Why no biminis?

[Kudzucraft]

I know pram hoods are sort of love or hate relationship. Ugly but useful.

 

I have always wondered why you don't see Bimini tops on NBs. They are probably still ugly to most people but they would keep you dry(er) and give you shade on a hot day.  They are quick to put up down when you come to bridge. Just unhook two hooks and you can lay then flat on the roof or the back rail, depending on how you set it up. There is no side curtains so they are not as dry as a Hood but seems to me to still be useful.

Edited October 11, 2023 by Kudzucraft

[Naughty Cal]

We used our bimini all the time on NC. 

 

Brilliant for extra shade.

[nicknorman]

Being of a delicate disposition I use an umbrella as a parasol. As well as keeping the sun off me it also allows for plenty of jokes with passers by along the lines of “is it still raining?”

[magnetman]

i think they might stand slightly outside of the profile of the boat so could get caught on things .

 

Better than pram hoods. Pram hoods are awful. 

 

 

[Kudzucraft]

7 minutes ago, magnetman said:

i think they might stand slightly outside of the profile of the boat so could get caught on things .

 

 Could be. Have not looked to see what standard sizes are. Might be a bit wide. Good point.

[Guest]

37 minutes ago, Kudzucraft said:

I know pram hoods are sort of love or hate relationship. Ugly but useful.

 

I have always wondered why you don't see Bimini tops on NBs. They are probably still ugly to most people but they would keep you dry(er) and give you shade on a hot day.  They are quick to put up down when you come to bridge. Just unhook two hooks and you can lay then flat on the roof or the back rail, depending on how you set it up. There is no side curtains so they are not as dry as a Hood but seems to me to still be useful.

 

You do see NB's with pram hoods which have fully removable aides and roll up screens that if you cruise with them removed do give the same open effect.

 

Edited October 11, 2023 by M_JG

[matty40s]

You can always keep the pram covers up like this brand new boat did coming down the Buckby flight...

[BEngo]

I went down Bugby early one morning , with a chap who was very proud of his brand new pram hood.    Unfortunately, with the pound  well up after a night of heavy rain, and even though he was going hard, it just  failed to fit under the flat bridge by the wharf.

 

OOPS!

 

Unsurprisingly he was not a happy bunny at the next lock.

N

[Tonka]

1 hour ago, Kudzucraft said:

I know pram hoods are sort of love or hate relationship. Ugly but useful.

 

I have always wondered why you don't see Bimini tops on NBs. They are probably still ugly to most people but they would keep you dry(er) and give you shade on a hot day.  They are quick to put up down when you come to bridge. Just unhook two hooks and you can lay then flat on the roof or the back rail, depending on how you set it up. There is no side curtains so they are not as dry as a Hood but seems to me to still be useful.

Has auto correct worked and did you mean why no bikinis 

[Alan de Enfield]

31 minutes ago, Tonka said:

Has auto correct worked and did you mean why no bikinis 

 

Are you suggesting he made a 'booby' ?

 

Apparently the modern bra (not just 2 pieces of cloth tied together with a ribbon - as used by the Romans) was 'invented' by a German living in New York with the apt name of Otto Titslinger.

Edited October 11, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[GUMPY]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Are you suggesting he made a 'booby' ?

 

Apparently the modern bra (not just 2 pieces of cloth tied together with a ribbon - as used by the Romans) was 'invented' by a German living in New York with the apt name of Otto Titslinger.

 

Seems like fiction 😆

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Titzling#:~:text=Otto Titzling is a fictional,a two-tit sling".

There was even a song

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

 

Seems like fiction 😆

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Titzling#:~:text=Otto Titzling is a fictional,a two-tit sling".

 

Spoilsport !

[David Schweizer]

I have never understood what is wrong with a good wide brimmed Trilby and a lightweight waterproof coat, standing inside the hatches to keep the rain off.

[GUMPY]

20 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

I have never understood what is wrong with a good wide brimmed Trilby and a lightweight waterproof coat, standing inside the hatches to keep the rain off.

Personally I prefer a decent long wax jacket with a wax cotton wide brimmed hat.

 

[David Schweizer]

9 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

Personally I prefer a decent long wax jacket with a wax cotton wide brimmed hat.

 

 

I used to have a long waxed jacked, but it was too heavy, and cumbersome for doing locks.

[mrsmelly]

11 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

Personally I prefer a decent long wax jacket with a wax cotton wide brimmed hat.

 

Speaking also personally.I find life is too short for all that mularky and boozing in the pub beats boating in the rain any day 

[magnetman]

46 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

I have never understood what is wrong with a good wide brimmed Trilby and a lightweight waterproof coat, standing inside the hatches to keep the rain off.

Tilley hat for me. 

 

 

 

 

Its funny how one doesn't see Donkey jackets these days. They used to be quite common. 

 

I also like a Harris tweed shooting jacket if it is cut well. 

 

 

[tree monkey]

4 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Tilley hat for me. 

 

 

 

 

Its funny how one doesn't see Donkey jackets these days. They used to be quite common. 

 

I also like a Harris tweed shooting jacket if it is cut well. 

 

 

Have you seen the prices of donkey jackets nowadays, cheapest I've seen is £70 and then up into the hundreds of pounds, they have become trendy

[David Schweizer]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

Tilley hat for me.

 

My wide brim trilby is very similar, except that it is made from traditional felt, which drains very quickly. I bought it from the hat dealer who used to attend the Braunston show, and cost a fraction of the cost of a Tilley hat

[Ewan123]

From what I've seen, pram hoods are more often used to create extra "inside" space when the boat is moored - they're usually (but not always) taken down for cruising because of low bridges etc., whereas a bikini would be more about cruising comfort... so I think they mostly address different needs.

 

Personally if I were to add collapsible structure it would be the pram hood for its value when moored - I can always wear a hat while cruising!

[David Mack]

6 hours ago, Tonka said:

 did you mean why no bikinis 

Used to see them!

Advert from The Canals Book Fully Revised 1973 Edition.

[Puffling]

The same Pennine Boats who later went on to be Pennine Outdoor, sellers of materials for DIY-ers, I wonder? 

 

I bought some cotton duck from them in the seventies to make a pair of cycle panniers. Thought at the time the 'boats' name of the company was curious 🤔

[MtB]

18 hours ago, magnetman said:

 

Better than pram hoods. Pram hoods are awful. 

 

I disagree. Pram hoods are far worse than just "awful". 

 

 

[blackrose]

21 hours ago, Kudzucraft said:

I know pram hoods are sort of love or hate relationship. Ugly but useful.

 

I have always wondered why you don't see Bimini tops on NBs. They are probably still ugly to most people but they would keep you dry(er) and give you shade on a hot day.  They are quick to put up down when you come to bridge. Just unhook two hooks and you can lay then flat on the roof or the back rail, depending on how you set it up. There is no side curtains so they are not as dry as a Hood but seems to me to still be useful.

 

I asked the same question a few years ago as I don't want a pram hood, but some permanent shade which is easily collapsible and doesn't get in the way of me getting up and down on/off the roof would be good.

 

Compared to bespoke pram hoods Bimini canopies are cheap and come in various sizes, starting from just a few hundred quid. Have a look on Amazon. For those sort of prices if it lasted 5 years it would be ok. I think you'd easily find one that could be made to fit a narrowboat cruiser or semi trad stern, but I struggled to find one for my 12ft widebeam.

[Chewbacka]

31 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

I asked the same question a few years ago as I don't want a pram hood, but some permanent shade which is easily collapsible and doesn't get in the way of me getting up and down on/off the roof would be good.

 

Compared to bespoke pram hoods Bimini canopies are cheap and come in various sizes, starting from just a few hundred quid. Have a look on Amazon. For those sort of prices if it lasted 5 years it would be ok. I think you'd easily find one that could be made to fit a narrowboat cruiser or semi trad stern, but I struggled to find one for my 12ft widebeam.

Fit a gazebo???