Make your own cockpit awning

IF your boat lies unattended, even for a short time, be it in a marina, in or out of the water, or on a mooring, it does not take long for it to become grubby: from bird droppings or wind blown dust; especially on canvas biminis, which also get effected by sunlight.

Yet, for all the many intricate and expensive devices available to deter birds and keep decks and cockpits clean, an awning is by far the simplest and most effective. This is particularly true if you want to protect a large cockpit, a canvas bimini and a hatch, as I did on my 13.7 metre schooner, Britannia.

I especially wanted to protect the centre cockpit varnish and bimini from Florida’s sun and rains. Most canvas enclosures leak