I'm playing around with ideas for a cockpit awning and have been reading a number of articles and books that discuss pros and cons.  I'd like to use the main halyard to suspend the centerline and anchor the four corners to the aft lower shrouds and corners of the boom gallows and have roll-down sides extending about 24 inches down to the lifelines.   Can anyone offer some photos of their own designs?   Werner Hamp loaned me his old one to experiment with.  It has three PVC battens in sleeves running side to side to extend it out to the deck edge but if there's a way to do it without such large battens I'd love to see one.   I don't want it flat, so that it sheds water better.   Has anyone used the sectioned fiberglass tent poles to give it shape?   -Tom Koehl

I remember in that round-the-world solo video that was made by the Cape Horn windvane designer, Yves Gelinas, he used bicycle tubes for the rigid portions of this dodger. Couldn't you do the same? Just cut the inner tube close to the valve, and patch each end. Fill it up when you need it, release the air when you don't.

I am sure it would be a lot more complicated than that, but probably do-able. Just thinking out loud.

Thanks for that post Stephen.