Yamaha 36 dodger

[Rising Sun]

I finally did it. For years I've been trying to figure out how have a "hard" (or as close to it) dodger on the boat, and how to make it work with the interferences like the traveler, primary winch rotaion, and head clearance while getting over the bridge deck.

It finally came together over the winter, and after just returning from 16 days in the islands, I'm really happy with it.

It's hard to make a dodger look right, with the lines on the boat, but all in all I think it looks pretty good. Functionally, it is excelent.

 

[FastOlson]

Kudos to you!
It looks very good.
I have been trying sketch up a hard dodger for our boat for years.

Aside: I have been crewing for several years on a Yamaha 33. It's a very fine sailing boat on all points of sail.

 

[Rising Sun]

Thanks! yeah, it's not easy to make it look respectable, and be funtional.

Your Olson 34 looks great. I friend has one up here in Seattle that is PERFECT. I've always admired those boats. I use to crew on an Olson 30, which was a lot of fun, but clearly different boat entirely. Is that the Y 33 I see in the background

 

[FastOlson]

Thanks! yeah, it's not easy to make it look respectable, and be funtional.

Your Olson 34 looks great. I friend has one up here in Seattle that is PERFECT. I've always admired those boats. I use to crew on an Olson 30, which was a lot of fun, but clearly different boat entirely. Is that the Y 33 I see in the background

Sharp eye!
Yup, that's a Yamaha 33.

 

[FastOlson]

The added pix are really helpful!
I take it that the panel ("sunroof") removes? Did you add a short traveler aft in front of the wheel?

That is one big wheel, too. Looks like you guys have to step up and around it to get forward and aft.

Thanks,
Loren

 

[Rising Sun]

Yes, the panel is removable. it slides into tracks running fore and aft, and a seperate piece slides into a track 'thwartship at the forward end, then zips together. It also has battens in it to induce the same camber as the top itself.

The large wheel is from the heyday when I raced the boat. Yes you have to step up and around it, but i still love it. It allows for a really comfortable position while going to weather, windward or leward. Infact, on any point of sail or just motoring, it makes it really easy to get comfotable while at the helm, and at any angle of heel.

Yes, one of the biggest obstruction to adding a dodger that would give any real protection from weather was the postion of the traveler. I added the smaller teak traveler, since I don't race the boat anymore, and center position is just fine. Also, I figured if I didn't like the dodger, or position of the traveler, it could all be removed. The originall traveler is still inplace at the bridge deck.

To bad this site doesn't provide spell check!