I finally got around to replacing the salon furniture and drapes, which was all original when the PO bought the yacht new in 1978. This was how it looked when I bought it.
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I finally got around to replacing the salon furniture and drapes, which was all original when the PO bought the yacht new in 1978. This was how it looked when I bought it.
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And this is it now.
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My first attempt at the shades in the trapezoid windows failed because I cut them while they were laying flat and when they were hung, the edge that was supposed to be a straight diagonal was a drooping curve instead. This was due to the fact that when they are hanging, the lower portions unfold very little while the upper portions unfold more due to the weight of the rest of the shade. On my second attempt, I built a rectangle frame from 1x3 the same size as the trapezoid windows (45" x 31") and hung the shades in that, and then marked the diagonal side and cut it. First I cut most of the section away (so that the weight distribution would be closer to the finished shade) and then cut the final strip away. I tried using a razor, but found that a good pair of fabric shears worked well.
It opened up the area a lot compared to the original heavy drapes. There is velcro at the bottom of the shades, allowing them to attach to the sill and keep them from swinging when the boat is rocking. These pictures were after we got back from our trip today. The only thing we put down on the floor was the TV, but I will be attaching that to the cabinet and wall. The lamps are screwed to the end tables. I had planned on anchoring the furniture, but given that none of it moved, even when we were heavily rolling, and that I don't plan on anchoring in beam seas ever again, I will probably not anchor the furniture. Screwing the lamps to the end tables and the TV to the wall should be good enough.
I am working on some type of roller shade for the windows in the aft salon doors. I haven't yet found any that narrow and that are cordless. The cordless variety have a minimum width, beyond which, you have to operate them with a looped chain. I will probably have to get larger ones and cut them down and rework the cordless mechanism. The trapezoid shades were also cordless, but it was easy to remove the cordless mechanism in the top rail.
Outstanding!
Do the shades have any type string or lifting mechanism. I have seen some in a house that basically fold up manually. I need to replace mine soon and looking for some options.
What an improvement. Beautiful.
Sent you a PM
Yes, they are cordless shades with an internal spring driven lift that consists of 2 or more spring driven mechanisms in the top rail with strings that that run inside the shade down to the bottom rail. The bottom rail has some counterweights and thus it is all balanced and you can raise or lower it to any level.
https://blinds.homedepot.com/p/home-...hade/304745793
I had to remove the lift mechanism on the trapezoid windows of course, so they don't lift, and couldn't because of the geometry. But I can lift them up and away from the window to clean the window. It takes all of 5 minutes to slide out the cover on the bottom rail, disconnect the strings, clip off the cover on the top rail and remove the spring/lift mechanism. The shade itself slides out of the rails. Then I cut the top rail with a regular power mitre saw.
I tried to order them in this shape but I couldn't find a manufacturer that would do it at these extreme angles. However, I am pretty sure a blinds store, or at least some of them will do it, so you might want to check around.
You can also get long shades and hang them on the wall, but I wanted them hung inside the windows so you could see the walls.
Make sure you measure the top, bottom and center widths and choose the shortest of those measurements. The aft windows have a curve to them on far side, and if I hadn't noticed, my shades would have been too wide.
You can also do this with mini blinds or wood blinds.
They also make those style of shades in a model that can be raised from bottom to top and also from top to bottom which would allow the trapezoid shade to open from top down. John
I did look into that, and it might work with some reengineering, but keep in mind that you will be missing strings for most of the shade. The top is 19", while the bottom is 45". That only leaves the leftmost string, out of three. But you could reengineer the springs in the top rail and have two strings. making a hole in the shades to place the second string wouldn't be too hard. When they are folded up you simply drill a hole.