Dodgers in the BVI

[rpoint16]

Is it recommended to get a dodger for a 10 day 36' bvi charter?

They seem to be hard to come by on mid range price, 35'-36' charters.

[Vasco]

No dodgers on most boats down there--you need a bimini!

[Zanshin]

There are no boats in the BVI without biminis, and most of those also have a roll-up or otherwise detachable flap aft which can be let down to block off the late afternoon sun (winds there come from the east, so the stern is usually pointing roughly at the setting sun when at anchor). I took my bimini down a couple of days before putting the boat on the hard and that was a huge mistake, the cockpit suddenly was no longer a place of comfort... more like sitting on top of a broiler.

The dodger is optional. I liked it when sailing upwind to keep out the most of the weather. If the dodger covers the main companionway then go ahead an do it, that way you can keep the main ventilation open even during the frequent rain showers at night.

[nautical62]

My charter boat in the BVIs has a dodger. I almost always drop it to get more air flow and better visability. I can't imagine going without the bimini.

[Tia Bu]

Farther south, in the Leeward and Windward Islands, a dodger is pretty nice, as the trade winds blow so hard through most anchorages that it's hard to eat, snack, read, etc., in the cockpit without one.

[Cheechako]

ditto what they said... gotta have a bimini!