though I had to restitch some of it after 4 or 5 years. After 10 years we replaced the soft dodger with a hard dodger, and had a new Bimini sewn. The sailmakers, in Australia, sewed it in such a way that most of the stitching was covered by fabric on the sun side, and all zippers and other stitching was on the bottom, shaded part. Most interesting construction. It also meant that there wasn't any leaking through the stitching holes.

Our Sunbrella, on the old boat, and on our new PDQ MV, didn't leak at all. 6 years for the new boat, and that bimini bit the dust only because it got destroyed by a tornado, not by sun or rain. As full-time liveaboards, these biminis, etc., were always installed and exposed to the elements. Our sails, on the other hand, were removed completely whenever we were anchored somewhere for long periods of several months or so, which kept them usable for much longer than other cruisers seem to have gotten out of their sails.

Maybe it's "they don't make it like they used to?" The MV bimini was built in 2003.