Dodger Quotation

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Hi All, not sure exactly where to post this, but here goes: I just got a quote from a reputable canvas shop in the southeast for a new dodger, and I almost fell out of my chair: $6,000!!

Does anyone have recent experience getting a Sunbrella dodger made, and would you be willing to share what you paid? And who did it? I'm looking for a place in NC or SC.

Maybe this is just what dodger cost these days, but Wow!

[AJ_n_Audrey]

By the way, I've got the frame, this is just canvas and isinglass. The old dodger is twelve years old (+) and really in rough shape.

[ekelly36]

it seems to me if you have the old one and the frame it wouldnt be too difficult to source the new materials and just take all the old measurements and hardware off the old one and cut and sew a new one.... its not hard to stitch... just time consuming and im sure there is a plethora of information online... I definitely wouldnt spend 6k for a new one if you already have everything you need and just need to put in a little work.... unless you have more money than time...

[Island Time O25]

About 10 years ago was given quotes starting at $6,000 for a dodger and bimini on a 36' sailboat Just the canvas, over the existing SS frame. I'm in MA, which at the time was somewhat more expensive for canvas work than Southeast. Was one of the reasons I decided to instal a DIY hardtop which I bought off of a guy parting out his power boat and a stern arch from boat junk yard, both fit perfectly. Altogether, parts and hiring "boatyard guy" for half a day help, the whole install cost me just a tad under $1,000. Never regretted it. Have 4 110W solars on top and use the arch to hold and secure the dinghy over the stern swimming platform.

What pissed me off the most was the fact that there was no one online selling pre-cut canvas for my size even though it would be an easy sewing and install, may be with minor adjustments. The way you could buy a similar precut canvas bimini set fitting 20 foot power boat for about (then) $600-700 incl alum frame. Explored DIY canvas work but once I found the hardtop that fit perfectly decided to ditch the canvas refit idea altogether.

[Spindrift NH]

For a basic dodger w/roll up center window I’d be in the $3,600 range. If you were doing california dodger that number goes up. Also really depends on brand/type of glass, and other features.

[kayakerChuck]

40+ year canvas guy here.

Current prices are shocking. Like everyone, my costs have gone up.

With nice windows, etc, I'd be at about $4k in 2019. Today, I'd be about 6k. I don't feel good about the price, but if I'm going to pay for my shop costs, beer, a roof, dog food, etc... That's about where I need to be.

Small to medium sized dodgers are the most difficult and time consuming piece of canvas to get right. It's easier for me to build a bimini and enclosure on a 40' powerboat for $8 or $10k than a dodger on a 30-40' sailboat.

I am not the low priced shop in my area. I do fix or replace a whole lot of my competition's work.

[leecea]

ekelly36, have you made a dodger? I have basic sewing skills but it looks like more than I could handle, so I'd love to understand more about how you did it and what type of machine you used.

[capt jgw]

If considering DIY, check Sailrite's videos on YouTube. They've got it all laid out for you, but it is a lot of finicky work. I've made four of them myself, including a couple redo's because I wasn't happy with the first try. Biminis are a lot easier being basically flat.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Thanks all for the replies. It does appear that $6K is the going price from a canvas shop that knows what they are doing. I checked several other threads, and it appears that in 2024, $6,000 is not out of line. In reading the above, I am wondering whether building a hardtop dodger makes more sense, but I'm sure if I get into that it will probably be at least double the canvas price.

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by AJ_n_Audrey

Thanks all for the replies. It does appear that $6K is the going price from a canvas shop that knows what they are doing. I checked several other threads, and it appears that in 2024, $6,000 is not out of line. In reading the above, I am wondering whether building a hardtop dodger makes more sense, but I'm sure if I get into that it will probably be at least double the canvas price.

It will depend on how long you anticipate owning your boat and your cruising grounds. If the time frame is 10+ years and some serious offshore or extensive coastal cruising then hard dodger, even at double the cost, will make more sense. If you're not sure about the duration of ownership or will just do weekend/occasional coastal then regular dodger is a better choice.

Also, as my experience with my boat shows, there are alternatives to both choices. My DIY hardtop was put togetber for under $1k and the enclosure if DIY can be done relatively inexpensively by getting a lightly used similarly sized/shaped set and tweaking it to fit the hard top structure. I already have 2 sets, unfortunately in different colors, and I just need to find time to do. Got one for $100 the other for $50. Still with decent glass and canvas on both of them. Also have a throwaway set which I got free and for the purpose of using it for training/learning curve.

One other choice, time permitting, would be to re-tweak one of these three sets to fit and then just use the glass off of them to make an enclosure from brand new sunbrella. Which I happen to have a roll of, waitkng to be used for that purpose. But alas, I have more anticipated and desired projects then the time for them.

[Randy Bogardus]

I’ve done some sewing on my boat and am a long term hands-on type of guy. I got a quote for a Sunbrella and SS dodger and decided I could build a hard dodger for way less money which worked out to be the case….way less $$$ but way more time to execute. Even with basic sewing skills dodger canvas sewing is not easy to get right and tight. My hard dodger has some advantages and also some disadvantages but I am happy with the outcome.

[Iron E]

Originally Posted by Randy Bogardus

Even with basic sewing skills dodger canvas sewing is not easy to get right and tight.

Yep, it's usually pretty clear who at the marina DIY'd their Dodger

[deltaten]

I DIY'd my dodger several yr ago. Found bows that (roughly) fit. Spent a few hrs working that out. "Found (free) used sunbrella from a big powerboat cover. Ordered thread, fasteners, tape and clears from SailRite to the tune of mebbe $150. Total time, over a few weeks, was about 15 -20 hours.
Other than some crooked stitching , most viewers think it's pro-built. I suppose if I had to source all the material new, I'd be into the $1500 range. I' just a 40-some year veteran of the carpentry, design/build class. Some manual skills and desire/skinflintery is all that's needed.

[wrwakefield]

We have over US$3,000 in materials alone in our dodger/bimini/ full enclosure we made 4 years ago. [There is also a link to the materials and supplier list in the above post.]


Above dodger window is 9 feet wide

US$6,000 sounds like a reasonable ballpark…

Cheers, Bill

PS: I highly recommend you consider using Makrolon for the forward facing windows. [Used as small aircraft windows…]. Much better [and cheaper] than Isinglass, etc. [Detail at above link.]

[rls8r]

I don't have a recent quote - but I had my dodger frame recovered in Sunbrella Oyster fabric in November of 2020. The dodger has a front rollup window and four side windows. The windows have removable mesh fabric covers (white Textilene 90) and some of the snaps on the hull were replaced. It took the fabricators a week to make and install it once they got started.

The final bill came to $1,908.00.

Sorry I don't have a good photo of just the dodger - but the picture below shows a 'typical' dodger for my kind of boat (and what I'd expect to pay about $2,000 + a bit of inflation cost) for. The fabricators were a husband-and-wife shop and are no longer in business. They had so much work and couldn't find decent help, so rather than disappoint customers they moved into another line of business ... much to the disappointment of many customers in the area.