Wansworth
Well-Known Member
Whatis the best tone?,
Best material for an awning on a boat……coolness wise?
- Thread starter Wansworth
- Start date
billskip
Well-Known Member
Middle C
Wansworth
Well-Known Member
billskip
Well-Known Member
I would suggest sand coloured, it would blend with the dirty calima dust.
Wansworth
Well-Known Member
Maybe,Trying out various colors by sitting under canopy’s outside bars …..it seems a very dark red/brown is popular!
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
If by 'awning' you mean a cover for protection from the heat at anchor then the answer has to be white. After 20 years of Mediterranean cruising in very warm conditions we conclude that a white cloth supported by fibreglass poles, covering the whole of the cockpit, is the best answer. No restrictions at all, e.g. hood down, no side curtains until late in the day, allows air to pass through freely. Ours takes 15 or 20 minutes to assemble and erect but very well worth it for a few days without moving.
Our short term protection is bimini, hood with screen zipped down and a joining strip between the two, all in dark blue. A lot better than nothing but nowhere near as good as the awning.
Our short term protection is bimini, hood with screen zipped down and a joining strip between the two, all in dark blue. A lot better than nothing but nowhere near as good as the awning.
billskip
Well-Known Member
Well to me white would be the best for reflective heat, but gets dirty quick.
Also perhaps it's the type of material, because I am always amazed by the woman wearing black Burqa garments in hot climate.
Wansworth
Well-Known Member
Looks like a light colour then,thanks
Mistroma
Well-Known Member
We have a blue awning and it's gone in a fair breeze. You bake on a hot day with little wind and its like being under a 10kW heater if you stand up.
We made a white sailcloth cover slightly larger than the awning. MASSIVE difference with with it up. The upper white reflects most of the heat. The air gap carries the rest away. The blue loses heat quickly and is cool to the touch.
It's quick to stow and not needed when sailing. We would never buy a blue awning and sprayhood if replacing ours. However, the extra cover is actually a very good solution for little expense. It also covers most of the sprayhood.
On really hot days we sometimes put reflective foil covers over the spray hood window. Tip: Don't walk past these on deck in 43 °C (feels like 53°C).
We made a white sailcloth cover slightly larger than the awning. MASSIVE difference with with it up. The upper white reflects most of the heat. The air gap carries the rest away. The blue loses heat quickly and is cool to the touch.
It's quick to stow and not needed when sailing. We would never buy a blue awning and sprayhood if replacing ours. However, the extra cover is actually a very good solution for little expense. It also covers most of the sprayhood.
On really hot days we sometimes put reflective foil covers over the spray hood window. Tip: Don't walk past these on deck in 43 °C (feels like 53°C).
ducked
Well-Known Member
I've got a tent flysheet that is blue on one side and silvery on the other which I have rigged silver up as an awning over the yard at the moment. Seems fairly effective.
Jonny A
Well-Known Member
I went with the same material as the spray hood, in light grey to match my decks.
PCUK
Well-Known Member
A white flysheet over the canopy is a great idea. I'll add one to mine when I make the next batch of canopies.
ashtead
Well-Known Member
A cheapskate alternative is to buy a Lidl garden sunshade in a sand colour . We have blue cockpit tent with sides but if it’s really hot we rig the Lidl cover over the side of the blue cockpit tent. As the Lidl tent is sort of triangle it’s also good for rigging over the bow cabin and allows the hatch to be open underneath.
ylop
Well-Known Member
So I recall a high school physics teacher being particularly animated about this. Its counter intuitive to wear black in the heat, and also counter intuitive to wear lots of clothes so why do the bedouin's do it? If I remember what he said correctly: for it to work the clothes have to cover as much of you as possible to protect from direct heating; dark stops more of the infrared radiation than white (which makes sense thats why it heats up!); the loosing fitting clothing with NO waist band generate a "chimney" effect - essentially creating wind flowing across your body. The air gap between clothing and person stops the hot black fabric effectively transfering heat to the person - the air gets warm, rises and creates the chimney drawing in fresh cooler air from below. We lose heat by sweating and that needs the water vapour to be carried away - the chimney effect does that.
Not sure what we can learn from that about designing sun protection except maybe its not always obvious!
billskip
Well-Known Member
Yes I am aware of the cooling theory,it's why you rarely see them sitting down, tends to put a kink in the chimney....
colind3782
Well-Known Member
I got some cam netting from the local Chinese shop. €17.95 and it does the trick.
Wansworth
Well-Known Member
Will I be able to find the boat?
Gixer
Well-Known Member
We bought a beach matt the other week and its basically a tent material sheet with eyelets in the corner. It's water resistant and rip stop. Just bought another one to try as a sun cockpit shade. Worth a try at £6.49
Pardon our interruption...
Pardon our interruption...
Wansworth
Well-Known Member
Yes Lydl are offering a cover 3 by5 for logs etc ,nigh be a good winter cover
seeSimon
Well-Known Member
Lidl also do them rectangular. Beige sand or blue colour.
Always light colours for maximum cooling effect.
About 2.5 x 3m as i recall?
Surprisingly well made and at £20, good value.