Dodger dilema

Meriachee

Meriachee

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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
We are crafting a dodger for the C270. Currently the bows are being fitted, and they are, more or less, at about the same height as in the attached picture. While this gives great access to the companionway, and the winches, it appears to be limiting the forward view from the helm.
Here's the question: Which activity gets more weight in the height decision, view or access?
2013-04-03 09.20.04 pm 2.png
 
Kermit

Kermit

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Jul 31, 2010
5,722
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
Seeing where you're going is so overrated. When you hit the guy he'll compliment you on your great sail trim. And your sailing buddy can quickly and easily go below to make mint juleps for everyone while you wait for the Coast Guard. Or is that the Royal Canadian Floating Police?
 
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Likes: justsomeguy
Rich Stidger

Rich Stidger

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Feb 10, 2004
4,233
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
That is a tough one. The wrong decision in either direction results in a built-in PITA. I made sure when our dodger was built that it was high enough so I could see through it without ducking. Fortunately it was also high enough for companionway access and not so high the boom was a problem. I guess I do duck a little when going below but I don't really think about it. If I were tall I would want to see over it, if short, then thru it. Sorry this reply is so little help.
 
Meriachee

Meriachee

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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
if there are floaty Feds, we've never had any interactions with them. The standing joke on Wabamun, if you flip the boat, you hop off and walk to shore.

Rich, I'm looking for all input (for a change) and theory seems to apply to these devices
 
justsomeguy

justsomeguy

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Feb 20, 2011
8,062
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
Meriachee said:
Which activity gets more weight in the height decision, view or access?
Click to expand
Access. Access to the wenches, especially. :wink:
You can always move your head, I would think. Not so much the winch.
 
All U Get

All U Get

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Oct 2, 2008
3,811
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
When we had our Catalina the dodger would be folded flat when we sailed. Now that we have a dodger and bimini, I impersonate ET at the helm ducking and stretching to see ahead. Go for the view.

All U Get
 
B

Benny17441

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May 24, 2004
7,213
CC 30 South Florida
I think I would be OK with stooping a bit to get into the cabin rather than having to be dance the "Wahtusi" behind the helm.
 
Joe

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,313
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
You should be able to see over the top of the dodger if you're standing behind it. IMHO the one in the picture is too tall... besides looking out of proportion to the boat it limits your ability to see forward while standing. If you want to stand under something and still see... add a bimini. The dodger's two main functions are weather/spray protection and keeping the cabin shady/dry with the hatch open. Ask yourself how often you would actually need standing room under the dodger... you're not steering from there.... so NEVER. If your sitting down at the helm, you can see through the window. If you like to stand you won't be able to see the tell tales with the dodger at that height.
 
onlinelee

onlinelee

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Apr 8, 2016
114
Beneteau 361 Clipper Garrucha, Spain
I am 6'1" tall, I had the biggest sore on my forehead after I head butted the top of the spray hood ( what we call a dodger this side of the pond ) on my friends B473 every time I went below, because of wearing sun glasses. I would have headroom every time!
 
DougM

DougM

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Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
I would have no option other than to go with a lower dodger. Even if I had one that was as high as the boom I would have to duck it anyway. Standing at the helm, being 6'7",I am eye level with the boom. My problem, is how to configure a bimini so that I can stand under it, and then have a viable connecting canvas between it and the dodger.
 
capta

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
5,072
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
How often are you really standing and driving underway? Most of the time you'd be sitting on one side or the other, right?
Docking is the time when visibility is most important from a standing position, but that's only a few minutes a day, so a bit of bobbing and peering under, over or around the dodger would not be a huge inconvenience, IMO.
Ducking and bending every single time you want to go below or come on deck, even at the dock, would be much more of a head ache (make that back ache) to me.
I've been on several other boats like ours with lower dodgers and biminis and I'd NEVER trade my set up for theirs. We can stand comfortably in the dodger in a squall to watch the action w/o bending at all and access below is standing up straight all the way.
However, I can see just fine through the dodger from the helm, so it's not like I have to choose one or the other.
SS crew.jpg
 
B

Benny17441

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May 24, 2004
7,213
CC 30 South Florida
First decide if you want a functional dodger or just one that looks good. This seems to be a concern of many. In some instances you can get both in one but not all the time. For me a dodger offers protection against cold winds and spray so during our extended summer season we will usually collapse it and just use the bimini. Our dodger is not intended to serve as part of a full enclosure for the cockpit and although we have a zippered section that joins it to the bimini it is only used on occassions for rain protection and extra shade. Ours allows easy access to the deck walkways while providing full coverage to the cabin top. Roll away plastic panels enhance visibility and air flow.
 
Head Sail

Head Sail

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Nov 13, 2013
723
Catalina 34 Tacoma
Seems like your decision on dodger hight is limited to the hight of your boom on your C270. Make it as high as possible with a fully tightend boom bang. Your mainsail will dictate that.
 
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Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Way too tall dodger. High performance sails and all that windage don't go together. I want to be able to see over my dodger from the helm. Can't see over that dodger from anywhere behind it. Dodgers with spray and rain on them have poor visibility through the windows.
 
capta

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
5,072
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Gunni said:
Dodgers with spray and rain on them have poor visibility through the windows.
Click to expand
Well, some of us are lucky enough to have a mate who will wash the dodger windows when necessary.
 
C

Capt jgw

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Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
Mines tall enough that I can stand under it so I have great access to the cabin, and I look through the front window underway. As mentioned above though, in rain and especially fog visibility through the plastic window is not great. I've put new plastic in it once, and toward the end of the old windows life I had to open it to see well.
If you make it shorter to see over the top, and you also have a bimini, then you can't connect the two to protect against rain and sun and still see over the top. No matter how you do it, it's a compromise.
 
Meriachee

Meriachee

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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Thank you all for the opinions. I thought the installation in the picture was a little tall, the test fit yesterday was too tall, a bit got whacked off this morning, and it's a good compromise, there's no way it's going to hit the boom, standing gives a clear view over, and it's high enough that it's easy to get in and out of the cabin.
Excellent point about the loss of visibility.
The 270 is a very boxy platform. Visually, it'll never have sleek swoopy lines, but it has a huge cockpit for its size, and additions like this add to the livability when the weather is less than ideal.
I'll post a couple of pictures when it's all done.
 
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