More fun with Shock cord- Bimini Frame
As you can see, Windstar has three pieces of canvas, the dodger, the bimini, and a connector spanning the two. The conector can only be used in harbour, as the main sheet track is in the cockpit. As it is, the main sheet fouls the dodger slightly when running.
It's a good setup for this boat however it requires slacking and re-tensioning the lines securing the bimini fore and aft in order to attach the connector canvas.
A perfect use for shock cord!
After puzzling this out a bit I positioned two fixed-length lines led forward. these define the limit of rearward tilt of the bimini frame in the absence of the connector. Below, port side.
I then added shock cord to pull the frame aft against those two fixed lines, and further added two lines parallel to the shock cord that can be tensioned with a rolling hitch.
The shock cord provides enough tension to spring-load the bimini against the connector or the forward lines, and the adjustable parallel lines define a limit of forward travel.
Works great and the bimini can now be pulled forward to operate the connector zippers, and it springs back into place when released.
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