Port Awning upgrade

Teria's "Port Awning" (aka "Boom Awning") needed some new battens and guy ropes.

It had three 25mm diam PVC tube "battens" but over the years they bent into horrible curve shapes. This made it hard to roll up and stow it, also reduced headroom at the sides.

The old permanently bent PVC battens

So i made 3  wooden battens from 2"x1" section (50x25mm) ex- house ceiling battens. These were found in the local house demolition/recycling yard at an economical price. They were a moderate hardwood (cedar?) had a nice straght grain and not too heavy. They don't make houses or wood like that anymore, probably 60-100 year old wood (well seasoned too).

Measured their lengths in the pockets, marked holes and cut to length. Drilled 9mm holes for guy ropes, then hand planned rough sawn surfaces down, rounded edges. Fortunately the awning was professionally well made and the pockets were perfect fit for the new battens. Nice to have straight battens again, and easy to roll awning up for stowage below decks.

New wood battens, straight, strong and awning rolls up well

Port Awning set up on main boom.

Raised mast and boom to position. Setup the awning, then measured the guy ropes lengths and cut. Used 6mm densely braided white line from Road Tech Marine. It's a good boating store, centrally located in Townsville.

Port awning also shades the furled mainsail.

Port Awning, plenty of headroom. (Bimini furled on deck)

The design and advice for the wooden battens came from Alan Lucas' book "Fitting out above decks" (1982). It's a great reference book for DIYers. He wrote 2"x1" was minimum batten spec's (ok on a small awning like this). His design also has "up-guys" at the corners, tied to stays, which prevent "flapping" (and warping) of battens. It should be good upto 25 knot winds when "in port" (at anchor, mooring or marina). The Port awning is an essential piece of kit in the hot tropical sun, it makes life aboard much more comfortable.

The Awning has made a huge difference to comfort during the day. It's been 32C, 60% humidity,  full overhead sun with UV11+ and a 5-10knot Easterly at home recently (feels like 35C). The shaded cabin and cockpit seats are much cooler and tolerable again. The awnings center batten is longer than the end ones, the awning shape follows the hulls' curve and overhangs outside the cockpit coamings.

The book also has a design concept for a triangular foredeck awning, a "one day.." project (ie. Aussie slang = dreaming about it, may never happen, or happen in the distant future)

Sadly Alan Lucas recently passed away aged 89, he is a legend downunder. His wise know-how is often timeless and will hopefully live on in his writings made over a 60-year sea/cruising life. He owned/built/restored many yachts, and sailed extensively around Australia (with cruising guides for the east coast) and did a 7 year circumnavigation in a yacht called "Tientos" that his family rescued and rebuilt after a cyclone in Darwin. Alan Lucas Cruising Guides Facebook page.