Dodgers on 460's
This is always a tough decision with a new (or new-to-you) boat. they always seem to look best with clean decks but the reality is that the dodger is a necessity in many areas. We have a 460 which is sailed off the west coast of British Columbia in Canada. We have decide that function has won out over form on this one because we want to sail year-round. In order to do that you pretty much need a dodger. We went even further and put on a full cockpit enclosure. I don't think the boat looks as good with all that canvas, but it gives us comfortable outside living space year round. And I don't think it has completely messed up the look of the boat - I have kinda grown to like it. I don't know where you sail, but there should be someone near you who could do a good job on a dodger. I think ours looks pretty good. The key to making it look proportionally OK is to give it the appropriate amount of rake aft. Ours has done that and it is high enough to allow easy access to the cabin. With this boat, the companionway is very well done - you can actually walk down it facing foward without having to hold on if conditions are calm, right? It would be a shame to mess up the good access feature by building a dodger which is too short. (although it may look better) Ours has hand-holds on the outside of it to give a spot to hang onto when walking forward, and they put in some brushed leather re-inforcements which look good too. The forward windows are lexan. It gives clear, undistorted vision but they are quite sensitive to scratching. Check out the photo foum - I think Mark johnson has posted some pics of "Anthem" which show his dodger. I will post a pic of mine if I can find one which is suitable - most of them are taken from a distance and get fuzzy when I crop them. If you have more questions, ask away. Good Luck! Richard Owen
