Raising the Main (and boom)

[Darin Bartram]

I have a CD26, to which I am adding a dodger. I've noticed that my main sail does not reach the head of the mast. I think I could raise the gooseneck on the mast about 8-12 inches higher, to gain additional headroom in the cockpit, and have a taller dodger put on. Aside from having a slightly higher center of force in the sail, are there reasons not to do this?



dbartram@hunton.com

[Carl Jones]

I have a CD26, to which I am adding a dodger. I've noticed that my main sail does not reach the head of the mast. I think I could raise the gooseneck on the mast about 8-12 inches higher, to gain additional headroom in the cockpit, and have a taller dodger put on. Aside from having a slightly higher center of force in the sail, are there reasons not to do this?

Darin,
Just make sure you can see over the dodger, because you can't see through the clear vinyl when it is wet. These dodgers you see that are so tall that the primary helmsman can't see over them, are not the proper way to do it, and I think they look very bad, especially on a boat with traditional lines like a Cape Dory. Those things, in my opinion, are only suited for floating condos, they are not the mark of a seaman or a well found boat.
On my CD30 I also had to get enough headroom to install a bimini top over the cockpit. The Texas sun is too brutal to sail in without shade. I did it for 7 of 8 years on my traditional wood boat, but decided that was enough. The way I did it was to take a wedge shaped slice out of the foot of the main. We took about a foot off at the end of the boom, and tapered down to nothing at the mast. This raised the boom enough to install the bimini. It worked out fine and I can't tell any difference in performance (total loss of sail area was less than 12 feet). I did agonize over this for quite awhile though, because I was concerned about the boom not hanging level. In the end, I did it though, and got over the boom. The shade is well worth it.
I also have a nice dodger, that I can see over. I'm 5'10". It doesn't get in the way when going below either. Hope this helps and I haven't offended anyone. Keep the traditional look intact.

Fair Seas,
Carl Jones
CD30 "Spanish Eyes"





GreatCells@aol.com

[Darin Bartram]

Good points, Carl. I actually have the frame from the old dodger, so I may just have a new dodger put onto it, and not risk making a new dodger that is too tall to see over. However, I am also looking at adding a bimini, so the added headroom will be very nice. Thanks.



dbartram@hunton.com

[Carl Jones]

Good points, Carl. I actually have the frame from the old dodger, so I may just have a new dodger put onto it, and not risk making a new dodger that is too tall to see over. However, I am also looking at adding a bimini, so the added headroom will be very nice. Thanks.

I just remembered, there is a man named Dana Arenius whom has occasional messages on this board, that owns a beautiful CD26, with a dodger. He also has a web page with pictures of his boat and descriptions of repairs and links to other CD's. It would be well worth your while to investigate. His e-mail address is: darenius@aol.com. If you look far enough back on the message board, you can find him.

Good Luck,
Carl



GreatCells@aol.com