1 wrote:

Looking to make an awning. Lots of cruisers use pvc water pipe - it
ages in the sun and breaks - but it's cheap.

Friends have an awning that uses the bendy fiberglass tent pole
supports - like glass fishing rod stuff. They disconnect with ferrules
so are easy to stow - but all the ones they've seen have plated steel
ferrules - they rust and stain the awning.

Any better ideas?


Replace the steel with copper tube? SS tube? Buy new ones every
year? Wax them?

In fresh water, I have no such problem with the tent frame rods. I
found that making a 'conestoga' style windshield, dodger and screens
zip together quite easy, and the parts go up and down quick and
collapse, fold, and stow easy. I just pop the rods into eyes screwed
into the topsides, and attach the ends of the fabric using rod
pieces in the hems for stiffness, with the rods' ends held by light
lines through the centre holes.

The first edition used blue tarp, which rotted in the sun and
finally served as patterns, was replaced by awning sunblock
material. The third version uses stronger chimney rods overhead,
which screw together, attached to the lifeline stanctions at the
front of the cockpit. Cut in zippered doors to go forward on deck.
Dandy!

The winter version may ecapsulate thin closed cell foam for
insulation, but only if I get to spend a winter aboard in Qualicum.
A nice little wood stove on deck in the cockpit should warm up the
Boat Hole, especially with a layer of the same blue mattress foam
all over the inside of the hull, and a steam engine powered air
circulation fan, just for fun. Fella needs a hobby, eh?

Terry K