Curtain Track for a day sailer

[Ed Colonna]

Having spent the night on my little day sailer the other night, I realised how hard it is to sleep beyond 6.30 as the light beams straight through the windows into my eyes in the quarter berth. As a result I have decided to take the brave decision and make some curtains...however there are no curtain rails/tracks on her. My only issue is how to attach them above the windows, the GRP is very thin, and I don't like the idea of screwing it in, partly because the screw will come straight out onto the coach roof if I did. So, does anyone have any ideas on how to attach a curtain rail to the very think GRP surrounding the windows? I've considered some adhesives, but can just see someone knocking into it and ripping it off.

Any suggestions welcome, thank you!

 

[rob2]

I'd suggest you look at the types of curtain track used on caravans - not quite as smooth in action as a domestic version, but not so bulky either. Being quite light they won't ned long fasteners, so a hardwood batten can be stuck above the light with some NoNails type of adhesive. I've used similar adhesive to attach roof battens as skids under a GRP tender and it survived years of beaching, so should do you proud.

The material used for the curtain will always have o be quite light, or you won't be able to draw them back (being so small) so is likely to only take the edge off the ingress of morning sunlight. You could consider also a truly light proof cover, either solid or cloth, attached on poppers or velcro patches - not as aestetically pleasing as curtains, but far more effective.

Actually, I wonder whether a piece of silicon sheet, such as used nowadays as baking sheets, would slap on and peel off effectively?

Rob.

 

[davidpbo]

If the windows are fairly small, removable blackout blinds fixed with Velcro may be worth considering.

 

[Kelpie]

I'm going to try cutting out pieces of foam from camping mats to make a push fit into the window frame, to both black out then light and prevent condensation.

Idea stolen from Dyl, I believe.

 

[Lakesailor]

 

[Fantasie 19]

Wooden blocks with strong adhesive - I use an Evostick variant - curtain hooks screwed into the blocks, and curtains threaded top and bottom on to bungee between the hooks...