I'm preparing to order a dodger for my CD27 and I'm curious about people's experiences and opinions on following:
1) Are side/aft handrails worth the extra money? How about covers for the window panels to protect the polycarbonate? Zip out windows?
2) Aesthetics
3) Hard-top dodgers
4) Doing business with canvas shops. I'm in SF Bay area, if anyone has recommended shops.
5) Fastening frame to deckhouse - should this be through-bolted, or do people get away with self-tapping screws?
Any thoughts/ideas would be appreciated, thanks.
Russ Cooper
ENCINITAS
russ_cooper@yahoo.com
Dodgers Revisited
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Dana
Re: Dodgers Revisited
_____________________Russ Cooper wrote: I'm preparing to order a dodger for my CD27 and I'm curious about people's experiences and opinions on following:
1) Are side/aft handrails worth the extra money? How about covers for the window panels to protect the polycarbonate? Zip out windows?
2) Aesthetics
3) Hard-top dodgers
4) Doing business with canvas shops. I'm in SF Bay area, if anyone has recommended shops.
5) Fastening frame to deckhouse - should this be through-bolted, or do people get away with self-tapping screws?
Any thoughts/ideas would be appreciated, thanks.
Russ Cooper
ENCINITAS
Russ,
No on the handrails
Zip out side windows are great in warm weather...just make sure the supplier overlaps the zipper from ONE side from water...i.e. if it is a horizontal zipper, the lap should be only from the top and cover over the zipper area...thus no rain water gets in.
We bought a cover for the front windows only. (Had a local cat that liked to nap on top and would scratch the plastic) Also easy to keep clean.
darenius@aol.com
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Lyn Heiges
Re: Dodgers Revisited
Dear Russ,
First of all, spend the extra money and get a stainless steel frame for the dodger. Loong-term it will be cheaper.
I think the handrails are worth it because a lot of landlubbers are looking for something "solid" to grab onto as the board the boat or move around the deck. They are really convenient for the skipper when going back and forth on deck in heavy weather conditions which can catch up with you fairly rapidly on the east coast of the U.S.
Down here in Florida the sun is so severe, I remove the dodger when not going out. I happen to be fortunate enough to have MOON CHILD in the channel behind my residence and can put boat stuff rather than the cars in the garage! With knurled knobs, I can put it on and off in a jiffy at the attachment points.
Again because of the sun on problems, I am adding a Bimimi which will attach with a zipper to the aft end of the dodger so I can go with only the dodger, the combination of the two or just the Bimini.
You need zip out or roll-up windows for ventilation in the forward portion of the dodger and if the extra expense doesn't bother you and you have the storage capacity for the window covers, they are worth it.
Aesthetics? I prefer the Cape Dory lines without the dodger or Bimini, however, sun cancer and sunburn take a bigger toll than the aesthetics!!
I am not a fan of hard-top dodgers or bimini except on cabin cruisers where you can place deck chairs etc. I still have a soft dodger, bimimi and rear enclosure which zips together in about 10 places for my Grady-White Tournament 19, but there are some neat hard-tops for them which hold fishing rods, radars, etc. which aren't too bad.
Finding a good canvas place can be difficult. Most will give you "free" estimates. I learned a lot from contacting several in the St. Petersburg, Florida area. Ask them for suggestions and what they would propose. Go look at boats in marinas or yacht clubs and see what features you like. Take photos of things you liked when you saw them. Ask reputable boatyards and brokers who they recommend. I got a lot of leads this way. Cheapest is NOT the way to go, however, you will find they are all pretty close to the same rate for Sunbrella material. JSI does good work, and they are local here, but they ship all over. I did choose another vendor, however. One thing about using a local source is that they will measure and make the devices for YOUR BOAT, not just off the "usual" or "blueprint" boat.
I am 6-foot 3-inches and I never put a dodger or Bimini on my CD27 as clearance seemed a bit of a problem. However, the CD28 isn't much different and I am dealing with it just fine. I recommend that a piece of leather or special material be placed on the top side of the Sunbrella material over the aft support bar of the dodger for wear resistance when boom rubs against that point and the topping lift is slack. It is cheaper than repair/replacement of the dodger.
Wishing you good luck,
Lyn Heiges
CD28 MOON CHILD
CD27 GUILLEMOT
lheiges@compuserve.com
First of all, spend the extra money and get a stainless steel frame for the dodger. Loong-term it will be cheaper.
I think the handrails are worth it because a lot of landlubbers are looking for something "solid" to grab onto as the board the boat or move around the deck. They are really convenient for the skipper when going back and forth on deck in heavy weather conditions which can catch up with you fairly rapidly on the east coast of the U.S.
Down here in Florida the sun is so severe, I remove the dodger when not going out. I happen to be fortunate enough to have MOON CHILD in the channel behind my residence and can put boat stuff rather than the cars in the garage! With knurled knobs, I can put it on and off in a jiffy at the attachment points.
Again because of the sun on problems, I am adding a Bimimi which will attach with a zipper to the aft end of the dodger so I can go with only the dodger, the combination of the two or just the Bimini.
You need zip out or roll-up windows for ventilation in the forward portion of the dodger and if the extra expense doesn't bother you and you have the storage capacity for the window covers, they are worth it.
Aesthetics? I prefer the Cape Dory lines without the dodger or Bimini, however, sun cancer and sunburn take a bigger toll than the aesthetics!!
I am not a fan of hard-top dodgers or bimini except on cabin cruisers where you can place deck chairs etc. I still have a soft dodger, bimimi and rear enclosure which zips together in about 10 places for my Grady-White Tournament 19, but there are some neat hard-tops for them which hold fishing rods, radars, etc. which aren't too bad.
Finding a good canvas place can be difficult. Most will give you "free" estimates. I learned a lot from contacting several in the St. Petersburg, Florida area. Ask them for suggestions and what they would propose. Go look at boats in marinas or yacht clubs and see what features you like. Take photos of things you liked when you saw them. Ask reputable boatyards and brokers who they recommend. I got a lot of leads this way. Cheapest is NOT the way to go, however, you will find they are all pretty close to the same rate for Sunbrella material. JSI does good work, and they are local here, but they ship all over. I did choose another vendor, however. One thing about using a local source is that they will measure and make the devices for YOUR BOAT, not just off the "usual" or "blueprint" boat.
I am 6-foot 3-inches and I never put a dodger or Bimini on my CD27 as clearance seemed a bit of a problem. However, the CD28 isn't much different and I am dealing with it just fine. I recommend that a piece of leather or special material be placed on the top side of the Sunbrella material over the aft support bar of the dodger for wear resistance when boom rubs against that point and the topping lift is slack. It is cheaper than repair/replacement of the dodger.
Wishing you good luck,
Lyn Heiges
CD28 MOON CHILD
CD27 GUILLEMOT
Russ Cooper wrote: I'm preparing to order a dodger for my CD27 and I'm curious about people's experiences and opinions on following:
1) Are side/aft handrails worth the extra money? How about covers for the window panels to protect the polycarbonate? Zip out windows?
2) Aesthetics
3) Hard-top dodgers
4) Doing business with canvas shops. I'm in SF Bay area, if anyone has recommended shops.
5) Fastening frame to deckhouse - should this be through-bolted, or do people get away with self-tapping screws?
Any thoughts/ideas would be appreciated, thanks.
Russ Cooper
ENCINITAS
lheiges@compuserve.com
-
Chris
Re: Dodgers Revisited
Russ - Would like to offer the following recommendation of mounting fasteners from Lin and Larry Pardey's book "Storm Tactics Handbook : Modern Methods of Heaving-To for Survival in Extreme Conditions". They recommend that all items mounted to a coach roof be considered as disposable during a sever storm. During a roll or a knockdown many of these items are ripped from their mounts and lost overboard. Unfortunately, many of us mount our life rafts along side the mast, where past experiences show to be a bad choice. They further recommend that you do NOT use backing plates to secure any of these items (including a dodger). If the water force is strong enough to justify the use of a backing plate then it is most likely going to be strong enough to rip the plate out and leave you with a hole in the cabin roof (which may create a bigger problem). Self tapping screws should secure the dodger adequately while not creating a potential problem in a sever storm.
I highly recommend reading the Pardey’s book as it shares a lifetime of blue water experiences with the average sailor. It is required reading of all my crew members before an extended cruise.
I highly recommend reading the Pardey’s book as it shares a lifetime of blue water experiences with the average sailor. It is required reading of all my crew members before an extended cruise.
Russ Cooper wrote: I'm preparing to order a dodger for my CD27 and I'm curious about people's experiences and opinions on following:
1) Are side/aft handrails worth the extra money? How about covers for the window panels to protect the polycarbonate? Zip out windows?
2) Aesthetics
3) Hard-top dodgers
4) Doing business with canvas shops. I'm in SF Bay area, if anyone has recommended shops.
5) Fastening frame to deckhouse - should this be through-bolted, or do people get away with self-tapping screws?
Any thoughts/ideas would be appreciated, thanks.
Russ Cooper
ENCINITAS