Dodger height

jdhohmann · Oct 27, 2015

We had our dodger lowered 4" for the same reason and guess what, it never made one ounce of difference visually, the dodger was still in the way, BUT, entrance into the boat was hampered quite a bit....

Stu Jackson · Oct 27, 2015

All you skippers with tall dodgers: Do you ever get tired of looking through plastic all the time you're out sailing?

Our dodger is low, 'cuz the PO was SO short...

I know, I know, I have to duck when I come up or go down below, but it sure is nice to be able to stand up, or even sit behind the wheel, and see OVER the dodger.

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An unusual feature of our boat is what most people call a VERY LOW dodger. We have to stoop under it to get down below. It has a small flap of material running below the frame at the rear end of the dodger. We got used to it.

The advantage is that see can see OVER the dodger when we're standing, so we're not forced to spend the entire time looking through plastic when we're out sailing. We do not have a bimini. Our sunshade is an umbrella!

Others choose to have higher dodgers so that they can connect them to biminis. Your boat, your choice, just thought you'd like to know the differences. Very good idea to get the side rails, if you hadn't you would have missed them right away the first time you went forward.

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Photos of my low dodger:
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,7161.15.html

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I found yet another reason to have a lower dodger this morning. We left our anchorage at 0630 before sunup, with the dew still all over everything, including the dodger glass. I cleaned BOTH the inside and the outside of the glass.

Within 20 minutes the glass was as clogged as it had been being out all night long.

Instead of having to continue to have to clean the glass (inside and out), while dodging the early morning high speed fishermen (none of whom had anyone at the helm!!!), it sure was nice to be able to stand up and see over the dodger.

45 minutes later we were into an "on-the-deck" fog bank, and I spent more time looking AROUND the boat, including forward, instead of having to try to clean and look THROUGH the glass.

I know, not enough to suggest that everyone with high dodgers cut 'em down, just sayin'...

Your boat, your choice.

Don S/V ILLusion · Oct 27, 2015

Every dodger we've ever had included the option of zipper opening any glass panel. Retrofitting is easy. It may not change overall height but does make seeing forward much easier. An unintended feature is better ventilation in the cockpit.

mortyd · Oct 27, 2015

stu, how tall are you? granted i'm only 5'7", but my boom is way above my head. so is my factor dodger.

Stu Jackson · Oct 27, 2015

The link, from 2013, says I'm 5'-10", still on my driver license. Want me to go measure?

Since I always wear shoes on the boat, it's for sure.

hvbaker · Oct 27, 2015

I prefer a low dodger, but at 6'2" I bump my head at times.

Ron20324 · Oct 28, 2015

When I bought my B323, I looked at another one for the canvas that was provided by the dealer (locally made, though). I did not like it's arrangement, so made my own. The bimini front bow is just high enough that I can walk under it. The dodger, I followed Dan from Sailrite's store and made it with the zippered panels. I can stand under the dodger.

mortyd · Oct 28, 2015

hv baker, looks like you upgraded to a garhauer traveler. like i said about my set up, looks like you still have lots of clearance under your boom. i don't but that's why i have no problem with my dodger height. i'm pretty sure my dodger came from the factory since it's on the original bill of sale.

just lucky · Oct 30, 2015

well I'm 5' 10" and have the same issue on a 1985. you originally asked about raising the dodger and likely had no intention of ever lowering it for all the reasons above and then some.
you can most likely not raise your dodger because when it was designed they likely made it as high as possible. the boom needs a considerable amount of vertical travel as well as the obvious horizontal travel.

mortyd · Oct 30, 2015

i dunno. my boom barely, and i mean barely, clears my doger top and i have had no problems in ten years. am i missing something? what vertical travel down? i do, howevever, have decent room under the dodger. at least i've never noticed not, nor have any guests.

Joe · Oct 30, 2015

You might be interested in a "California Dodger"

mortyd · Oct 31, 2015

that's pretty much how my dodger looks but on a catalina 30 and with somewhat less window area, and i pretty much have the same bimini with a window on top to see the sails.

mortyd · Nov 2, 2015

drazlou, i never collapse my dodger/bimini in season. in the winter i remove the canvas for cleaning and repair and leave the frame. part of my almost uniqueness is that i have a large destoyer wheel and con the boat from the railing so visibility thru the dodger is not a big issue since i'm looking forward outside the boat. i guess at least part of the reason i have no problem is that the dodger was on the original bill of sale from the factory who i presume had lots of exprience making exactly the perfect dodger for a catalina 30 vs. various after market suppliers who probably aren't so familiar with our boat. i sorta don't understand why you want to lay the dodger on the deck.

mortyd · Nov 2, 2015

aha, drazlou, i think i understand better. when i collapse the frame i need to move boom outboard temporarily to clear the underside of the boom. once done i can rotate the boom back.