Cover with Bimini top

[Cande]

Hi! 
I’m new to the community. I live in Cocoa Beach, Florida and keep my like-new and new-to-me 2010 130 Super Sport on a lift just off my deck. I go out on the water a few times a week. A never-used cover came with my boat and planning to be away for 7 weeks I put the cover on to protect the boat from the summer sun. I had to remove the Bimini frame and top to secure the cover, but what a project that was, and getting it off the boat and lift and into my garage on my own was a HUGE chore! I’m 75 and a widow, but of course I think I can do everything. I want to sew “plackets” into the cover to allow for the Bimini top. Does anyone have a pattern for such things or should I approach Sailrite or a canvas shop? I don’t mind putting the cover on and off but putting the Bimini frame on and off is a real pain! Ideas welcome. 

[melfa21]

This wont totally solve your problem, but is the challenge getting from the boat, to the hard?  Is it easy enough to unhook the bimini and lay it down sideways on the boat's deck...then install the cover.  We have done this on a couple of previous vessels to accommodate shrink wrap.

[Cande]

Great idea. Since I’m only one person with a short armspan (I’m 5’5”) it was too heavy and unweildy to do each time, though seasonally (as for shrink wrapping) that’s definitely the ticket. 

[melfa21]

Cande,

There is another online group that is much more active than this one.  Google Whaler central