Business Name: Canvas Barn Marine Trimming
Project Title: Shikova Kings Yacht Fly Bridge Enclosure
Location: Western Harbour, Lakes Entrance VIC
Name Of Fabric: Riviera, O'Sea 0.75mm, Makrolon Polycarbonate, Solarfix thread Supplier: Nolan UDA, East Coast Plastics,
Project Description: “Shikova" is a 56 foot Kings Yacht motor cruiser imported second hand a few years ago from Japan.
Her owner lives alone on board, and is 94. He suffers severe rheumatoid arthritis. He is, however, reasonably mentally agile and quite a savvy old fellow, but his arthritis and age are a problem.
The client wanted a full fly bridge enclosure- one that would make him the “talk of the town”.
The build is as much a “home extension” - creating an extra living room for the client, as it is a functional fly bridge enclosure for a vessel.
What is the purpose of this project? The client wanted a fly bridge enclosure to be a warm space to sit, relax and take in the serenity without having to fly to tropical Australia.
He requested “no binding on the panels”… “too much dirt catches in them”. Clean finishes, and easy to use.
He wanted the fixed rigid solar panel mounted on the radar arch moved to a to be mounted off the rear of the radar arch.
He wanted good lighting inside, lighting he could read with, and a bimini roof that was not traditional- and didn’t look traditional. He wanted it to come off the front of the radar arch.
He wanted lots of head room. He is too old to stoop easily.
The job shouldn't take "my last $" either.
As the son of a Gallipoli veteran, he requested the job be ready for him to host his family from interstate at the 100year ANZAC commemorations.
What is unique or complex about this project? The client was absent interstate for much of the job. He was quite ill with arthritis, and travelled interstate to “get warm”. He was also undergoing cataract surgery during the build. Most of the communication was done by text message.
The owner requested a non traditional bimini, and one that attached to the radar arch. He also requested lots of head room. He wanted it to look like a hard top.
he client’s age, and arthritis means he is limited in his movements. When we installed fittings, he had to be capable of using them. No good having tight bungees or snaps on the door…. he can’t undo them. No good having a rear window that rolls up… he’d fall to his death before he’d be able to roll it up, balanced leaning out along the radar arch. The rear panel is on a fair angle!
The radar arch is low - too low to be able to stand upright if the bimini was kept at that level. (Even if you are a midget… and the client is not!) There was some challenge designing a bimini that could fit in with these requests and still work with the lines of the boat, and function well to spill water.
The bimini was fabricated in stainless, rolled to be quite high. The shape was developed to create an eave around the bow section, providing some shade in the afternoon as the vessel faces west into the summer sun.
The vessel is moored in amongst a lot of fishing vessels and close to a major road. It receives a lot of pollution from exhausts, and gets dirty quickly. The owner likes white, but is unable to keep the vessel as clean as he should.
Was there anything different or special about this project? The build went like this.
Remove existing solar panels and such from the radar arch. Keep them wired up, so that the batteries still get charge… work around them for the whole job.
Pattern the curve of the handrail/ perspex wave breaker around bow section of flybridge, and the radar arch, to get the right shapes for the bimini.
Bend and roll the 25mm stainless bows, install with stainless fittings on flybridge. Work around the helm seatings which seems older than the client.
The bimini frame was fabricated in pieces, using fittings to join the pieces. If the frame was manufactured as one fully welded stainless frame, the vessel would have had to come out of the water for a stainless fabricator to attach the frame, as the frame would have been too big to shift by road and too big to fit where the vessel is moored. This would have added a large amount of $ for the client.
Install track on radar arch to attach fabric to radar arch. Note that the radar arch is not, in fact straight, but does have a dip in the middle.
Bimini fabricated to look like a hard top. Mesh vents sewn into eaves over bow section. Fabric “shelf” now exists over helm. Bimini made in two pieces, zipped close to track at rear and along sides of radar arch.
LED strip lighting sewn into pockets on bimini.
Bimini installed.
Clear panels patterned. Track fitted around side of bimini frame.
At this stage we decided where and how window openings would work for the client.
We decided that large side windows and one large rear window would be best, and the bow panel should be as “clear” as possible, with minimal fabric - let the “clear” be the champion. Rear window would hinge and clip to roof rather than rolling. decision made to use polycarb for window section, but not surrounds... budget wouldn't run to that.
Panels fabricated and installed. Seams in the panels were kept as small, and inconspicuous as possible to keep the view unobstructed. Panels manufactured with no binding, as requested by owner who requested a clean finish .
The client doesn’t ever actually travel far in the vessel, but he has a beautiful mooring with great views to the west. The bow faces the view, and also the weather.
At this the bow panel was just in place, but snap fittings weren’t completed - bad weather struck. Temperatures drop to single figures as the cold front comes through. Wind on the nose. As fast as we could heat the front panel fro the inside, the wind sucked the heat away from the outside. There was no way we could get that panel fixed in place. Go away and come back next time. Try again… and again… and again. The weather just not playing the game. Wind and rain for weeks.
Door panel was fabricated so it could be easily zipped in and out, and completely removed rather than rolled, if the owner was having particular trouble with his fingers. Mesh in the lower section. This, combined with the vents in the bimini eaves keeps a good air flow, even when the fully closed up. Straps longer than usual for ease of use when rolling.
LED lights wired to port side of vessel, and as client request, temporarily to a power source.
At this stage the client returned to the area, and brought with him new, flexible solar panels that he wanted installed onto the new bimini itself!! (that wasn’t part of the brief! The bimini hadn’t been designed, or built with this in mind!)
He also removed the ancient helm seating, and took away the anchor point for rope access to the front of the vessel.
Then - a window in the weather -!
The bimini was unzipped along the radar arch track , pulled forward to allow a small frame to bolt through the solar panel and onto the bimini framework. Panels fixed in place.
Lights rewired to starboard side of vessel, along with solar panels, at client request. ready for the electrician to finish the job.
Look for new anchor point for rope access to front of vessel. Heat that flybridge to 150 degrees with the diesel blast furnace heater. Nearly exterminate one employee with the heat. Use the favourite tool of a particular trimmer to get the snaps along the bottom of the front panel finally into place.
We added tags to every zip that the client would use (and deliberately left them off any that he shouldn’t use!) These were longer than usual, and a couple for the rear window are really long cords, because otherwise the client couldn’t reach them to close the window. We want him to remain on the vessel as long as possible in his old age, and for it to function as easily as possible for him.
�A care kit was provided to the owner, along with contact details and recommendations for boat detailing.
What were the results of the project? The client and his family are really happy that there’s a warm, functional place with good views to hold their party and 2-up games. We were delighted to complete the project while the client is still alive.
The family was happy because the job didn't eat up their whole inheritance.
How did you contribute to the project: Really, getting to the end of a project with such an old gentleman is an achievement in itself. Dealing with a client undergoing cataract surgery by text message is interesting. Trying to explain that even though the bimini “looks like a hard top” you can’t actually walk on it to retrofit solar panels was a challenge. In the end, although the lines of the bimini might not be traditional, the client is, it seems “ the talk of the town”… and in a good way. He’s happy!
Other relevant information: Wiring of solar panels and lighting is now ready for the electrician to complete. They will also tidy wires on radar arch. Wet weather to date has prevented this being done.
