Dodger or Bimini?

[Gunni]

For the square waves of the Chesapeake's shoulder seasons you need a dodger. The long fetch and shallow water kicks up some rough water - especially off the Pax River. You will be able to keep you companion-way open and the boat properly ventilated, and your wife will have a place to shelter from the cold rain, spray, green water while you introduce her to the joys of all-weather sailing. Until you can afford a bimini, buy two good hats. She'll authorize the bimini procurement about mid-July.

 

[AtlanticAl]

My wife says I'm now on a budget. I have neither, but want both. Which would you get first?

Depends where you sail, and when you sail, a dodger is not much use for sitting in a marina in a very hot summer day, and a bimni is not a great deal of use, when you are battering into an 8, in the middle of winter. It also depends on the individual, i know no matter what, a bimni is more important to me, because my wife will just moan, and moan, if she dosent have any shade from the sun, where me, i dont bother much about getting wet,

 

[Warren Milberg]

Here on the Chesapeake, the answer is simple (at least for me): bimini.

The sun can be brutal (and deadly) from mid-May to mid-October and a bimini makes sailing at those time quite enjoyable rather than broiling without one.

A dodger is mostly useful in very early spring and late fall.

 

[David in Sandusky]

Preference

I look back at "higgs'" comment. What bothers you and your crew most? The wind and spray, or the sun?

We sailed Lady Lillie for a few summers on Lake Erie without either a dodger or a bimini. We (the Admiral and I) were sure that for us it was the sun. Eight summers later, we still like that decision. And, a dodger has not even been nominated for our "to do" list, although we push sailing well into the cold days of the fall.

My thought after reviewing this thread, is that our preferences can be very different on this issue. As higgs indicates, it seems to be personal. The Admiral and I started sailing in a Moth and a Sunfish. Wind and water were attractions for us, and are part of our enjoyment today. Despite sailing over 6,000 nm's, we don't often pound into the wind and waves, and our boat is quite dry when we do.

I hear that a lot of us would be unhappy in our cockpit with us. I'm OK with that, and enjoy sailing on our best friends' Hunter 30 with a full dodger. So I think our preferences are key to this question.