Most sailmakers also make sunshades so they’re a good place to start and can be located at most large marinas along the Med. You can choose a better material (we’ll give you a tip here in a sec.), colour, how many blinds you want, where the blinds are mounted and the all-important fastenings. The benefits of going with a custom solution post-takeover of your new boat greatly outweigh the convenience of having the solar protection on day one.
![boat hatch screen shade boat hatch screen shade](https://www.boataccessoriesaustralia.com.au/assets/alt_3/P-1120666.jpg)
“For more than 20 years the VHB™ product line has proven to be tough in marine, automotive, medical, aerospace, and architectural applications”. They fit various snap button fasteners and are secured to boat surfaces with a pad of 3M™ VHB™ acrylic conformable foam adhesive tape. The YKK SNAD adhesive‑backed studs are great. So of course when it came to the fasteners, we put up a stop sign at anything needing to be screwed in. One of our principles on TALATA is to glue rather than drill wherever possible. If your boat builder won’t offer Soltis, then shrug them off and get it done yourself. Soltis claims their material will block up to 85% of heat. We went with Soltis Horizon 86 which blocks out 72% of light whilst providing unrivalled outward visibility. Serge Ferrari has excellent products in their range and Soltis, their composite fabric is what you want for internal and external solar protection. Some builders manufacture blinds using inappropriate materials, suited for mosquito enclosures or yachting upholstery. But more importantly, you need the right material… It’s in keeping with the dark tinted boat panes and looks much better contrasted with white gelcoat.Īlright then, that’s colour sorted. In our opinion, anthracite grey is the ideal colour to go for. Some boat owners we know have gone for black blinds though these can make insides look a bit too dark and gloomy. Dark colours will always have better transparency due to the lower reflection. You’re staring at a screen that reflects on both sides and feels like you have your head in the clouds. Our main issue with white or light colours is the poor visibility from inside to outside during the day and at night. Transmission: white is 29% versus 17% for anthracite.
#BOAT HATCH SCREEN SHADE FULL#
We looked at transmission and absorption of the full spectrum of radiation in white versus black or anthracite.Ībsorption: white is 12%, anthracite is 76%. Most builders recommend white blinds based on the fact that white reflects about 59% of radiation from rays. Before you tick that column, here are a couple of pointers: You’ll find solar protection panels on the boat option-list if you’re buying new.
#BOAT HATCH SCREEN SHADE PROFESSIONAL#
Forward panes perpendicular in the Neel 45, slightly angled in the 51 and in the Neel 47, reverse-angled as in many professional vessel pilothouses.Īlright, but what’s all this got to do with the headline of this post? Keep cooool and bear with me. Take a look at the spaceship-like design of the older Outremers, with their aerodynamic, rounded coachhouse, extremely slanted front panes screaming speed and visibility upwards.Īnd then the Lagoons, panes at 90 degrees from deck to coachhouse roof, undeniably offering more space in the saloon area but what when waves are crashing onto them in heavy seas? Above the waterline, coachhouse design is one area where this is most obvious. Multihull cruising boat design has evolved over the decades, with performance and safety at sea considerations balanced with better living comfort, as more and more of us switch land-life for full-time boat life. But before we get to that, let’s first tack to design. The most important and first thing to do is create shade in order to block solar radiation. Too much heat is obviously no good for the food you’re carrying, for boat materials or crew comfort.
![boat hatch screen shade boat hatch screen shade](https://www.lakeshoreboattop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Hatch-Cover.jpg)
Keeping us cool is only the tip of the iceberg, you also want to avoid the boat insides getting overheated.