[Tutorial] How to make a bimini for your boat?

Comfort on board, Bimini tops and biminis

Designed to protect from the sun and bad weather, a bimini is essential comfort equipment on a pleasure boat. It is a small canvas shelter erected on the deck to provide shade. For a long time, theinstallation of a bimini for fishing boats was fashionable. Today, this equipment is the delight of many boaters at anchor and during slow sailing offshore. On e-commerce sites, you can easily find biminis for Osculati and Orange Marine powerboats and sailboats. However, it is also possible to make a boat bimini if you are good at manual work. How to make a boat bimini ? In the rest of the article, discover the different steps to follow to make a custom bimini yourself.

The material you need to make a boat bimini

To make your own inexpensive bimini, you obviously need a boat bimini top, brackets and various fixing accessories. You will easily find all these elements on Amazon, Ebay ou Ticketmaster.

First, go for a Sunbrella canvas if you have a hard time deciding on the choice of fabric. But you can also opt for other models according to your needs. The important thing is that the canvas is waterproof, UV and mildew resistant and strong enough not to tear when the boat is sailing. Polyester is a material often used by bimini manufacturers because it meets these specifications.

See polyester canvas ideal for making a boat bimini.

You can also make it easier for yourself by purchasing a canvas that is already sewn and ready to use. Just choose the dimensions that suit your boat and the color:

See replacement covers for 3-arch bimini.

See replacement covers for 4-arch bimini.

Then choose a mounting kit with aluminum or stainless steel tubes.

See telescopic support bars for 3-arch and 4-arch bimini.

Finally, to fix a bimini on a boat, your fixing pack must contain all the necessary components: poles, struts, bridges, fasteners, plates, end caps, tightening buckles, carabiners, suction cups for bimini if necessary, etc. You will choose the appropriate mounting method depending on the type and configuration of your boat. We have listed elements that will help you in your choice:

bimini straps

You also need to equip yourself properly before learning how to make a bimini. Take care to have a pair of scissors, a graduated ruler, a marker, an adhesive paper tape, a brush and a bimini glue resistant to water and sun (note, to glue a bimini, you must choose a glue for flexible PVC and not for rigid PVC). Also plan a drill with the appropriate bits, fixing screws and a few eyelets. If you want to reinforce the glue with a seam, you will need polyester sailboat yarn V-69.

Finally, you can decorate your bimini with certain options:

stainless steel buttons to attach the canvas to the frame.
hooks are also a good alternative if you are using a thin rope.
a zip sturdy for easy removal and cleaning of the canvas.

a storage bag adapted to the size of your bimini
anti-vibration clips for bimini
and even a cane holder!

You will certainly need a whole day to make the fabric of your bimini. Allow another full day to make the brackets and another to do the assembly and assembly on the deck. The duration of the work, however, depends on the size of your bimini and the complexity of the frame.

How to make a boat bimini step by step

How to make a bimini for a boat? Know that the entire manufacturing process must be done with skill and requires great manual skill. The first step is to make the canvas for bimini top. How to make a bimini? Start by defining the size and shape of the template you want to create. It depends on the surface of the location you are going to mount to. The easiest would be to opt for a rectangular shape. Take the width and length you need to cover the location you have chosen. Whether it is a bow bimini or a cockpit bimini, be especially careful not to go wrong in taking the measurements.

After determining the dimensions, place the canvas on a flat surface and trace the length and width using a marker. Leave an edge of about 3 centimeters around the entire perimeter to make a fold to strengthen the edges. Place the paper tape at the edge of the fold line you drew and apply the bimini top glue using a paintbrush. After a few minutes, peel off the tape and fold the fabric over to stick the edges together. You can reinforce the whole thing with a boat canvas seam. The making of the fabric of your custom-made boat bimini ends with the installation of eyelets and other fixing accessories on the fabric (button, zipper, hooks, etc.).

A guide that explains how to easily make a boat bimini on your sailboat.

The next step is to assemble the frame of your bimini. If you don't know how to make a boat bimini, often just reading the assembly instructions is enough to get you through. Whether it is a bimini with 2 arches, a bimini with 3 arches or a bimini with 4 arches, the assembly steps are the same:

Check the contents of your assembly kit
Assemble the side frame and the starboard frame using the cross bars

Mark the location of each of the two articulated mounting plates and the jumpers using a marker
Drill the screw holes and fix the plates and the bridges, taking care to put a little sealant
Fix the end caps of the frames and mount the supports on the fixing plates

To complete the installation of a bimini, secure the canvas using the straps provided in your mounting kit. If the original accessories do not allow the canvas to be stretched correctly, you can add a few support straps to strengthen the support of the supports. To do this, use carabiners or hooks.

Common problems encountered when making a boat bimini

The main difficulties in the manufacture of a bimini for a boat concern the making of the canvas and the fixing of the supports. So before learning how to make a boat bimini, take the time to educate yourself. You can also get some video tutorials on the Internet if you want to view the fabrication techniques specific to the model you want to create. To consolidate each attachment for bimini, opt for the replacement of some accessories supplied with your kit by more robust models.

Finally, if this tutorial seems too complicated, you can always buy a bimini. There are many on the market and we have compiled one 'Biminis' buying guide to help you choose the best fit for your boat.

Maintain and clean a boat bimini

After having made a bimini for a boat, the common question that arises is: how to maintain it? Essential, cleaning increases the life of your boat bimini by removing dirt at regular intervals. For this, you must use a special bimini cleaner.

See an effective cleaner to keep your bimini clean.

Especially avoid using a washing machine or pressure washer to clean it. Also, wait until the boat bimini is dry before folding or storing it. This handling must then begin as soon as boat bimini manufacturing.

Finally, at the start of each season, it is recommended to waterproof your boat bimini. For this, you must use a quality waterproofing product.