WindPaddle Bimini User manual

Thanks for the purchase of your new WindPaddle “Bimini” Sun Shade! It installs quickly
without need for the drilling of holes or mounting hardware, so you should easily have it
mounted in short order.
The Bimini supports itself on two legs that run generally along side the cockpit. It then bends
back and then over the cockpit for your own personal shade. The Bimini It is attached such that
it can be removed and coiled then stowed on the boat if the winds come up or you no longer want
the Bimini deployed.
Your new WindPaddle Bimini comes coiled into three concentric circles for compact storage.
You should learn to coil/fold the Bimini and practice so you can perform this while out on the
water if needed.
The best way to rig your Bimini is to first uncoil the sail by releasing the retaining/compression
strap, being careful to control the uncoiling of the Binini. It will behave somewhat like a coiled
spring. At the ends of each supporting leg is a buckle that can be used to adapt your Bimini to
your particular boat. These buckles can be connected together for ease of folding, as well as to
various connectors that come with your Bimini.

Next connect the front legs to the boat using the connector strap. (Note, you can shorten it for a
best fit by tying a loop into the strap to shorten it.)
The Bimini is connected to your boat in three simple ways;
1) Secure the front ends of the support legs to the side of the boat. The more outboard or
further apart the legs are, the better the stability of the Bimini.
2) 2) Secure behind the two support legs tightly to the boat behind the paddler. Do this by
clipping the two black clips to the boat rail or outboard mounting point. Make sure this is
a secure point such as a “D”-ring or deck fastener. Simply clipping the hooks into a
bungie cord won’t be sufficient for the rigid support the Bimini requires. This acts as the
base of the arc or bend that supports the bimini as well as the diagonal stabilizer lines.
Now make sure these two connections are as tight to the deck or boat rail/gunnels as
possible by tightening th white line using the tensioning black wheel-loc device.
3) 3) Now snug the black transverse stabilizing lines using the cord-locs supplied. These
should slide tightly against the clip. Adjust these lines just tight enough to balance the
Bimini and put a slight curve in the aft batten below the logo.
The above shows the rear attachments and the aft strap tightened (White strap with wheel-loc.)
Now it is time to bend the bimini into its installed shape and orientation. Lift the Bimini from
the back, and bend it over the cockpit to form the shade. It needs to be emphasized here that
both legs of the Bimini need to take the same bend down and around and not “twist”. It is
possible that when bending the shade over the cockpit, one leg will rotate out and the other in.
This results in uneven pressure supporting the Bimini which will cause it to tilt to one side. To
check this, start from the middle or front of the Bimini and follow the supporting batten down

and around with your fingers to assure both battens are rotated correctly. They should be mirrors
of each other in form.
Finally, connect the front line forward of the cockpit, either as far forward as you can reach, or to
the bow. Remember if you tie it off at the bow you might not be able to reach that far up to untie
it if needed.
You can now fine-tune your bimini shape using both the stabilizing lines and the front tie-down
line. Simply sit in the boat and check for fit. You will want the bimini level above your head.
The leveling can be done by alternately slacking and taking up on the stabilizer lines. The height
of the bimini can also be controlled to some extend by the front tie down line tension and where
you decide to terminate the front tie down line. Play with different attachment locations to find
the best fit for you and your kayak.
For mounting on SOT’s, fishing kayaks and inflatables, your mounting options increase as you
will usually have more connections points or locations. The process is similar as described
above; lay the bimini down behind the cockpit with the legs running alongside the seat location,
connect the ends of the legs to the boat using the strap or buckle ties, then connect the rear and
stabilizing lines behind the seat.
Above are the two interchangeable connecting hardware for mounting the front legs to the boat.
There is also an extra set of loops have been sewn into the legs of the bimini to increase your
mounting options. Feel free to move your mounting lines around to get the best fit and most
stabile mount on your boat.
Folding and Coiling – If you choose to store your bimini folded and coiled and inside your mesh
bag, you need to learn how to properly coil the bimini. Incorrect coiling can leave you with an
overlarge package and can permanently deform the structure and leave you with a deformation in
the framework.
To fold, connect the legs of the bimini together using the buckles. Put the legs on the ground and
grab the bimini at the 10:00 and 2:00 o’clock positions.