50-50 on whether to add Sprayhood to my boat

Refueler

Refueler

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The Conqubin 38cr I have - primarily a race boat - has no Sprayhood ... but it has the 'breakwater' ridge on cabin top where Sprayhood would fasten to, along with hatch garage.

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I note that the few Conq 38's you see for sale - all but one I see have Sprayhoods ....

My usual 'crew' says not needed ... but I'm 50-50 .....

The boom is quite low on her - set to LYS / OR Rule (mast is marked) ... so the 'hood' would not be a high one as seen on most cruise boats ..

If I go for it - would mean frame as well as material ... £ 's .... quite a few of them !

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As long as it will fold down you have the best f 2 worlds up in bat weather down in good weather and better view for sailing.

This is how I use my spray hood
 
I like my spray hood, too. I confess it stays up all the time. I like the shelter it gives to the cockpit and the hatchway. For sailing, I have a tiller extension so you can sit up on the coaming and see over it.
 
My 25ft'r has a sprayhood .. and I know well the shelter it can give ....

The 38 without - the view is unobstructed .. I know that sounds a bit iffy - but I was surprised the difference after all the years with the other boats hood ... I'd forgotten what it was like without ...

There is a factor that weighs in on this though .....

The materials used here for 'hoods' .. standard Sunbrella - I found was weak compared to the original hood on my 25 .... the 'infamous' hitting the rock entering harbour ... falling fwd onto the hoods frame tore the absolutely new hood ....

The fall onto it was no more than the numerous times to the old one - which never tore. The old hood had survived 20 odd yrs with me ... and unknown before with previous owner.

I returned the hood to the yard and asked them to add re-inforcing when repaired. The same yard will be replacing the cover on my MoBo ... already explained it must have doubled material where frames etc.
 
I loved having a spray hood on a 31 footer in the UK then chartered some boats in the Caribbean and Greece and hated losing the visibility but mostly losing the ability to throw myself around cabin top winches with full unhampered rotation. I’ve since owned a couple of boats and removed the spray hood altogether on one because of the winch issue, and in my current boat (kept in warm places) think it might be a similar problem so haven’t even tried to fit one.
 
The final sail before she was lifted out last season ... we came across eastern Baltic from Gotland with waves up to 4m .... wind about 40deg on the port bow ... a 'hood' would have been great then !
But other times with good wind .. warm sun ..... its nice to have that unhampered clear view ...

I know some may argue this - but longevity of a 'hood' and especially the 'windows' - is by not keep lowering / raising it - especially when cold weather ...
 
I don’t know the boat, but on the face of it she looks fast and, how shall we put it, not very dry. I don’t think you will regret a modest hood.
 
Refueler said:
The final sail before she was lifted out last season ... we came across eastern Baltic from Gotland with waves up to 4m .... wind about 40deg on the port bow ... a 'hood' would have been great then !
But other times with good wind .. warm sun ..... its nice to have that unhampered clear view ...

I know some may argue this - but longevity of a 'hood' and especially the 'windows' - is by not keep lowering / raising it - especially when cold weather ...
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That is my experience. I wrecked a sprayhood, and like you say especially the window material by leaving it folded for too long - which I did because I enjoyed the visibility and sensory experience with it down. Good oilies help.

Then, when it would been 'nice' to have one, the transparent plastic was ruined and it just looked like embarrassing crap although it did work,

So, for me they are either to be considered an almost permanent fixture in the 'up' position or don't bother,
 
I had a sprayhood for my Twister and was glad to have it. It was made by TecSew, Gosport, and it fitted perfectly. I bought it in 1997 and it was still on the boat last year.

I usually sailed with it down, but if motoring in bad weather I would put it up and lurk behind it, leaving the tillerpilot to do the steering.

Another benefit in my case was beng able to attach a tonneau cover to it to protect the timber cockpit from rainwater. Later on I bought a proper cockpit enclosure with windows to attach to it. That was brilliant although I never used it at sea, only when on a mooring or in a marina. It was like having another room, and it was much pleasanter sitting up there, watching the world go by and having a meal, than being cooped up below.

I replaced the windows in the TecSew sprayhood twice in 27 years and that didn't cost much (Wilkinson Sails Ltd did them last time) and they were needing replacing again when I sold the boat last year.
 
The biggest down side, in my opinion and expereince, is the blocking the view to the leeward bow. Some boats become dangerous, because the helmsman does not keep a watch. Windows help, but not 100%. Keep an eye.

Other than that, all good.
 
I love a sprayhood - somewhere out of the wind to sit, plus being able to keep the cabin airy because the hatch can remain open. Add to that that if you forget to duck when you come up the companionway you get a light tap from a flexible frame rather than a wallop from the boom and it's all good. From your photos it looks like you'd still be able to winch happily - the only drawback I've found with some hoods. Never been bothered by visibility - boats like yours and mine have huge genoas which mean you have to duck around to see to lee anyway.
 
Ha, I was thinking about this today. When I bought my boat 20 years ago it came with a spray hood. I immediately took it off as I felt it got in the way and obstructed my view. All the boats I owned or raced previously didn’t have spray hoods or we dropped them when sailing.

Last year I found the spray hood in the loft and fitted it for fun. OMG, I love it. The extra shelter both when sailing or moored up is great, not to mention the added hand holds when moving around the boat. I should have left it on all along, or am I getting old?
 
KevinV said:
I love a sprayhood - somewhere out of the wind to sit, plus being able to keep the cabin airy because the hatch can remain open. Add to that that if you forget to duck when you come up the companionway you get a light tap from a flexible frame rather than a wallop from the boom and it's all good. From your photos it looks like you'd still be able to winch happily - the only drawback I've found with some hoods. Never been bothered by visibility - boats like yours and mine have huge genoas which mean you have to duck around to see to lee anyway.
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Yes, winching too.

My cat had a huge hard top that was designed in. Totally different.

For my Trimaran, I have a sort of mini-dodger that is quite low so as not to block my view of the lee bow (you still have to duck to see under the sail, but you can remain seated) or prevent winching. It does not quite give standing head room down the companionway, but it does block spray and rain, allowing the doors to remain open. That latter is a big deal IMO. I built a mock-up first, from scraps of this and that, and sailed with it a few times. Something to consider.
 
Some sort of bag that it can be zipped into when down will prolong its life,Handy when not sailing as protects companionway from down drafts.Does restrict vision which must be allowed for
 
I always thought sprayhoods were an abomination. Until I had a boat with one. Now I think they are a must-have abomination, unless you are racing.
 
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