Sun shade in the boat?

Hey all! Just wondering if there are any alternate ideas to a Bimini style top to keep the sun out? If it’s just me in the boat this doesn’t apply but with my little guy coming up on two years old and planning on being in the boat a lot this summer I need to have something to keep him from getting overheated/sun burned.

I’ve got a Xpress Jon boat and don’t have real wide gunnels so I’m kind of limited. I’ve seen guys with Giant umbrellas and I suppose that would work but I don’t want it to look too tacky.

Any thoughts?

Dave

Like you mention…all I’ve seen besides a bimini is the “umbrella”. Right, “tacky” but if it keeps the sun off the kid, worth it.

You can get biminis in lots of different sizes, the brackets are pretty narrow, should fit on your gunnel. Removable with quick release pins for when your by yourself or don’t need it. Nahh..just throw a sheet over him.

BIRDDOG

I have the same boat and the same problem. I Like my xpress but it is a hot motor scooter in any kind of sun. any wind will either wreck your umbrella or act as a sail. One thing i did was to put some thin rubber matting as it was hot enough to burn the dogs feet. I keep a flower pot water bucket on board and keep wetting it down. It helps but I find fishing at night helps better.

For a number of years I used a big umbrella in my 17′ alumacraft – it worked great. I had it mounted so that the center pole fit in the front casting platform seat base.

I didn’t give a damn if it looked tacky – on a hot, sticky day it got me and the kids out of the sun and kept us from frying. I had it tied down so I could run full throttle with it up. The wife always referred to us as the Beverly Hillbillys whenever we had it up but she wasn’t shy about tucking herself under it. We weathered many a summer rain shower huddled under that umbrella waiting for it to pass. When I look back on it now, we had a lot of fun with it. I eventually ended up putting in a full bimini top with the wrap around fishing curtains. It gives me another few weeks of fishing season in the early spring and late fall.

Boy what I wouldn’t give for one of those hot, sunny days right now.

I think I may have to go with the umbrellas. I really don’t want to drill any more holes in the boat if I don’t have to. I’ve got 4 scotty rod holder mounts throughout the boat and think I could maybe slide umbrella handles down into two of those, one on each side of the back of the boat?

Now the question is, where to find giant umbrellas cheap?

Seriously is it Spring yet? SNOW

I just googled up a couple links. The second link looks like something a guy could make in the garage….

http://www.boatasystems.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Made-Products-Anchorshade-Complete/dp/B000MURPPG

-J.

Jon,
thanks for the links. The first one gave me a couple ideas. Time to hunt down some umbrellas at Wally World so I know what hardware to buy.

Those big umbrellas look like the kind you might find in a golf shop. I think anyone could make the pvc pipe holders shown there. Good luck.

-J.

I just found some camo umbrellas made by Avery that will match my boat seats. I think we are on the way to a cool looking solution!

Hey Xpressman – This is how I had mine rigged. I had a spare seat base for my boat and I just took a piece of PVC and ran it down into the seat base. I even added a small piece of formica counter top I had to make a small table on the seat base. Then I used a regular patio umbrella and set it into the PVC and then tied the umbrella off on my boat cleats to make it stable. Here are a few pictures of the seat base set-up and the umbrella. It may not look all that sharp but on a hot, sunny day it was worth its weight in gold.

Thanks for all the great ideas guys I am going to have to rig up an umbrella on my boat. I had a bout with skin cancer three years ago and do not need to go thru that again.