Do you ever take your cockpit enclosure down?

[Quandary]

I know it was expensive and it is lovely and snug if a bit muggy inside and they are this years must have, but do you ever take it down when you are moving. All the boats passing here seem to have them now and they must be expensive as they seem to be kept up and closed up, even in dry weather. They can be expensive to run too though, the Canadian guy who speared my dinghy with his bowsprit and anchor and pressed on to flatten my pushpit had to pay £1300 for my repairs but despite this a couple of days later he exited the canal still fully zipped in and peering out through his flexible plastic windscreen. I know I am just jealous as I sit in the rain, I did not even have a spray hood until relatively recently but I do believe that moving in close quarters with other boats when your view is through a semi opaque bit of wet plastic is just unseamanlike. While the Canadian was ever so apologetic and quick to offer compensation for the damage he caused to our moored boat, it did not cover my loss of much of a seasons sailing as the boatyard struggled to make a satisfactory repair that allowed all my cockpit lockers to open.

 

[Grumpybear]

I know it was expensive and it is lovely and snug if a bit muggy inside and they are this years must have, but do you ever take it down when you are moving. All the boats passing here seem to have them now and they must be expensive as they seem to be kept up and closed up, even in dry weather. They can be expensive to run too though, the Canadian guy who speared my dinghy with his bowsprit and anchor and pressed on to flatten my pushpit had to pay £1300 for my repairs but despite this a couple of days later he exited the canal still fully zipped in and peering out through his flexible plastic windscreen. I know I am just jealous as I sit in the rain, I did not even have a spray hood until relatively recently but I do believe that moving in close quarters with other boats when your view is through a semi opaque bit of wet plastic is just unseamanlike. While the Canadian was ever so apologetic and quick to offer compensation for the damage he caused to our moored boat, it did not cover my loss of much of a seasons sailing as the boatyard struggled to make a satisfactory repair that allowed all my cockpit lockers to open.

That's barmy. We have had one for 12 years and almost always take the whole thing down before moving. On perhaps half a dozen occasions we have kept the Bimini bit up on scorching hot windless days, but always always take out the sides, roll up the back panel and open the centreline panel in the spray hood. In crowded waters as you describe we would certainly take the whole lot down. The enclosure is for use when anchored, moored or secured alongside: we have it mainly for the dog to kip in at night, although it is useful if the weather is carp and we can't go home!

 

[prv]

I do believe that moving in close quarters with other boats when your view is through a semi opaque bit of wet plastic is just unseamanlike.

If you can't see properly, then I agree. Soon after we first got a cockpit tent for Ariam, I had to motor her round from the Hamble to the Itchen in the rain, and thought I'd do it with the lid up. After only a few minutes I had to drop it - even though we have a glass windscreen at the front and plastic windows all round the tent, I just didn't feel safe with the amount of visibility I had.

It's firmly a harbour-only thing for us.

Pete

 

[sailorman]

We even drop our small sprayhood on every opportunity.

 

[bigwow]

Well mine has been away, for repair, for the last two weeks. Instead of exiting into a nice warm "conservatory" each morning to sit down with my coffee, I open the doors to a damp cockpit with wet seats etc.

 

[Uricanejack]

I don't have one to put up.

 

[Nigelb]

Only ever used in harbour, there is just not enough visibility to have the cockpit cover up underway.

 

[Humblebee]

Well mine has been away, for repair, for the last two weeks. Instead of exiting into a nice warm "conservatory" each morning to sit down with my coffee, I open the doors to a damp cockpit with wet seats etc.

"Nice, warm conservatory" sums it up nicely.
I can't attach my mainsheet with the canopy up so it comes down whenever we are going to move. Sprayhood normally comes down too unless conditions are really, really bad.

 

[jac]

Usually take it down.

Only two times I can remember leaving it up or partially up.

One motors ailing from Gosport to Cowes in the rain - left the top on, sides and back rolled up. The cockpit was basically dry when we got to East Cowes.
The other was also in the rain last month, moving from the waiting pontoon into Victoria marina in St Peter Port. Given the need for visibility, we unzipped the top where it joined the sprayhood and one side so that I could steer with my head in the rain and easy access to the side deck as we came alongside the pontoon. Everywhere got soaked.

We could technically sail with it up and in place but just feels too risky.

 

[johnalison]

I don't think we have ever voyaged, even down the creek with the hood up. Although visibility through the glass screen is fine, our ability to exit the cockpit would be restricted, since ours has limited height, and the whole business's would fell unseamanlike. Sailing would be out of the question since it would be impossible to operate the mainsheet. I have a mate with a Fisher, and I am occasionally a bit jealous.

 

[prv]

I think it would be technically possible to sail with ours up. The winches are inside it, and the sheets lead ok with just a couple of the little hooks unclipped. But as I discovered, the visibility is just too poor. The sprayhood generally provides enough shelter anyway.

Pete

 

[JClarkes]

A little flex here and there when taking it down isnt a bad thing. Keeps it nice and loose. Plus unzipping the framework pockets will keep the flies from nesting and breeding like crazy as they love to do. A regular wash is the main importance for the cockpit enclosure. If its sitting static / up a lot, some areas could harden and crack especially the stitching. Obviously come the winter or snowy weather would be a good time to take it down. The weight would make it sag in areas.

 

[westhinder]

It's simple: the enclosure comes down any time we move the boat. Not only is visibility far too restricted, we simply can't operate the mainsheet with the enclosure up.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Bad luck Quandary, that canal berth seems to be a bit of hassle, but I guess very convenient. When I bought the RIval I took the enclosure off and removed the aft frame (which also doubled as a Bimini frame (where by the way, on the island of the same name, the Fountain of Youth is supposed to be). On aft cockpit the frames are not too obtrusive, but on a centre cockpit they just looked damn ugly. It's not missed, I have used one once on a charter yacht. It was never up except in Ardfern where it pissed down in a monumental outpouring of West Coast summer ending rain. Manoeuvring with them up is the equivalent of driving off with frosted windows and just a credit card patch cleared in front of the driver. I could say that sailing is all about the wind in your hair, but I don't have any.

 

[Robin]

Whe we had one on our last UK boat the default was with it down and underway even the sprayhood was folded down. We have one on our current boat in the USA and the default is 'up' but it is designed in sections so it can be set as we wish. the clear panels are crystal clear and so mostly the front sprahood stays up whilst the sides, back and central roof section are unzipped and removed for when underway. most boats here in the USa ICW have theirs erected both to keep the tropical sun/UV off and the daily tropical thunderstorm downpours. We can see well enough to keep it all up, but I prefer it opened right up, for easy access to/from the cockpit rather than visibility. With the centre span and sides removed I can stand astride the cockpit seats and look over the front hood, but if stood at the normal wheel position I can look through the clear front panels without having to duck or crouch down and the clear panels here really are clear if not covered in raindrops. UK habits die hard however and I prefer to be in the open, but have to heed the need to get shade from the sun even if covered in sunscreen and Tilley hatted.

I can well understand you being miffed at damage spoiling part of your season we have not been out much as it is hurricane season, but the real reason is it has been too darn hot and humid but I don't expect you would recognise that problem where you are. .

 

[maby]

It is physically possible to sail our boat with the cockpit enclosure up - apart from the rear panel which is too close to the helm, but visibility would be too restricted. If we are sailing any distance, we remove all the side panels and just leave the bimini up. If we are just moving a short distance, we may just roll up the panels - they are very tedious to refit.

We never retract the bimini - hate sailing with the sun on our heads. In fact we did need to retract it this weekend because we wanted to use a hoist on the end of the boom to lift a heavy dinghy out of the cockpit locker and we had to consult the installation notes to work out how to fold it back!

 

[Babylon]

Everything down when underway.

Sprayhood up only when going to windward in spray, or moored etc.

Hoodie up only when moored in wet/cold weather and leaving the boat. Nano shag to rig/unrig. Unrigged it can live rolled up and lashed down on the steel hoop at the rear.

Great investment. Doubles the internal space of a small yacht.

 

[Heckler]

I know it was expensive and it is lovely and snug if a bit muggy inside and they are this years must have, but do you ever take it down when you are moving. All the boats passing here seem to have them now and they must be expensive as they seem to be kept up and closed up, even in dry weather. They can be expensive to run too though, the Canadian guy who speared my dinghy with his bowsprit and anchor and pressed on to flatten my pushpit had to pay £1300 for my repairs but despite this a couple of days later he exited the canal still fully zipped in and peering out through his flexible plastic windscreen. I know I am just jealous as I sit in the rain, I did not even have a spray hood until relatively recently but I do believe that moving in close quarters with other boats when your view is through a semi opaque bit of wet plastic is just unseamanlike. While the Canadian was ever so apologetic and quick to offer compensation for the damage he caused to our moored boat, it did not cover my loss of much of a seasons sailing as the boatyard struggled to make a satisfactory repair that allowed all my cockpit lockers to open.

I designed mine so that I could sail with it up! the sides zip up and down, the winches are accessible, i can see through the panels, I look over the top when necessary! We sailed her to Portugal with it up!
S

 

[Seajet]

This thread works in partnership with Dylan's thread about transparent dodgers over on the PBO forum.

I have always thought as one can't see properly out of any sprayhood I've tried, + if things get lively the windage of a sprayhood or dodgers could affect control of the boat, definitely progress, I'll keep the boat with the designed profile and have good waterproofs for self & SWMBO...

I use a simple boom tent when aboard in poor weather and find that sufficient.

 

[Minchsailor]

I fold down the spray hood most of the time.