Dodger advice please

[Rustic Charm]

Hi folks, my recent foray on my first solo in our below 41 degree location, was really cold. I desperately missed a Dodger on my ketch.

Now my boat's my first sail boat, and I like the look of it. She handles really well in rough conditions and I think part of the reason is due to the low deck. But I'd love a canvas dodger. My question is, what shape dodger I put on a vessel like this that won't detract from what it looks like? See attached photos.

The Mizzen bottom boom is at head height. That gives a bit of an idea of height. If you zoom up on the stern picture you can also see a track for the hatch that I have to allow for as well.

Anyone have any suggestions for me? If you can draw and post that would be great bonus for me.

(ps.. please forgive the paint colour. I did it last year at a moment of insanity. I'm about to strip and paint it properly in a month in Vintage Green)

[Steadman Uhlich]

Hi.

The color does not bother me. It is different. Reminds me of the color of shallow water with sandy bottom (tropical waters). So, it looks "cool" and "tropical" to me.

You said canvas dodger. It appears you have a steel boat. If I had your boat, I would be thinking "hard dodger."

I think it would be a good idea to post a photo showing the cockpit and hatch area and location of the helm and any winches and gear on the coachroof or cabin top near the hatch.

My POV: I don't own a dodger, have not bought a dodger, and have not built a dodger, so you can take my comments with a splash of saltwater spray. But, I want a dodger. So, I look at them carefully and will add one to my future boat if it does not already have one. My first objective is "function" and the second "form." As I look at it, the dodger must function well (help keep me dry while I am at the helm or while sitting in the cockpit and protect the hatch from spray). If I had a metal boat, I would be looking to add a hard dodger if possible.

[Snowpetrel]

Kind of like the Kermit de frog green... I saw her up in beauty point a few weeks ago. She looked very distinctive I thought.

You have a few tricky problems. That mizzen is in the way. The mainsheet is very close to the end of the hatch, and the offset hatch makes clearance above harder to achieve.

My parents Hereshoff mobjack has the same issues. They made a conventional Dodgers, with a hole in the top for the mast, and a garage for the sliding hatch. It works well, but is non folding. I have been trying to convince them to make a hardtop with soft sides. A couple of solar panels could go on the hardtop, and the soft sides could roll up or be unzipped.

Whatever happens the dodger needs to be high enough that you can get in and out easily at the side. The usual dodger trick of cambering the top to gain headroom in the middle is less useful in your case.

Personally I'd go for a big plywood box. It could be done well to suit the strong look of "kermit" and will be nice in the cold Tassie winters. Plus you get proper Windows, and the ability to put a sliding hatch in the top over the main hatch (or my favorite solution, a perspective dome).

I'll try to post some pics.

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[hpeer]

Along the lines of above, you might want to consider a hard dodger.

But maybe carry it forward a bit and make it strong enough to carry your main sheet traveller. And incorporate a gallows into it.

I don't think anything you do will be excessively pretty, so you might want to get as much function out of it as possible.

It may be possible to mount a gallows/elevated traveller and attach a canvas dodger to it, or at least make it the front part of the dodger frame.


I find a gallows a nice feature.

Struggling with similar concepts on our center cockpit. That has a canvas dodger and Bimini, but no gallows. Our smaller boat, aft cockpit has a canvas dodger, and gallows.

Good luck, it will be interesting to see other suggestions and your solution.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

Hi.

The color does not bother me. It is different. Reminds me of the color of shallow water with sandy bottom (tropical waters). So, it looks "cool" and "tropical" to me.

You said canvas dodger. It appears you have a steel boat. If I had your boat, I would be thinking "hard dodger."

I think it would be a good idea to post a photo showing the cockpit and hatch area and location of the helm and any winches and gear on the coachroof or cabin top near the hatch.

My POV: I don't own a dodger, have not bought a dodger, and have not built a dodger, so you can take my comments with a splash of saltwater spray. But, I want a dodger. So, I look at them carefully and will add one to my future boat if it does not already have one. My first objective is "function" and the second "form." As I look at it, the dodger must function well (help keep me dry while I am at the helm or while sitting in the cockpit and protect the hatch from spray). If I had a metal boat, I would be looking to add a hard dodger if possible.

I'd consider a steel dodger if I can get the shape ok. But I like the idea of being able to fold it down as well

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

Kind of like the Kermit de frog green... I saw her up in beauty point a few weeks ago. She looked very distinctive I thought.

You have a few tricky problems. That mizzen is in the way. The mainsheet is very close to the end of the hatch, and the offset hatch makes clearance above harder to achieve.

My parents Hereshoff mobjack has the same issues. They made a conventional Dodgers, with a hole in the top for the mast, and a garage for the sliding hatch. It works well, but is non folding. I have been trying to convince them to make a hardtop with soft sides. A couple of solar panels could go on the hardtop, and the soft sides could roll up or be unzipped.

Whatever happens the dodger needs to be high enough that you can get in and out easily at the side. The usual dodger trick of cambering the top to gain headroom in the middle is less useful in your case.

Personally I'd go for a big plywood box. It could be done well to suit the strong look of "kermit" and will be nice in the cold Tassie winters. Plus you get proper Windows, and the ability to put a sliding hatch in the top over the main hatch (or my favorite solution, a perspective dome).

I'll try to post some pics.

Sent from my HTC_0PCV2 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

'Kermit'

I don't want a big dodger that I can climb under, just one that will divert wind and spray coming from the front. I like the open cockpit idea for summer which is when I'll be doing most of my sailing.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

I'd consider a steel dodger if I can get the shape ok. But I like the idea of being able to fold it down as well

Plywood???

[hoppy]

Given the position of you mizzen mast, I would suggest that you go for a double bubble dodger design. I have photoshopped your photo to give you an idea how it could look

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Plywood???

+1 Steel is far to heavy.

Sent from my HTC_0PCV2 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Plywood???

Yes, plywood I could do if I'm having a solid one. I could fibreglass it too

[Rustic Charm]

[QUOTE=hoppy;1913922]Given the position of you mizzen mast, I would suggest that you go for a double bubble dodger design. I have photoshopped your photo to give you an idea how it could look

Attachment 109009[/QUOTE

your having a go hey

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

I don't want a big dodger that I can climb under, just one that will divert wind and spray coming from the front. I like the open cockpit idea for summer which is when I'll be doing most of my sailing.

Hate to break the news to you, but given the location of that mizzen, there's no way you're gonna get a "fold down dodger" with your mizzen mast sprouting through the middle of it... ;-)

If you don't want the sort of permanent structure a hard dodger entails, why not go with a simple windshield? You can add on some sort of convertible top and sides for when you might need the added protection of a full dodger...

That's the route I've taken on my boat, I think it's a great all-around solution on smaller boats. Most of the time you really don't need a dodger anyway, they're just in the way instead, and today's dodgers have long progressed way beyond the point where they can easily be "folded down", with people using them as mounting surfaces for solar panels and the like...

Have a look at some of the Scandanavian boats like the H-Rs and Najads, they'll give you some ideas re the rigid windshield/convertible dodger possibilities. I've always been surprised that setup hasn't gained wider popularity, it's the best of all worlds on smaller boats, IMHO...

[hoppy]

[QUOTE=Rustic Charm;1913938]

Originally Posted by hoppy

Given the position of you mizzen mast, I would suggest that you go for a double bubble dodger design. I have photoshopped your photo to give you an idea how it could look

Attachment 109009[/QUOTE

your having a go hey

Yes and no....

Looking at your cockpit photo with the mizzen right up to the cockpit, it certainly looks like it will be a challenge to create a dodger for your boat. Maybe the best you can do is put one over the companion way and on the out board side extend it to offer extra protection. Then you could perhaps do the same on the other side. If you choose to make them white with a black circle, that's up to you

It certainly does not look like anything you do will be an easy solution regardless of what you make it from.

[Snowpetrel]

That's a great looking dodger Jon.:thumbup:

Now I think of it a small ketch I delivered once had a nice little fold down pram good style canvas dodger that only went back to the front of the mast. It didn't have windows, and could be quickly folded down or up. Doesn't give a lot of shelter but much better than nothing.

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[hoppy]

I was going to suggest a HR style glass dodger ending at the mizzen, but now I see that the hatch goes forward of the main sheet mounting point. So that's not going to work



I assume that the mizzen has a boom vang? That would also make it difficult to fit a folding dodger behind the mizzen (no idea what to do with the hatch)

Maybe RC's best solution is to invest in better wet weather gear or convert to a sloop