Dodger frame - SS or alloy?

[Star-Lord]

I need a new dodger frame and have been asked, stainless steel or alloy? What do I say? What are the advantages of alloy? Apart from cost I presume? It’s one of those folding dodgers that drops down - held by straps either side. TIA.

 

[Neeves]

Is there not a danger of corrosion in an alloy frame. The tubing would need to be anodised but how are you going to protect the holes, where the anodising will have been removed, and will inevitably be filled with stainless bolts. You can sleeve the bolts but I can see the constant movement making short work of some of the sleeves.

Stainless offers better bling.

Jonathan

 

[geem]

Some of it will depend on the size of boat/dodger. Ours in s/s and one inch tubing. If you wanted the same strength as one inch s/s you would need a larger diameter alloy tube. When we got our boat it had one inch alloy tube and it could easily be bent.

 

[Plum]

I need a new dodger frame and have been asked, stainless steel or alloy? What do I say? What are the advantages of alloy? Apart from cost I presume? It’s one of those folding dodgers that drops down - held by straps either side. TIA.

Depends on what you mean by "alloy". If Aluminium then it really should be anodised to prevent corrosion. If Aluminium Alloy 6082 (or similar grade) then no anodising needed.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

My stainless crane is heavy. If I had an option to replace it with a lighter material I would. No reason why alloy should not be used if protected.

 

[Star-Lord]

Some of it will depend on the size of boat/dodger. Ours in s/s and one inch tubing. If you wanted the same strength as one inch s/s you would need a larger diameter alloy tube. When we got our boat it had one inch alloy tube and it could easily be bent.

I assumed everything on boats was stainless steel or aluminium!

 

[Neeves]

I assumed everything on boats was stainless steel or aluminium!

Carbon fibre would be the obvious (or maybe less obvious) thought. Or if this is too exotic, glass fibre reinforced tube.

If it was aluminium it could be coloured anodised - to match the yacht - maybe better than boring 'silver' stainless bling.

J

 

[James_Calvert]

Our 3 hoop frame started off all alloy. First replacement hood had the central hoop in stainless, reusing the alloy fore and after hoops. It was still a bit floppy to hold onto so we had a new after hoop in stainless for the next replacement. Still got the forward one in alloy.

That said I think that good quality design, particularly the overall mechanism, using good quality end fittings, is key.

 

[Stemar]

I'd go for SS but, whichever you choose, you want the hoop that forms the aft end to go to the cabin top and the forward hoop to be fitted to it, rather than the other way round, like this:

The hood on Jissel when we bought her had an ally frame, which was the other way round. A guest on board leant on it a bit hard and snapped it where the hoops met. OK, it was old, but still.