Iverson dodgers in Anacortes,Bellingham area

[bcboomer]

What's the price range for Iverson's dodgers and biminis?

[SailAllDay]

Canvas was just put on the other day. Beautiful! No complaints so far. Also got the Solar panel structure on top of the bimini.

[flit]

We have an Iverson's Dodger and it looks beautiful. We left Washington in Oct 2017 sailed to San Diego then Marquesas, Tuamotus, Tonga, New Zealand by 2019. By 2022 the canvas is getting thin and needs replacement while stuck in New Zealand for Covid.
I really like the looks. However the installation needed upgrading. We have a cedar cored deck that is about 1-1/4" thick in most areas. The mounting feet were attached with 10 and15mm long wood screws that left less than a 1/2" in the deck, we had these pull out of solid dry deck. We feel they were far too short and many areas could have been thru bolted with #10 machine screws instead. They knew we were headed off-shore. We have taken the dodger frame apart for a repaint and have taken all the bits apart to polish and treat with nitric acid. We just discovered that the main supports for the two front braces on the dodger front had been miss drilled and then re-drilled during installation back in 2017. These supports take the full brunt of force in heavy weather. The holes drilled in the 1-1/4" stainless tubes were tapped for #10 machine screws twice at each hole (total of 4x2=8 holes now drilled) The problem is that the re-drilled hole overlap the old ones. Some just touching but others at 1/2 overlap. This is shoddy workmanship and we are having to weld fill the extra holes and re-tap the correct ones.
The 1/2" long wood screws securing the Bimini forward brace pulled out, This is a brace that you must walk outside of and hold onto when moving around it. The deck in that area is reinforced for a cross beam and is actually 2" thick, yet Iverson's still used the minimalist 1/2" long wood screws to attach.
We have thru-bolted most of the mounting feet and lengthened screws elsewhere.

I would say that you need to supervise the installation carefully and not assume they will do good work without close supervision.
I feel the dodger is lovely looking but was unsafe

[Valmika]

I would say that you need to supervise the installation carefully and not assume they will do good work without close supervision.
I feel the dodger is lovely looking but was unsafe[/QUOTE]




Thanks for a great review. I was looking at Iverson but debating weather it was really worth the extra money. The thru bolting and mounting i could handle but the material deteriorating that much in 3 years is a major concern to me

[bcboomer]

Wow, they're sloppy workmanship could have resulted in an injury or worse.
Iverson have a very polished web presence and brag about their product but probably have inexperienced kids doing the installations.

I've only had "professionals" work on our boat twice and both times they showed a lack of workmanship and outright dishonesty.

[flit]

Originally Posted by bcboomer

Wow, they're sloppy workmanship could have resulted in an injury or worse.
Iverson have a very polished web presence and brag about their product but probably have inexperienced kids doing the installations....

Iverson's had a custom equipped company van with bending apparatus built into swing out doors and middle-aged and highly experienced crew doing the frame bending on site.
These are NOT 'kids' doing an install....I can't explain the very unsafe/poor workmanship other than to say that the installers have little appreciation for the conditions on a fast trimaran going to weather in 40 knot winds 2000 miles offshore... or for that matter any boat offshore. I am suspect they are using these ridiculously short screws to avoid any chance of poking thru to the inside and saving time and a risk factor in favor of an easy install for
themselves, Why else use a 1/2" screw?
I am absolutely dumb-struck with the lack of attachment to deck strength throughout the installation... it is potentially 'life threatening' in our case and usage conditions.

I'll take a picture of the screws insitu tomorrow and post to my albums on my profile page. (I can't seem to append images to this text box I am typing in)

We corrected some of the screws in Nuka Hiva after our first 1,800 mile passage, then more in the windward islands, and now replacing EVERY fastener (except four) in New Zealand. We are about to reweld the highly structural hidden overlapping taped attachment holes in the stainless tube next week.

I have not contacted Iverson's about this because they are so impressed with their own work that their attitude actually borders (dare I say?)... borders on arrogance at the highest level (Angela has always been kind and wonderful it seems to stem from the owner) I don't like writing this or talking poorly of others attitude, but this one shines thru.

[imus]

Thank you for the honest review on this. You sound like a reasonable person who paid for and expected highest quality and got something less. I wish more reasonable people like yourself were willing to speak up about lackluster service and product.

[wingssail]

I've made a few dodgers and honestly, mine are crap compared to Iverson.

Someone said that "you get what you pay for". That's true.

On the other hand, Iverson pumps out dodgers and they have enough business that they don't have to be very accommodating to custom requests. They do a great dodger but you get what they do, nothing else. So even if I had the money (which I don't) I would rather go my own way and not follow the crowd.

That's just me.

Photo: Here is my dodger. Iverson would never do this, but mine cost me $200

[Eder]

Iversons build my full enclosure in 2010....it has taken me to Mexico, to Polynesia, to Hawaii...then back to the northwest...I think I'll get then to replace the sunbrella next year...the stainless support system is still perfect.