Our smiley face panels give us great flexablity when ventelating the cockpit. We can open one of them, all of them or any combination of them to meet the needs of the day.
Many vessels have single opening panels on each side of the cockpit. When Jill designed our enclosure, six years ago (wow... has it been 6 years already?), we wanted a range of options to fend off wind and rain from any given direction whether we were underway or sitting at anchor. Multiple smiley face panels seemed to be the answer... and they have paid off well over the years.
We have treated Shibumi's cockpit as our main salon ever since Jill finished making the enclosure. We have ridden out countless storms, comfortable and dry, while nested beneath the canvas and behind the protective smiley faces.
Unfortunately, this is the last trip for this enclosure. Six years of wear and tear and tropical UV rays have punished the fabric. Leaks sneak through now during heavy rainstorms and the Strata-glass curtains are starting to sag.
When we get home Jill will order new fabric and set about working her magic to put new smiley faces around our cockpit. |
