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The huge cockpit in a Commander is great for socializing but can turn into a sauna in August on the Chesapeake. I'd like to investigate making and rigging an awning. I've seen at least one picture of a Commander with an awning rigged but cannot locate it on the site.
Has anyone made an awning/cover? Any leads on plans?
We have an awning for the commander and it is a great "asset" for the cockpit. We use it almost all of the time that we spend on the boat. The previous owner made this awning, but it wouldn't be hard to duplicate. He used two wooden dowls about the length of the beam on the commander and made the awning the length of the cockpit (9 ft). He used a duck canvas, sewed hems and two pockets for the wooden dowls, put in grommets, tied a line to each grommet and attached clips on the other ends. We clip it to the lifelines. It never has blown away, though we have to take it down during the night, if it starts to blow or storm, as it will make the boat "sail". I have attached a picture of it in use on our boat.;)
I have the same set up, except I added roll-up side "curtains" to knock off the late afternoon sun. Sewed it like a tent door with ties to hold the rolled curtain up, and long ties in the corners to keep it down.
The great part about this set up is it hardly takes up any space after you roll it all up.
Ours is 9' long (same as cockpit) with bamboo poles fore and aft. Four corners have 1/4" lines, forward tie to cap shrouds, aft run to docking chocks and back to cleat. There is a line center of aft pole that goes to the back stay, and a short one with a backing disk goes through the center of the shade for attachment to the main halyard. This can be suspended high above the boom. When the sun is rising or setting and abeam the pole ends can be put right down on the cockpit seat in the corners and block the whole side.
Oh, yes, and ours is made from sail cloth, white. Dark colors should be avoided as they will make you feel hot under them.