Hard Dodger (Sprayhood) Illustrated Guide - Examples, Tips

[CarinaPDX]

After having two iterations of soft dodger I felt it was time to make a hard dodger. Or perhaps I should say a combo hard/soft dodger. For summer sailing I keep the fabric top up for shade, and the small fabric side pieces to keep the bridge deck dry as shown. In the winter or bad weather I have canvas to completely enclose the cockpit, although I rarely attach the pieces on the aft side. Because Carina is so small (31') any dodger looks a bit tall, but this one is as low as allows for access to the companionway without having to double over too much, and sitting in the companionway with enough head clearance. Standing in the cockpit when the canvas top is opened allows a clear view over the dodger.



Features:

The top is made of two layers of 1/4" plywood covered with fiberglass, laminated over temporary frames. It is only supported along the sides.

The "frame" is made of the boom gallows forward and the handrail aft, which extend over the sides beneath. There are no beams beneath as I would clobber my head every time I came on deck.

The bottom aft edge of the handrail was hollowed out for a boltrope to attach the canvas top in a strong, even, and waterproof manner. This was extended to the edge of the top with extruded aluminum boltrope tracks. The canvas top has a double zipper just behind the dodger which allows for quick opening to stand up and see about, and for temporary removal leaving just a narrow piece of canvas with the boltrope and half of the zipper.

The boom gallows has three saddles, so that the boom can rest off-center for better access to the cockpit. A GPS antenna is mounted on a large block of teak, just below the top of the gallows so the boom can't hit it but it has a good view of the sky.

Semi-rigid solar panels are mounted on the top between the handrail and gallows (not shown in this photo).

Above the windshield is a baffled (a la dorades) slot the full width, to allow for ventilation in rough going.

The windshield is made from a windshield for a van, turned upside down and raked, with triangular sections cut off each side to fit. I disliked the two vertical seams in my first dodger's front - this provides great visibility.

The side windows are plexiglass, with hinges mounted on the aft supports so that they can open to scoop the breeze inside in fair weather. The supports with plexiglass can be easily removed to allow 360º swinging of the winch handle in the staysail sheet winches on the housetop - a feature for racing that I will probably never use but seemed wise to include. The supports also have boltrope tracks for the leading edge of the side canvas. There is more track on the bottom of the hard top to mount the side canvas.

The small holes for rope on the front face beneath the glass were carefully aligned, and allow for easy line movement without water coming in. I would never use a slot...

I have white/red LED lamps at the aft interior edge of the sides. Also there is a remote microphone for the VHF radio in the forward corner on the starboard side. The front teak was fit to the existing companionway hatch cover, which does a great job of excluding water.

I worked with a Brit in Turkey to start the project (to my design), but had to finish it on my own as he flaked out. I have been very happy about it during my return trip.

Greg

Higher res close-up:

[sailor1924]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

Thanks for posting the photos. (I have admired the Countess model before.)

Looks good to me. Functional, good clear view. Hand holds.

Is that semi-circle shape a boom rest (like a boom gallows rest) on the back edge?

Good eye. Yes there is a boom rest incorporated. I attach a more recent photo. If you look closely you can just see the details of the dodger; open windscreen, the solar panels, hand holds. I consider the bimini a necessary adjunct, the joiner gets unzipped and flipped back to sheet the main. And again if you look closely you can see clear panels in the bimini that can be opened to view the trim of the mizzen.

[Hunky Dory]

I had posted a reply before about using the fiberglas truck box toppers as a hardtop, I will be posting pictures soon. The tops work great, they a light weight, they are double walled and fairly strong. you can pick them up used . They come in a lot of different sizes, from small pickup boxes to full size,. I actually put two tops together, to get a 10 ft width.

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by mowerandy

Excuse me for only reading the first 10 posts of the 86 currently showing, but so far I see no mention of windage.
I have a small boat of 31 feet overall, which when first bought (SH) had a somewhat ugly but ever-so-comfortable soft dodger. For a couple of years I thought that perhaps something in the design of the boat was preventing her from being able to heave-to for more than a minute or so before tacking through the backed headsail and taking off again. She would still do this with a backed full genoa and no main!
One day the dodger ripped so I dropped it onto the coachouse roof, and wonder of wonders - she hove to properly thereafter!

Thats a very valid concern, even a low streamlined dodger changes the windage significantly. Add a targa bar aft and a bunch of toys on it and the boat quickly gets excessive windage aft.

I feel this is worse when running in extreme conditions where on some boats the windage aft can overcome the rudders ability to control the boat effectively. Very dangerous and one reason why I don't much like very tall dodgers with overhanging roofs, much better to keep it low and carefully radius the edges to reduce windage.



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[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by kryg

If anyone has a solution on how best to approach engineering and building a light weight dodger without breaking the bank, I’m very interested in a solution.


Kryg


Skoiern IV

Id love to see some pics of the mighty Skoiern IV. If she still has the deep cockpit she would be reasonably easy to add a nice low dodger over it.



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[Steadman Uhlich]

CARINAPDX (Greg),

Thank you for taking the time to write your very detailed description of your dodger. It looks like a good fit for your style boat. And from your description, it appears a lot of thought and work went into it.

NOTEWORTHY FEATURE/IDEA = Using an Automotive Windshield.
One of the ideas I was going to mention in a future post in this thread was the idea I had for using a windshield from a wrecked SUV or truck or car. I have actually spent time looking at them on vehicles and considering which sizes and styles and shapes might work, but as I don't have my boat yet, it was merely an exercise of my imagination. You have actually used one, so I was smiling when I read that!

[Steadman Uhlich]

UNCIVILIZED, This one's for you.

Hard Dodger Design #22. Jumbo 46

The following photos show a high performance cruising boat made by Jumbo. The Jumbo 46.

Noteworthy are the deck design that incorporates a bulge for the integral hard dodger over the companion way. This design appears based on the long distance race boats built for singlehanded around the world races. It provides a sheltered area for crew to sit near the companionway. Not your typical dodger.

There is much I like about this boat, which is very unusual as a cruising boat. I will provide a link to the sale listing for one that is in New Zealand. Take a look. I also like the round portlights on the cabin top. There is much more to this boat than just those shapes, but they are eye catching.

Used Jumbo 46 for Sale | Yachts For Sale | Yachthub

[CarinaPDX]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

NOTEWORTHY FEATURE/IDEA = Using an Automotive Windshield.

We spent a few hours at an automotive glass shop trying to find a windshield that would work. We ended up with one for a Peugot van. The "aha!" moment came when we realized that turning it upside down gave a far better shape, which could be used at a steeper rake on the boat. Cutting off the ends was very tricky: first score both sides carefully (because of the plastic layer there are really two pieces of glass to cut), then heat with a propane torch along the scoring to create thermal stress for cracking the glass. It may take a couple of windshields to get it right so find someone who already knows how to do it, or maybe go to a pro shop with the right saw.

Greg

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

We spent a few hours at an automotive glass shop trying to find a windshield that would work. We ended up with one for a Peugot van. The "aha!" moment came when we realized that turning it upside down gave a far better shape, which could be used at a steeper rake on the boat. Cutting off the ends was very tricky: first score both sides carefully (because of the plastic layer there are really two pieces of glass to cut), then heat with a propane torch along the scoring to create thermal stress for cracking the glass. It may take a couple of windshields to get it right so find someone who already knows how to do it, or maybe go to a pro shop with the right saw.

Greg

Thanks for the tips!

[CarinaPDX]

I forgot to add in my first post that I cut handholds into the ends of the boom gallows piece. Those have been invaluable for moving fore-aft on deck.

Greg

[Minggat]

What you call a hybrid.
Semi rigid polycarbonate windows all the way around. Side curtains not shown.
Attached to both deck and dodger frame with bolt rope/tracks. Each of the 3 front windows have a zipper for easy install (as opposed to impossible without). Lines leading to the cockpit pass through leather patches in the canvas sections, below the zippers.
The windows do not live their lives out in the elements. They are stowed overhead in the cabin, well away from any traffic that would scratch them up. In other words, they should have very long lives hidden from the sun. And be very clear when deployed.

Custom formed/ glasses by me. Finished by professional (so it wouldn't look like it was made by me)

Boat is Islander 36.

[bcboomer]

Originally Posted by sailorcherry

Attachment 134664Attachment 134665
Just add a bimini that connects to the hard dodger. This is almost done. Finishing around the plastic edges needs to be sorted out and the pvc pipes to test out the bimini need to become stainless.

Sailorcherry,
Love your top! Can you post something about how you made it?

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Steady, IMO that design lacks one rather important feature: it does not come back far enough to sit under... it is more like a windscreen than a proper dodger. Almost useless to my eye... hardly covers the companionway hatch!

Jim

I decided years ago that If I ever built another boat it would have a lowish hard dodger on tracks which I could roll forward for easy access in and out of the companionway and back when I needed protection in the cockpit.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Hunky Dory

I had posted a reply before about using the fiberglas truck box toppers as a hardtop, I will be posting pictures soon. The tops work great, they a light weight, they are double walled and fairly strong. you can pick them up used . They come in a lot of different sizes, from small pickup boxes to full size,. I actually put two tops together, to get a 10 ft width.

That's something I gotta see.

Post some photos when you can.
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Speedy Tip 2:
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[Steadman Uhlich]

Hard Dodger Design #23 "The Multilevel Mega Dodger"