Sailing with a Dodger

[Capt. Kermie]

The value of opinions

Isn't this just another matter of personal preference?
I've had boats both with and without a dodger and have my own preference which isn't going to change anyone else's mind.

More directly, if you have a problem seeing out/past your dodger, could it be there is something wrong with it's design?

Holly smoke so many different opinions on this subject,sounds normal to me every body uses their boats so differently what a shocker.
Where you live how you boat all so many places so little time to see it all.
We could all sit here and say what we don't like including me but unless we are their we don't really know what's a good way to go,North,South,East,West,I see more boats with lots of canvas than boats with out.
Make your boat user friendly and versatile for the different weather conditions and if not do it your way.
When we sailed off shore from NY to Florida east coast and than down around the keys and up to Punta Gorda every one sure was liking all that Canvas for sure.
Nick

Well, I have been without a dodger since I bought my boat six years ago and I am still agonizing over making a decision. I am quite happy to sit here and read all the opinions and experiences about dodgers, pros & cons. I am getting perspectives on them that I never though of or considered before. I am still leaning towards getting one custom made and since I live/sail in the PNW a dodger appears to be the logical way to extend the sailing season. Now that I am reading more opinions I can make a more informed decision, thanks to all for your opinions and insights, is this not what a blog like this is for?

 

[Ross]

Re: The value of opinions

I live and work in an area of many farms and keeping a farm is a 7 day per week job. Many farm tractors are equiped with heated/airconditioned cabs but many are completely open. The men and women that run these just bundle up and get to work. The livestock must be fed, the cows have to be milked. A cab on a tractor can be a wondeful thing and a dodger on a boat falls into the same catagory. Awfully nice to have but it comes with some drawbacks. It can get in the way of other work, it is something else to have to deal with when you don't need it.

 

[Deep Lee Reefed]

Dodgers essential in the Pacific Northwest

Sailing out here in the Pacific Northwest—Puget Sound mainly—makes a dodger almost an essential piece of equipment. I paid a little more to have mine made with added fore struts, side rails, and a handy grab bar aft. So it becomes a useful piece of safety equipment, as well as protection for my companionway. And I always seem to get enough wind in my face anyway.

 

[Maine Sail]

I am getting perspectives on them that I never though of or considered before. I am still leaning towards getting one custom made and since I live/sail in the PNW a dodger appears to be the logical way to extend the sailing season. Now that I am reading more opinions I can make a more informed decision, thanks to all for your opinions and insights, is this not what a blog like this is for?

Here's more to help make your decision an educated and smooth one.

I would strongly suggest not wasting your money on a pre-fab dodger. You want a custom made dodger or you most likely won't be happy. Custom made will run about 20% more but will be very well worth it.

Here are some questions to ask:

Tubing: You want 316 thick wall! Not type 304 thin wall. All 1" or 7/8" stainless tubing is NOT the same.

Thread: You WANT a thread that will last as long as the Sunbrella. W.L. Gore's Tenara is the only thread that will do this..

Grab Rail's: Side and cockpit make sure the cockpit rail is welded on.

Windows: Strataglass or equivalent. All 30 mil and 40 mil windows are NOT created equal!

Center Window: A full zip out window is a great option as you can lay it in the v-berth to prevent scratching the glass. Rolling windows up is one of the worst things you can do for dodger glass.

Design: Your canvas guy should spend time with you ON the boat and then design the dodger to YOUR preferences. For example; do you want to look under the dodger or look over the top. When the frame is bent this data needs to be there or you'll be staring at the dodger frame when standing a the helm. Have your dodger built so you NEVER need to fold it. Folding a dodger is the single worst thing you can do for it!!

Lapels: Every exposed zipper MUST be covered by a lapel! A lapel is like the fly on your pants that covers the zipper. On a dodger it prevents UV damage!

Deck Attachment: Most builders use Lift-A-Dot's or Twist Locks to attach the canvas to the deck. This can create un even pulls in the canvas and eventually, after enough hot sun, the glass. You'll want to consider a luff tape attachment system. This plastic track can be heated with a heat gun and custom bent to match the contour of your deck. The dodger has a corresponding luff tape sewn across the entire front bottom edge that is slid into the luff track.
Best!

Better:

Mediocre:

Frame Support: If you have a hand rail you want support struts that attach the frame to the cockpit coaming to distribute the loads.
No grab rail or support struts:

Well done grab rail with support struts:

Use a LOCAL shop that does good work and let the price sink in for a bit..! A well designed and constructed dodger will out last a poorly built one by close to double! Loose fabric, that can flap in the wind, will DESTROY Sunbrella in short order!


A good example of a BAD (Mail Order) dodger:

An example of a good dodger (same boat):

A dodger can make or break the looks and aesthetics of your boat and IMHO it's not a place to cut corners! BTW here's a picture of that same dodger taken last summer after adding side grab rails. It was six year's old when this photo was taken..

If you feel like setting the bar really high, after reading this thread, take a look at this canvas work!

Mobile Marine Canvas Photo Gallery

 

[ITMaster]

It's blowin 12 to 15 knots and it is sunny but the OAT is only in the upper 40's low 50's. I'm off for a quick sail since I have my dodger, connector, bimini and side panels. All this talk about the dodger has got me glad I have one. I got my underarmor on and I'm outta here.

Should be beautiful and it is nice and toasty inside the cockpit. See ya'll later on :dance::dance::dance: I'm gone sailing for the rest of the afternoon.

L8TR

td

 

[Randy Burns]

To many lobsterpots in my neighborhood. Any slight obstruction in my field of view could do me in.

 

[larryw]

Here in SoCal the Pacific Ocean is cold and a dodger is very necessary. Even in August it can be chilly going to weather. I wouldn't be without the dodger, but I like mine over some I've seen on the same model boat. Taller and wider, with larger windows.

 

[Bad Obsession]

If I ever re-do my dodger windows...I am going to have snaps added to the outside area and get panels that snap over the windows so that the windows are blocked when I am at the dock. This should save a lot of wear and tear on the windows!

 

[Mike B]

Bad Obesssion, we had them on the last boat and they were well worth the money. The glass was still in great condition after 7years and we never take the dodger off.

 

[RichH]

If I ever re-do my dodger windows...I am going to have snaps added to the outside area and get panels that snap over the windows so that the windows are blocked when I am at the dock. This should save a lot of wear and tear on the windows!

BE CAREFUL as some of the 'waterproofing' used in Sunbrella, etc. is NOT compatible with many varieties of clear vinyl ... and upon long term contact of Sunbrella, etc. can begin to distort the 'surface' of the vinyl.

 

[Mike B]

It was never an issue for us. We used the 333 protectant spray on the canvas.

 

[Rick D]

I Have The Protective Panels, But...

...don't even ask me how many times I have pulled out of the dock forgetting to take them off :cussing:

If I ever re-do my dodger windows...I am going to have snaps added to the outside area and get panels that snap over the windows so that the windows are blocked when I am at the dock. This should save a lot of wear and tear on the windows!

 

[Bad Obsession]

True but a friend of mine has them for his dodger and his windows look brand new after 6 years of use!

My boat had 4 year old canvass when I bought it and apparently they left the dodger up year round. I noticed that the windows were slightly fogged so I attempted to clean them. It helped some but not as much as I would have liked it to. I will probably have the windows replaced and covers made for them so that it will last longer!

 

[Stu Jackson]

If I ever re-do my dodger windows...I am going to have snaps added to the outside area and get panels that snap over the windows so that the windows are blocked when I am at the dock. This should save a lot of wear and tear on the windows!

Good thinkin'!!! I agree. We got the better glass (I forget its name, could look it up), but were convinced to get a separate full dodger cover. That worked for about a year, but it became a pain. I'll probably have the dodger maker come back and do just that.

 

[Steve Dion]

I would not consider a dodger that did not have all of the panels removable. Our climate is different that most of yours. Not many of you have cold foggy weather in the winter AND 115 degree temps during the summer. While I know that there are exceptions to this my point is that our dodger needs to have all the panels removable to get air circulation during the extreme summer months. We also can have extreme temp changes from the delta to the S.F. bay. We can be sailing in 90 deg. temps and 30 minutes later we wished we had our foulies on. When we make these trips we will usually just remove the front panel so we are ready to zip it back in place at a moments notice.

Being able to remove each panel also makes repairs to any individual panel much easier. Our previous dodger on our Hunter 31 was sewn with regular Sunbrella and off the shelf thread. It lasted for over 10 years with the original thread.

When I had the new dodger made for the Hunter Vision 36 I specifically asked the "canvas guy" about upgraded thread (Tenera). He recommended against it telling me that he could restitch the dodger for about the same price as the additional thread & labor. They (Pacific Coast Canvas) double stitches the dodger when they user Tenera (because of the breaking strength). The regular thread has a breaking strength of about 14lbs while Tenera is about 8lbs. This was his story not mine.

Our dodger also has a forward & aft supports, so you do not need canvas to support anything. This dodger is only two years old but nearly everyone that see it comments on how well it was constructed.

My suggestion to anyone that is having a dodger made, to make it as versatile as possible. You may pay a little more up front but it will be worth it in the long run.

 

[larryw]

My dodger is white vinyl, which works well on the white boat, but I have a full canvas cover, a sacrificial piece that I replace when needed, but the dodger itself, very expensive, remains in very good shape.

 

[Deep Lee Reefed]

Main Sail, just a comment of extending a dodger too far aft. My choice on this boat would have been to leave a stepping gap between the winches and the aft edge of this dodger. Otherwise, the winches become a tripping hazard. Or maybe not, since I haven't been on board. Was that ever a consideration when installing this dodger?