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Some good suggestions:

1) Add leather/suede. Great idea, and a better material than whatever I was envisioning. Thanks.

2) Use the cover. Another great idea, not done because of laziness, but you're absolutely right, I'd rather replace the cover than the bimini.

3) Fold forward. Yep, I'll see if that works on my boat/cover when I get her back ... in ... April? Early April?? I hope.

4) Wrap it up and leave it up. From the bow of the boat, the first bimini attachment is the straps, then the solid main arch poles, then the hinged support poles. My usual put-in is literally 1.5 miles away on a road that's 35mph. I have left the bimini all the way up for the trip home, but I never thought of leaving it unfurled and up. This sound real good for the trip there and back. I'll check height to see if this works for longer trips. Probably going to be ok. The cover, here, would be protective of the bimini top, unfurled, wrapped around the arch poles.

LOTS of great ideas, none of which I had come up with. THANK YOU ALL, as usual, for helpful suggestions.