Where Did You Get Your Dodger?

[Waterborn]

I am hoping to get some ideas for where to get a dodger made for our boat. It is a 1995 Beneteau Oceanis 281. It does not have an old one to use as a pattern, and I have heard that makers of these require the boat to be on location for fitting. It is a production boat (which is the only way to go by the way... just kidding, I'm not even taking part in that one!) so I would hope it would not be difficult for an established fabricator to have their own patterns for it. Any suggestions on who or who not to contact?

Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Cory

[D.D.]

Why not ask a local Beneteau dealer where they get them from? At least it's a start!

[Doodles]

We looked at ones on boats at the marina and in the area for style and workmanship we liked, then contacted the maker of choice. Obviously, we used a local canvas shop and probably paid a little more than we would have with a big online shop but the last thing I wanted was an ugly dodger. Our guy was great and we got exactly what we wanted in terms of workmanship and appearance.

[Sailmonkey]

most saillofts have a canvas maker in house too.

[Sailndive345]

Don't know if this is an option for you - I recycled my old dodger frame and used the old material as a template and sewed it myself. If you compare the price of a new replacement dodger to materials + a viable sewing machine, you are still ahead and end up with a sewing machine to do other projects; sail repairs, upholstery, etc

If not a DIY, you may want to check with Sailrite and get a replacement for the dodger using the existing frame. It would save you some $$$.

Have fun!

Sailndive