We are considering purchasing a canvas doger in a few months...we think it would be handy in the spring and fall chill and for the errant waves....my question for the group is about design. Our boat is a Morgan and we have a bridge deck (terminology?)..we have 1 board in our compainionway...... So looking into Dodger designs we have people say we would need a very tall dodger.......has anyone seen a design that looks streamlined but maybe has a top that zippers open for ease of egress?? Or recomend any canvas makers in the northern Chesapeake ?? thanks Rob
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Jack
Rob...
Rob, Have you tried Concord Point Sails and Rigging in Havre de Grace? Phone number is 410-939-2196. Jack "Friendship" C350, #80
Rob, Have you tried Concord Point Sails and Rigging in Havre de Grace? Phone number is 410-939-2196. Jack "Friendship" C350, #80
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Rob
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Al
Dodger
Rob, i have a Newport 30 that has a high dodger and it attaches to the bimini top. Looks great and is very functional. I can send you pictures, if you'd like
Rob, i have a Newport 30 that has a high dodger and it attaches to the bimini top. Looks great and is very functional. I can send you pictures, if you'd like
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matt
Iversons Design (for dodgers)
You should check out Iverson Design's website http://www.iversonsdesign.com. I know they are based on the west coast, but the owner does the absolute *best* canvas work I've ever seen. For what it's worth, I hadn't seen anything like their work when I sailed on the Chesapeake. I don't know if they could work something out in terms of the distance, but if not, maybe the site could help with ideas anyway... matt
You should check out Iverson Design's website http://www.iversonsdesign.com. I know they are based on the west coast, but the owner does the absolute *best* canvas work I've ever seen. For what it's worth, I hadn't seen anything like their work when I sailed on the Chesapeake. I don't know if they could work something out in terms of the distance, but if not, maybe the site could help with ideas anyway... matt
Some ideas.
Rob: Here are some other ideas. 1. Cut your companionway board in half (now two pieces). I have seen very few boats that have a single piece one anyway. We had a cover made for ours before we had a dodger and it kept most of the dirt and rain from getting inside the boat. 2. Be sure that ALL of your windows zip out. This is easier on the plastic so it is not in the sun all the time too. We have sun screen that we zip into the widow locations to keep the sun off of us. We have found that they also make sailing in the spring a little nicer too (cuts down on the breeze) which can be good or bad. 3. Be sure to have side hand rails made. This makes moving about (going forward/aft) a little safer by having something to hold onto. I must say that the dodger was a big investment but it has made the boat much more comfortable year round.
Rob: Here are some other ideas. 1. Cut your companionway board in half (now two pieces). I have seen very few boats that have a single piece one anyway. We had a cover made for ours before we had a dodger and it kept most of the dirt and rain from getting inside the boat. 2. Be sure that ALL of your windows zip out. This is easier on the plastic so it is not in the sun all the time too. We have sun screen that we zip into the widow locations to keep the sun off of us. We have found that they also make sailing in the spring a little nicer too (cuts down on the breeze) which can be good or bad. 3. Be sure to have side hand rails made. This makes moving about (going forward/aft) a little safer by having something to hold onto. I must say that the dodger was a big investment but it has made the boat much more comfortable year round.
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David
Dodger mod
I have a Hunter 376 with a dodger. It is very awkward to get to the companion-way, so I had a railmaker weld two bars that parallel the sides of the companion-way, attaching to the forward and aft bows. The aft bow section between the welds was removed and made re-attachable with pins. my canvas guy was able to modify the canvas with zippers that parallel the added bars and a rap-around the removable aft bar that zips. the removable bar and canvas rolls up nicely and attaches to the front bow. we leave it rolled up most of the time and zip it back in place when buttoning up the boat.
I have a Hunter 376 with a dodger. It is very awkward to get to the companion-way, so I had a railmaker weld two bars that parallel the sides of the companion-way, attaching to the forward and aft bows. The aft bow section between the welds was removed and made re-attachable with pins. my canvas guy was able to modify the canvas with zippers that parallel the added bars and a rap-around the removable aft bar that zips. the removable bar and canvas rolls up nicely and attaches to the front bow. we leave it rolled up most of the time and zip it back in place when buttoning up the boat.
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Rob
compainionway......photo
Here is a look at our delema... My email address is rob.maas@bermstudios.com.....if a photo or direct link could be provided.. Thanks to everyone! Rob
Here is a look at our delema... My email address is rob.maas@bermstudios.com.....if a photo or direct link could be provided.. Thanks to everyone! Rob
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Jack Tyler
Sent you two pics but several comments here
Rob, you should find a vast selection of canvas shops if you sail on the Chesapeake. The issue for you may be where the boat is located vs. where a vendor you end up liking is located, in which case you may need to relocate the boat for a while. So long as you can keep it within commuting distance for you (after work, on a Saturday morning), that's not a bad thing - but you want to work with the vendor as the design unfolds, most especially when s/he's setting up the frame as that will govern the ergonomics of how you end up relating to the cockpit, the companionway and the sidedecks. You will have to accept bending under a dodger bow if you have a meaningful bridgedeck and want to avoid a high profile dodger (which I too would want to avoid) but keep in mind that canvas vendors should be generally familiar with your model boat and also are likely to have photo books that allow you & they to talk about different design approaches while sharing the same visual references. I sent you two pics, one each of our last two dodgers. We learned by using, even tho' we started with a real artist and fellow sailor when building up our first one. I think the advice about removeable panels makes more sense in theory than practice, and you'll see why when you look at the pics...but our first vendor used removeable panels on his own boat, and in hot/sweaty Florida it's easy to understand their appeal in light winds. Finally, grab the Mate and enjoy some dock walking at the local marinas. Take your time, take your camera, and see if you can't find a few boats with similar cockpit/bridgedeck setups that seem to have useable, appealing-looking dodgers. Become your own amateur canvas maker, if only conceptually. If you look for canvas shop labels at the same time, this will also help to ID some of the local vendors you may want to interview for the job. Good luck! Jack
Rob, you should find a vast selection of canvas shops if you sail on the Chesapeake. The issue for you may be where the boat is located vs. where a vendor you end up liking is located, in which case you may need to relocate the boat for a while. So long as you can keep it within commuting distance for you (after work, on a Saturday morning), that's not a bad thing - but you want to work with the vendor as the design unfolds, most especially when s/he's setting up the frame as that will govern the ergonomics of how you end up relating to the cockpit, the companionway and the sidedecks. You will have to accept bending under a dodger bow if you have a meaningful bridgedeck and want to avoid a high profile dodger (which I too would want to avoid) but keep in mind that canvas vendors should be generally familiar with your model boat and also are likely to have photo books that allow you & they to talk about different design approaches while sharing the same visual references. I sent you two pics, one each of our last two dodgers. We learned by using, even tho' we started with a real artist and fellow sailor when building up our first one. I think the advice about removeable panels makes more sense in theory than practice, and you'll see why when you look at the pics...but our first vendor used removeable panels on his own boat, and in hot/sweaty Florida it's easy to understand their appeal in light winds. Finally, grab the Mate and enjoy some dock walking at the local marinas. Take your time, take your camera, and see if you can't find a few boats with similar cockpit/bridgedeck setups that seem to have useable, appealing-looking dodgers. Become your own amateur canvas maker, if only conceptually. If you look for canvas shop labels at the same time, this will also help to ID some of the local vendors you may want to interview for the job. Good luck! Jack
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Jack Tyler
Rob could use a bit more input on his dodger
Thanks for the pics of your companionway, Rob. For those here who haven't seen them, Rob's dilemma is that he's working with only a vestigal companionway. For those who's seen a Swan's companionway, you'll know it's really more of a deck hatch at the foot of a bridgedeck. Another example is the Mason 43, which has a bit more companionway (vertical opening) than Rob's boat by perhaps 6" but is also more of a deck hatch than what most of us are accustomed to. Rob, the boat has a partial raised coaming that flows aft, each side of the companionway, so you have to advise us on whether you are trying to install a dodger only above/around the hatch itself or whether you want something broader that offers protection to the crew...and even all the way aft to just forward of your main genoa sheet winches. The latter option is possible and vendors sometimes use segments of custom shaped Starboard screwed into the cabin top where the fabric run lacks a coaming side to which it can be attached. Folks, Rob's central issue is that it's virtually a deck hatch to which he wants to mount a protective dodger. The only solution I would consider is a folding unit that's used when the spray is flying, and which I would design so as to incorporate the tall hand rails that surround the hatch and help one up/down the ladder. Has anyone wrestled with this kind of dodger (I'd call it a Hatch Dodger vs. a cockpit dodger) and have any other thoughts? Jack
Thanks for the pics of your companionway, Rob. For those here who haven't seen them, Rob's dilemma is that he's working with only a vestigal companionway. For those who's seen a Swan's companionway, you'll know it's really more of a deck hatch at the foot of a bridgedeck. Another example is the Mason 43, which has a bit more companionway (vertical opening) than Rob's boat by perhaps 6" but is also more of a deck hatch than what most of us are accustomed to. Rob, the boat has a partial raised coaming that flows aft, each side of the companionway, so you have to advise us on whether you are trying to install a dodger only above/around the hatch itself or whether you want something broader that offers protection to the crew...and even all the way aft to just forward of your main genoa sheet winches. The latter option is possible and vendors sometimes use segments of custom shaped Starboard screwed into the cabin top where the fabric run lacks a coaming side to which it can be attached. Folks, Rob's central issue is that it's virtually a deck hatch to which he wants to mount a protective dodger. The only solution I would consider is a folding unit that's used when the spray is flying, and which I would design so as to incorporate the tall hand rails that surround the hatch and help one up/down the ladder. Has anyone wrestled with this kind of dodger (I'd call it a Hatch Dodger vs. a cockpit dodger) and have any other thoughts? Jack
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Rob
Jack...
I could not post the images on this site becuse of file size.. But in answer to your questions ..we do want a dodger that wraps the width of the cockpit to offer protction for crew....in fact the side panels will probably extend almost to the winches.......we cuuently have a bimini and I would want the option to tie the bimini in with the dodger via and extra panel... but you are right my main question for the group is vertical access. my compainionway board is only 6" tall and then the compainionway hatch. thanks Rob
I could not post the images on this site becuse of file size.. But in answer to your questions ..we do want a dodger that wraps the width of the cockpit to offer protction for crew....in fact the side panels will probably extend almost to the winches.......we cuuently have a bimini and I would want the option to tie the bimini in with the dodger via and extra panel... but you are right my main question for the group is vertical access. my compainionway board is only 6" tall and then the compainionway hatch. thanks Rob
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