Building a solid dodger

[Psy at SEA]

See thread created 2016


http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ps-175159.html

[thinwater]

I wonder what percentage of people ever lower their dodger (other than winter to save the canvas, which for the point of this question, is irrelevant)? I can't say I remember it, other than for hurricanes (and part of that is because the dodger is vulnerable).


So why are nearly all dodgers fabric?

• Cheaper... but maybe not over the life of the boat.
• Weight... but not so much with smart use of composites.
• Access. A hard dodger, that you can walk on, is obviously better in this regard.
• Looks. Either can be ugly, either can be hansom.
• Strength. Hard will be stronger if done properly.
• Mounting solar. Hard is better and easier.
• Windage. No difference.
• Removable. Hard can be removable. Ease of fabrication is the actually the main reason (they can build it in the shop).

I'm serious. I've had both.


My current boat has only the most minimal flexible dodger, intended only to keep the companionway dry. Some folks just don't like big dodgers. I get that, it depends on the boat and how it is used.

[ferrailleur]

Originally Posted by Minggat

Sorry, but I cannot imagine trying to fit a frame to the canvas. You can fit canvas to a frame, but I wouldn’t try to fit a frame to canvas.

That's exactly what I'm trying to do.... have someone fit my canvas to a frame…. I just need the frame: I will pay for it!

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by thinwater

I wonder what percentage of people ever lower their dodger (other than winter to save the canvas, which for the point of this question, is irrelevant)? I can't say I remember it, other than for hurricanes (and part of that is because the dodger is vulnerable).

How about fold the dodger down and just go sailing for fun with a bunch of friends on a nice day. Blue sky, blue water, a bit of spray and the wind in your face.

With our boat we need a dodger more than anyone, but I'd never want to give up the flexibility to fold it down from time to time.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by ferrailleur

That's exactly what I'm trying to do.... have someone fit my canvas to a frame…. I just need the frame: I will pay for it!

You should build your frame. Start with 1/2 pc pipe, (cheap and flexible) and start cutting, bending and fitting. When you get it where you want it, photograph it and make some drawings, then take it to a railing maker or a canvas shop.

Better yet, buy a pipe bender and some stainless steel tube and build it yourself.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by wingssail

How about fold the dodger down and just go sailing for fun with a bunch of friends on a nice day. Blue sky, blue water, a bit of spray and the wind in your face.

With our boat we need a dodger more than anyone, but I'd never want to give up the flexibility to fold it down from time to time.

Yes, how many people do that? I bet it's less than 1%.



Clearly, it works for you, and that is why I have only a very minimal dodger on my current boat.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Yes, how many people do that? I bet it's less than 1%.

Of course! That is my point.

Have we all forgotten why we got into sailing in the first place?

Sailing is more than a hot, costly, inconvenient form of transportation for ourselves and our collection of essential junk.

It is supposed to be a joy.

I know I am tilting at a windmill, but I am hopeful that some newbie will see that post and think, "Hey that looks like fun" then keep thinking that way for the next 20 years.

Or possibly, some old curmudgeon will say to his wife, "Hey Wilma, remember when we had fun on the boat? Maybe we should try just to do some fun sailing?"

The problem is, we start off with neat boats then we modify them until there is no room for fun anymore.

[Allied39]

I built a hard dodger for my boat ten years or so ago.

It's awsome. I pretty much liked my canvas unit, the llok and shape, so built a mold onto the existing frame. I built the mold to be removable to my workshop.

I adjusted the height to fit both my wife and I specificaly. I look over it and she under it when standing in the cockpit.

I am going to get some pics of it tomorrow and wanted to post them for another thread, so will drop them on here.

I used epoxy with foam core through most but not all the dodger. I use epoxy for everything, I hate the stench of polyester and can afford a few extra bucks to work wioth a product I like and is far superior.

I purchased individual solar cells and built a solar panels into the top of it.....why not?

I have seen very few hard dodgers I like the look of, either to square and sharp or too balloon like.....almost like they were over inflated. I think I got mine exactly right. It was no small amount of work though...... but thats no issue ...Iam not afraid of some work to get exactly what I want.

Anyhow, I will hopefully drop some pics on tomorow. I do somewhere have an archive of my whole building procedure somewhere....but that's a bunch of effort to go find at the moment.

[txg]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Yes, how many people do that? I bet it's less than 1%.

Before we got our dodger built in 2016, we sailed several thousand miles with the current boat and the smaller one we owned before without any dodger. Because of this, it was very important for me to be able to lower the dodger without much effort.



But the outcome is: In the last three years with living aboard and nearly 10 000nm sailed we never ever lowered the dodger, except for when we left the boat stored on the hard for a longer time.

[Mike Banks]

The simplest solution is to make one from fibreglass, and to make it demountable so it is bolted from inside the shelter through reinforced deck fittings, and to have it sitting on rubber sealing gaskets.

I cast fibreglass things in place, having discovered 3 mm plywood faced with plastic--the ideal form on which to spray release compound. It is not expensive, fairs easily, paint any exposed wood with water based enamel, allow for the inset of your heavy duty glass, then you apply two coats of gel coat, one of biaxial matt well rolled and saturated, one of chopped strand mat, another of chopped strand, one more biaxial, then peel-ply. Consolidate it really well and ensure no bubbles remain. As a frame I have used PVC conduit, it has a variety of connectors one can use with it and glassed over it works well, and one can run wires in it if necessary. I always use extra glass over the frames. Where the roof and the walls meet, I run extra glass there too where my uprights meet the cross-beams. Between those cross beams and the wall uprights you will put insulation material before covering the material with light 3mm epoxy-saturated plywood for look-nice. Use off-the-shelf hatches and opening port lights for windows and front screens., They are the most expensive part of the project, but if you do not intend opening windows, then just use plain glass or polycarbonate fixed in place with Sikaflex, covered with a backing strip, then drilled through and bolted.

[Discovery 15797]

There are pro's and con's to hard dodgers. Some dodgers (both hard and soft) can be too tall and make the vessel look odd. But, if you take your time you can build a hard dodger that will last for the life of the boat and that looks good.

I built 2 hard dodgers on my boat. In both cases I used MonoPan. MonoPan is easy to work with. You can use stitch and glue type building methods, you can also use a heat gun to bend in a radius corner.

The first one I made used the bows of my canvas dodger to form, and I bolted it to the cabin top. I put in a center windshield of lexan. I also put in 2 clear acrylic panels that could be removed to allow air flow. But, after 3 years I learned a few things....I rarely removed the 'removable panels.' They leaked. When I took lots of water over the bow I could not see out of the windscreen. And, while the canvas dodger looked good, the hard shell of a hard dodger made it pretty obvious the sides of the dodger did not exactly follow the lines of the boat. The top was made from 1/2" MonoPan, and sides were 1/4" Monopan and at 200 lbs I could stand on top without a problem.

Version 2 (still being finished) has 2 framed glass panels (windshield wipers will be installed next month). I used 3/4" Monopan for the top and 1/2" Monopan for the sides and front. I angled the front to match the angle of my raised doghouse. I also extended the top back a bit more to protect the companion way. I put in a 20"x20" inch hatch on the top to allow for ventilation. I have a Sunbrella fly from the dodger to the arch to provide shade for the cockpit that is easily removed. Finally...this version I decided to mount it permanently. (As a side note...one of the glass panels weighs more than the weight of my entire dodger.)

Some things I learned...
Monopan is easier to work with and form and is much lighter than plywood or Coosa board. When finished properly it is incredibly strong and light.
Plan for some ventilation...either hatch on top, or window hatches that open. (A dodger blocks the constant wind and weather under sail. At anchor I have not had any lack of breeze in the cockpit.)
I would recommend glass instead of acrylic panels.
Take your time. Learn to apply fiberglass correctly.
Build a mock up first. Start with drawings to envision the final product on the boat.
Consider if / how you will run electrical wires for wiper motors, lights, solar panels, etc.
Match the angles of your boat, not those of a canvas dodger.

[Discovery 15797]

Originally Posted by txg

But the outcome is: In the last three years with living aboard and nearly 10 000nm sailed we never ever lowered the dodger, except for when we left the boat stored on the hard for a longer time.

EXACTLY!!!

[thinwater]

My current boat does not have a dodger and I don't want one. My last boat had a big hard top. They were both right.


There is little joy in standing watch, for endless hours, in the ...
* pouring rain
* driving snow
* blazing sun
* freezing cold


Do you drive with the lid down on your convertible, all year? Nope.



Day sailing in the summer is one thing, all-season cruising is another. At least in my opinion.

[jcdexter]

I built a hard dodger using my old dodger frame and polycarbonate as the material. An article with pictures was printed in the December 2011 issue of Cruising World. The windshield and side curtains were also polycarbonate so they stayed completely clear and distortion free when curved.

I was very happy with the results. Had I not sold the boat and bought a bigger one so we could go south to the Bahamas I would have made one change: I would have made the center section of the windshield removable to improve ventilation.

[sailingchiro]

I am very impatient and built my hard top with starboard. Used aluminum tubing for the frame. I just don't have the patience to build molds, sand, fill holes, sand some more, fill, sand some more, then paint. Then look at all my mistakes while sailing. Starboard holds up well, easy to work with. Not cheap but definitely cheaper than my time to build a hard dodger. Someone said build to the existing frame. I would fasten the starboard to existing frame. If you want curves, get the thinner (1/4") stuff. If you want to walk on top, use the 3/4" stuff. With some wood working tools, a guy could produce a very nice product in a short time. They have starboard lite as well.