Dodger on a Beneteau 37 Oceanis

Jun 13, 2020
34
Beneteau 37 Oceanis Keyport
I can't seem to figure out how to easily fold down the dodger. Is there a way to do it without removing the fabric? It makes it hard to see when sailing and I only want it up for dirty weather. When I detach the aft arms from their brackets using the little sliding pin, the whole thing seems to fold over and rest on the main sheet coming up from the traveler.

All help appreciated.
 
May 17, 2004
5,694
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Unfortunately I don’t think there’s an easy way to fold it down. On hot days we fold the center glass panel up on top of the dodger to get the breeze. The other two forward side panels can be removed too, and with those out the rest shouldn’t be very in the way, although they’re a little more of a pain to store and reinstall.
 
Jun 13, 2020
34
Beneteau 37 Oceanis Keyport
thanks. so the what's the point of the nifty spring buttons to detach the aft tubes from the cabin top?
 
May 17, 2004
5,694
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Hmmm, that I don’t know. Ours just has screws for those fittings, nothing special. On ours the aft bow is screwed into fittings at the back of the the cabin top. There is a strut tube from each side of that bow to the cockpit combing. The front bow screws into fittings attached to the aft bow, a few inches above the cabin top. Sounds like yours may be arranged a little differently.