Island Nautical Canvas - Cape Dory 25D

[barfwinkle]

Good morning everyone

I think I am about to bite the bullet and have Island Nautical make me a dodger for Rhapsody. I know about the measuring form they require and I have a "Fall Quote" from them. To me their dodgers, while good quality and favorable feedback, looks to be a bit "tall" for the 25D aesthetically speaking.

Any comments about quality or aesthetics?

TIA and Fair Winds and I for one am looking forward to Havre de Grace.

[trapper]

Hi Bill,

I had one on my 22 and it was beautiful. I have not seen one on a CD25D.

I plan on putting one on Saga in the future. I would go with Island Nautical again.

Let me know how it turns out.

[Carter Brey]

Hi, Bill,

My Sabre 28 sports an Island Nautical dodger as well as a full binnacle cover. The quality is fine-- perhaps not as good as truly hand-measured and made products, but certainly good enough. The fact that they rely on pre-made forms means savings for you. They are nice folks and I enjoy dropping in to talk to them (they are literally next door to my boatyard).

Another way in which they keep the cost down is to have you do the installation. That's fine, but for many of us it's the first and maybe only dodger installation in our lives, and we may not get it absolutely perfect despite following instructions to the letter. On mine, the starboard side window is beautifully taut and smooth while the port side is a bit wrinkly. Great installation... for a concert cellist...

My biggest problem with them was communication; they needed two tries to get the measurements for the binnacle cover right, although I gave them a very detailed drawing and discussed it with them in person. They also blundered and made a dodger for a Sabre 38 instead of a 28, first time around. I felt very bad for them, but they hadn't been paying attention and they had to eat the expense. If they had sent someone over to the boat-- literally about 100 yards away on her mooring-- that mishap could easily have been avoided.

Best regards,
Carter

[Cathy Monaghan]

Here are a few photos of our Island Nautical dodger. The boat's a 32, not a 25D, but it's a nice dodger. I added the side grab rails.

The dodger needs to be high somewhat, otherwise it won't be very effective at doing it's job -- protecting you from wind and spray.

<a href="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... G_1462.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="500" src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 2.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 060239.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="500" src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 9.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... G_0006.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="500" src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 6.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 033952.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="500" src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/ ... 2.jpg"></a>

Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Russell]

Good morning everyone

I think I am about to bite the bullet and have Island Nautical make me a dodger for Rhapsody. I know about the measuring form they require and I have a "Fall Quote" from them. To me their dodgers, while good quality and favorable feedback, looks to be a bit "tall" for the 25D aesthetically speaking.

Any comments about quality or aesthetics?

TIA and Fair Winds and I for one am looking forward to Havre de Grace.

Just about any dodger that will do its intended job well will look a tad tall on a 25D, just part of the problem of dodgers on smaller boats. Dont be tempted to go too low for aesthetic purposes, you will likely end up dissapointed with what is a very expensive upgrade. Also, keep in mind, other then its job of keeping you dry, if its too short, entry through the companionway can become a tricky maneuver.

[Steve Darwin]

But last summer I did spy a 25D with a folding canvas hood no wider than the companionway. It looked like it could be removed and stowed quite easily, and not much in the way when set up.

[Russell]

But last summer I did spy a 25D with a folding canvas hood no wider than the companionway. It looked like it could be removed and stowed quite easily, and not much in the way when set up.

And what purpose does such a thing serve? I have seen offshore race boats that have such setups, the idea being to minimize windage as much as possible while keeping water from going down below while the companionway is open. An offshore racer a CD25D is not. If you are going to bother erecting a dodger, it should do some good.

[Troy Scott]

They protect us from the cold and wet. They keep rainwater off the companionway. They function as a giant venturi at anchor. They help provide shade. They make a great handhold. They look cool. What else?

[Steve Darwin]

(There, I said it.) Dodgers are popular with people who want to drive (usually from over-sized destroyer wheels), not sail. And they seriously get in the way if you have to climb out of or into the cockpit when the boat is heeling. And they block visibility. And they look silly, at least on small boats, pretentious, even. And they make the cockpit hot and uncomfortable. Bad weather? Put on some proper clothing (Scandinavian proverb: There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing). But if you must have a dodger, don't get that awful Bahamian Blue or whatever it's called. Have I offended anyone?

[Troy Scott]

NO. But I wonder if you've sailed upwind in the winter in really choppy conditions. I can't imagine anybody not appreciating the tremendous advantage a good dodger provides in such conditions. I'm talking about when you need good foulies AND a dodger.

[bhartley]

We have a dodger on our 25D. In the blazing Georgia sun, it makes the cockpit tolerable for the person not at the helm. When thunderstorms come barreling through, we can drop the hook and relax down below without closing the companionway or hatch -- another bonus in the heat.

Our dodger is sturdy enough to grab going forward and lean on as needed. We have not used the side panels although they would likely come in handy in the winter. Yes, we sail in the winter in Georgia.

Call me a sissy if you like, BUT I am sailing a 25D because I want a comfortable boat for SAILING not racing or anything else.

It sure makes it more pleasant.



Here's a shot of it in place the day I was testing the set of our new genoa.



This is an identical dodger to ours fully installed. We LOVE the fly off the dodger in the summer. A bimini would be a nuisance, but the fly let's us block the sun at the slip and on many occasions underway with just the genny flying. It makes a 12 knot breeze on a 97 degree day a wonderful sail.

[Russell]

(There, I said it.) Dodgers are popular with people who want to drive (usually from over-sized destroyer wheels), not sail. And they seriously get in the way if you have to climb out of or into the cockpit when the boat is heeling. And they block visibility. And they look silly, at least on small boats, pretentious, even. And they make the cockpit hot and uncomfortable. Bad weather? Put on some proper clothing (Scandinavian proverb: There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing). But if you must have a dodger, don't get that awful Bahamian Blue or whatever it's called. Have I offended anyone?

Everything is relative. Dodgers are absolutely not just for whimps. CDs by their nature (narrow beam and high angle of initial heel) are WET boats. Out for an afternoon frollic, sure one can handle being wet. Out for days on end nonstop? Wet gets old fast, the dryer the cockpit the better, even if you are wearing your foulies that you invested well over $1000 in (yes, they still get wet eventually). Swamp ass makes for a very unpleasent watch, especially when you know you have a week more to go. I would never sail a boat offshore without a dodger, ick, I sail for fun, not torture. My own boat has a dodger that I have dreams of replacing with one much larger, and even better a permanent solid dodger (an idea I keep kicking around my head).

[Neil Gordon]

When thunderstorms come barreling through, we can drop the hook and relax down below

What about the thunderstorms that come barreling through when you're out somewhere and can't drop the hook? With a wheel you're sort of doomed to get wet, but with a tiller I can stay tucked in under the dodger and avoid the worst of it. (I do need to peek out every once in a while to make sure I don't hit something... can't see through the dodger in heavy rain.)

[tartansailor]

. My own boat has a dodger that I have dreams of replacing with one much larger, and even better a permanent solid dodger (an idea I keep kicking around my head).

Hi Russell,
Thinking the same thing.
Would be very interested in any design concepts that you consider important.

Dick

[Clay Stalker]

Steve,

Nobody should be offended by your opinion about a dodger. But I have to say that a dodger was the single best addition I ever made to my several boats for all the reasons and more that Troy so well stated.