DIY sunshade canopy, bimini extension, or whatever you wanna call it

[Chatt_Jetsetter]

Updated 5/21/21: Stabilizer/spreader bar sorted out, done with sunshade...under $150, takes 2 mins to setup. See google doc below.


I made an extended sunshade canopy for my Vortex. Total cost (before tax) is right around $139.

Alright...I think I have this sorted out. It's not perfect, but it works really well, is stable, and super quick to setup. I went ahead and wrote up a description of what I've done and the materials I've used. Everything is working great at the moment. Note that with the sunshade in place you might not be able to stand up completely on the back of the boat. I'm 6'4" and I can sit under it, and I can get out of the water onto the swim deck easily but you have to duck when going back into the boat. I haven't measured the height clearance from the swimdeck to the sunshade.

DIY Sunshade

DIY Sunshade/Bimini Extension The whole setup is (2) 5’ EMT conduit poles and (1) PVC spreader pole, the sunshade, (6) carabiners, (2) CamJams, and (2) T-connectors. Takes less than 5 mins to set up or take down. This will fit perfectly for a Chaparral Vortex 203. Since other boats are dif...

docs.google.com

 

[drewkaree]

The nut that's pounded into the EMT, does that feel at all like it might pull out? I'm wondering if, after it gets seated in there, you pull it out with the eyebolt and epoxy or JB Weld it in place for good, never another concern.

Does the joint in the middle of the fiberglass poles seem sturdy enough? I like the idea of the magnets to keep it apart as well.

Do you think 1/2" EMT would be sufficient, or in the other direction, would 1" be more stable? I think 1" would be harder to find a solution for attaching the eyebolt though...

 

[zipper]

We are discussing shade options on boats. My wife showed me these a few weeks ago. They are carbon fiber, telescoping and fit in a rod holder. They are not cheap, but after all it is a B.O.A.T. Carbon Fiber Poles | Shade | Carbiepoles

 

[Chatt_Jetsetter]

The nut that's pounded into the EMT, does that feel at all like it might pull out? I'm wondering if, after it gets seated in there, you pull it out with the eyebolt and epoxy or JB Weld it in place for good, never another concern.

Does the joint in the middle of the fiberglass poles seem sturdy enough? I like the idea of the magnets to keep it apart as well.

Do you think 1/2" EMT would be sufficient, or in the other direction, would 1" be more stable? I think 1" would be harder to find a solution for attaching the eyebolt though...

The nut that's pounded in feels very solid. To be fair I didn't try to pull it back out, but there's no play whatsoever. You could put some JB Weld into the top of the conduit just before you seat it the first time just to be sure.

In lieu of the fiberglass rod for tension, you could simply use a dowel rod, painted black, and glue the magnets on the end of that as well. Realize the rod will not be under the edge of the sunshade, because when tensioned out the shade has a bit of curve to it. I'm looking into attaching a couple velcro straps to the edge of the sunshade, to keep the tension rod following more in line with the shade itself.

You need to use 3/4" EMT for the main poles. They are more than sturdy enough. 1" EMT is pretty large, heavier, harder to store, and you'd have to use a much larger eyebolt and nut, which can lead to having issues getting the carabiners to clip around it.

This is absolutely a work in progress, so if you have a better solution for a particular area or something that will fit your needs better, please share it!

 

[Epsmith19]

I made an extended sunshade canopy for my Vortex. Total cost (before tax) is right around $115.

Alright...BIG disclaimer: this is still a work in progress. It's not perfect, but it's close. I went ahead and wrote up a description of what I've done and the materials I've used. Everything is working great at the moment. I'm still playing with the fiberglass tensioner, but I think I've got the right solution. I have not been able to test this with strong wind. My guess is it wouldn't hold up, just like you shouldn't drive with it up. Find a nice cove with a gentle breeze and enjoy. Once I get my boat out of dry dock again I'll set everything up and get a lot more pictures, with detail. In the meantime, for those of you who are anxious to get started...here ya go:

DIY Sunshade

DIY Sunshade/Bimini Extension The whole setup is (2) 5’ EMT conduit poles and (1) PVC spreader pole, the sunshade, (6) carabiners, (2) CamJams, and (2) T-connectors. Takes less than 5 mins to set up or take down. This will fit perfectly for a Chaparral Vortex 203. Since other boats are dif...

docs.google.com

Please note the picture below doesn't reflect accurately the changes I've made in the write-up. I swapped the tension straps for paracord with a cam lock carabiner for quick tensioning, and added a fiberglass rod to keep the tops of the poles from leaning towards each other.

View attachment 146829
View attachment 146830

Good work

 

[Chatt_Jetsetter]

The google doc has been updated with a few additional photos. I put it up this morning and was able to sit in the transom area and fish for a bit. Once I get the tension rod in place it should be just about right.

 

[drewkaree]

We are discussing shade options on boats. My wife showed me these a few weeks ago. They are carbon fiber, telescoping and fit in a rod holder. They are not cheap, but after all it is a B.O.A.T. Carbon Fiber Poles | Shade | Carbiepoles

I wasn't able to suss out a price on those on their site, but their website seems a bit lacking in design, I may have missed it in all of that.

 

[Dean P]

I wasn't able to suss out a price on those on their site, but their website seems a bit lacking in design, I may have missed it in all of that.

Agree on that! Website makes you dig and dig but found a price of $225. I assume this is for 1 but could not find out. Terrible...

 

[drewkaree]

Agree on that! Website makes you dig and dig but found a price of $225. I assume this is for 1 but could not find out. Terrible...

What size is that for the $225? That'd REALLY jack the price of this DIY solution, but some folks have wives that don't mind spending their money ?

I wish they had the sail in black to match the current bimini, but that seems to be unavailable in a similar setup (and quality!) that @Chatt_Jetsetter has found, so I'd go with the grey from that source.

 

[Chatt_Jetsetter]

What size is that for the $225? That'd REALLY jack the price of this DIY solution, but some folks have wives that don't mind spending their money ?

I wish they had the sail in black to match the current bimini, but that seems to be unavailable in a similar setup (and quality!) that @Chatt_Jetsetter has found, so I'd go with the grey from that source.

I wanted black as well, but couldn't find it at the under $20 price. I'll probably replace the gray one with black at some point.

 

[zipper]

I wasn't able to suss out a price on those on their site, but their website seems a bit lacking in design, I may have missed it in all of that.

Ya, the website sucks. Sailrite is now a distributor. Like I said....$$$. Boat Hardware: Support Poles – Sailrite.com - Sailrite

 

[AZMark]

The nut that's pounded in feels very solid. To be fair I didn't try to pull it back out, but there's no play whatsoever. You could put some JB Weld into the top of the conduit just before you seat it the first time just to be sure.

In lieu of the fiberglass rod for tension, you could simply use a dowel rod, painted black, and glue the magnets on the end of that as well. Realize the rod will not be under the edge of the sunshade, because when tensioned out the shade has a bit of curve to it. I'm looking into attaching a couple velcro straps to the edge of the sunshade, to keep the tension rod following more in line with the shade itself.

You need to use 3/4" EMT for the main poles. They are more than sturdy enough. 1" EMT is pretty large, heavier, harder to store, and you'd have to use a much larger eyebolt and nut, which can lead to having issues getting the carabiners to clip around it.

This is absolutely a work in progress, so if you have a better solution for a particular area or something that will fit your needs better, please share it!

I’ve been messing around with a somewhat similar project using a Lycra beach shade and I could never get the poles to stay put in the wind. The fiberglass stabilizer rod is a great idea!

 

[AZMark]

Ya, the website sucks. Sailrite is now a distributor. Like I said....$$$. Boat Hardware: Support Poles – Sailrite.com - Sailrite

How about the $24 aluminum ones on the same page.

 

[Chatt_Jetsetter]

How about the $24 aluminum ones on the same page.

That's cool, I like the tip on the end; you could use it to go through the grommet or D-ring on a sunshade, and it has a rubber foot on the other end, plus they are adjustable. The only thing you'd have to figure out is how to attach a guyline to tension them down and how to keep them from leaning towards each other.

 

[TimW451]

@Chatt_Jetsetter Great write up. I’m putting one of these sails on my deck at home and was think, “Why not use one of these for the boat?” ? Validated!

 

[Dean P]

Ya, the website sucks. Sailrite is now a distributor. Like I said....$$$. Boat Hardware: Support Poles – Sailrite.com - Sailrite

I believe you meant $$$$. That's outrageous!

I like the telescoping idea but wanted to mount it up top on the tower (somehow). This way you could pull it out to provide shade and push them back in when traveling. For now, I'll probably stick with a pool handle like the one for brushing/cleaning.

 

[Dean P]

How about the $24 aluminum ones on the same page.

Believe they would work also. Not sure how strong they are.

 

[BigT51]

I wonder if something like this would work for the poles - a little more expensive but less work and would provide adjustability if needed. One of the pictures shows it supporting a sunshade off a RV.

Amazon.com: Sunnyglade 2 Pcs Adjustable Tarp Poles Telescoping Aluminum Rods Portable Awning Poles for Camping,Backpacking,Hiking(Set of 2) : Tools & Home Improvement

Buy Sunnyglade 2 Pcs Adjustable Tarp Poles Telescoping Aluminum Rods Portable Awning Poles for Camping,Backpacking,Hiking(Set of 2): Tarps - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[Chatt_Jetsetter]

I believe you meant $$$$. That's outrageous!

I like the telescoping idea but wanted to mount it up top on the tower (somehow). This way you could pull it out to provide shade and push them back in when traveling. For now, I'll probably stick with a pool handle like the one for brushing/cleaning.

I liked that idea too Dean, and wanted to go that route originally. My bimini however slopes down in the rear, and I didn't see a way to mount the extension poles horizontally from the top of my tower. I'm sure it can be done; I have a friend with a machine shop so I could probably get him to fabricate some custom brackets, but I'm not sure how good of a design I could give him...the specs have to be pretty exact.

 

[Chatt_Jetsetter]

I wonder if something like this would work for the poles - a little more expensive but less work and would provide adjustability if needed. One of the pictures shows it supporting a sunshade off a RV.

Amazon.com: Sunnyglade 2 Pcs Adjustable Tarp Poles Telescoping Aluminum Rods Portable Awning Poles for Camping,Backpacking,Hiking(Set of 2) : Tools & Home Improvement

Buy Sunnyglade 2 Pcs Adjustable Tarp Poles Telescoping Aluminum Rods Portable Awning Poles for Camping,Backpacking,Hiking(Set of 2): Tarps - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Yeah I like the fact they are adjustable. And those also have a way to tension them downwards because of the little plastic loops at the end. You'd still need to figure out a way to keep them from folding towards each other. You could probably gorilla glue one of the small magnets to the plastic piece at the end, and then still be able to use a tension rod with metal ends or a dowel rod with a magnet on the end.