 1 metre narrower at the front than the back. The roof is 5.5 metres long, 3.5 metres wide at the back end and 2.5 metres wide at the front. We oriented the fabric so it ran straight along the sides of the roof where most on the tension and support was needed. With such a large roof, the fear was that it would look out of scale to the boat so constant reassessment was necessary i.e. stand back, look and adjust where needed.

What were the results of the project?

The results superseded the clients expectations of what was possible and enabled me to extend my usual design parameters and "have a go" at something quite unique.

Is there any other relevant information?

The roof was the major challenge on this project however we also manufactured a removable rigid polycarbonate front clear and removable PVC clear panels that enclosed the whole cockpit.