Solid sprayhoods

[oldvarnish]

I didn't want to divert the thread on sprayhood canvas so....Has anyone made a solid sprayhood/dodger/cuddy - call it what you like.

TimBennet posted "... you can make the sprayhood (at least) out of GRP or aluminium. Replicating the panel lay out from a canvas one makes them the most aesthetically pleasing (IMHO), although with more flat areas like the Halberg Rassey ones, allow you to use real glass which increases their hassle free longevity even further."

I wondered if anyone had tried this, and with what success? If so, how did you do it? And if you haven't done it, how would you go about it?

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Full Circle is planning to do this on his SO35 and has, I believe put together a set of drawings....

I've got a solid 'dog house' as part of the original design and build and love it.

I like the flat top (mine is robust enough to walk on), and it will eventually home solar panels... it makes a big difference when its raining.

 

[Blue Drifter]

I have one that came with the boat - put simply it is the bees knees. it is around 20 years old now and I am going to replace the plastic windows this winter. Rock solid and the base for a solar panel. in the rough it is a fine place to get out of the weather but retain good forward vis. I understand the previous owner made it himself. If it would help I could take some better photos of the details.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

I didn't want to divert the thread on sprayhood canvas so....Has anyone made a solid sprayhood/dodger/cuddy - call it what you like.

TimBennet posted "... you can make the sprayhood (at least) out of GRP or aluminium. Replicating the panel lay out from a canvas one makes them the most aesthetically pleasing (IMHO), although with more flat areas like the Halberg Rassey ones, allow you to use real glass which increases their hassle free longevity even further."

I wondered if anyone had tried this, and with what success? If so, how did you do it? And if you haven't done it, how would you go about it?

A really good idea, especially for the older cruising sailor or for longer distance cruising I reckon.

I've always enjoyed the wind in my face and being more at one with the environment, but I spent a few consecutive nights crossing

Biscay a few years back in a wheelhouse and was very glad of it.

Have you a photo of your boat you could post so as to give more thought to an answer.

S.

 

[coopec]

]

TimBennet posted "... you can make the sprayhood (at least) out of GRP or aluminium. Replicating the panel lay out from a canvas one makes them the most aesthetically pleasing (IMHO), although with more flat areas like the Halberg Rassey ones, allow you to use real glass which increases their hassle free longevity even further."


Oldvarnish

The only way to replicate a canvas dodger out of f/g would be to cut bendy ply (you can buy it) and cut panels exactly the same shape as the canvas ones. Build a rough temporary frame to hold them in place, bog (f/g and talc) all the joins from the inside of the mould, wax the mould X 3 times and the lay 3/4 layers of Chopped Strand Matt (CSM) While it is still in the mould you would need to stiffen it up using strips of core material ( airex, klegecell, divinycell etc), fiberglass over the core material. Remove the dodger from the mould and fit the window.

I'll be making up something similar to the Halberg Rasy dodgers which I think look great. By bonding tempered glass (cheap) into the f/g moulding I think I'll get a very stiff , solid dodger

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

I have one that came with the boat - put simply it is the bees knees. it is around 20 years old now and I am going to replace the plastic windows this winter. Rock solid and the base for a solar panel. in the rough it is a fine place to get out of the weather but retain good forward vis. I understand the previous owner made it himself. If it would help I could take some better photos of the details.

I too would be interested in photos of the hood on your boat.... it looks the d b.

Solid dodgers.... I would be concerned in offshore/ocean sailing that the stanchions could be bent over or ripped out if a wave came abeam at them.

My dodgers are canvas with a plastic window in the top section and I don't attach them down around the bottom, so that the big green waves can come through but the wind is kept out.

S.

 

[sarabande]

OV

is this solid sprayhood in connection with your proposed S Atlantic trip ?


To replicate the shape of a canvas hood in GRP/wood/alu etc is a natural step, but I'd be concerned that shipping a green one, and having several tonnes of water hurtling aft to arrive at some ply and glass could result in lots of debris. The pics of Volvo and RTW yachts show what I mean.

Rather than an almost vertical front panel, a more streamlined shape perhaps extended for'd for 3 to 4 feet to enable the structure to help shed any waves that come on board ? The extended section could be used for light storage e.g. LJs, or as in Blue Drifter's picture, to store the raft nearer to cockpit.

 

[rivonia]

Ours was canvas and leaked. So we had a hard top made This created another huge room as the canvas was at a severe angle before. Then we had the canvas attached into runners.

 

[bigwow]

This is my winter project. I hope to replicate the shape of the current canvas one. At the moment I am building a wooden former with the same curvature as the roof part on which I'm going to lay up a foam sandwich roof. I intend to place this, temporally on the top of the existing canvas, stainless hood while I sort out the vertical panels which will be laminated to the roof panel, then the whole lot mounted on the boat. That's the plan anyway.:encouragement:

 

[srm]

My last boat, Prout 31, had a GRP sprayhood with rounded corners so looked similar to a canvas one. As mentioned above top and sides around windows had core material bonded in for stiffness. A very good adition but can only assume a mould was made to lay it up in.

Have seen a few modeled on canvas spray hoods using thin plywood panels, one had wood framing inside but the neatest used 'epoxy stich and glue technigue' then sheathed in woven mat and epoxy. Aparently it requires a lot of careful measuring to ensure a good fit. The curves meant bolt on plastic windows.

A Rustler 36 has a mini wheelhouse of a spray hood with near vertical glass windows and cambered top overlaid in teak strips.

Another approach was on a 36 ft Excalibur 'Sherpa Bill' in the 80's - this boat had a modified cockpit canopy from an aircraft added for ocean sailing. A nice streamlined shape and clear for keeping a lookout but only covered the hatchway.

 

[Elessar]

Full Circle is planning to do this on his SO35 and has, I believe put together a set of drawings....

I've got a solid 'dog house' as part of the original design and build and love it.

I like the flat top (mine is robust enough to walk on), and it will eventually home solar panels... it makes a big difference when its raining.

Nice looking boat. Looks hard work though with that varnish.

Whilst the dog house on yours looks spot on, if I go back to sailing i want a deck saloon. My flybridge mobo is such a pleasure in poor weather, I go inside and put the heater on. Equally sitting inside in port when its raining and being able to see out. As I'm doing right now

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Nice looking boat. Looks hard work though with that varnish.

Whilst the dog house on yours looks spot on, if I go back to sailing i want a deck saloon. My flybridge mobo is such a pleasure in poor weather, I go inside and put the heater on. Equally sitting inside in port when its raining and being able to see out. As I'm doing right now

Wouldn't want your fuel bill tho'

S.

 

[srm]

if I go back to sailing i want a deck saloon.

Yes, got used to being able to see out with the Prout cat, made life so much more comfortable, especially when singlehanded. When looking for my current monohull decided I wanted to be able to keep watch from below in adverse weather, which we can with Escapade. Also, its much nicer at anchor or in harbour to have a light airy living space.

 

[oldvarnish]

I have one that came with the boat - put simply it is the bees knees.

Terrific - that's what I'm looking for.

 

[oldvarnish]

OV

is this solid sprayhood in connection with your proposed S Atlantic trip ?

That's all over and done with! Please keep up.

When I was down in the Beagle Channel, there were a lot of boats using solid spray hoods and they looked very workmanlike. Down there you spend a lot of time huddled beneath them.

 

[oldvarnish]

Solid dodgers.... I would be concerned in offshore/ocean sailing that the stanchions could be bent over or ripped out if a wave came abeam at them.

My dodgers are canvas with a plastic window in the top section and I don't attach them down around the bottom, so that the big green waves can come through but the wind is kept out.

S.

Sorry, I was using the word 'dodger' in the American sense, meaning sprayhood.

 

[robertj]

Full Circle is planning to do this on his SO35 and has, I believe put together a set of drawings....

I've got a solid 'dog house' as part of the original design and build and love it.

I like the flat top (mine is robust enough to walk on), and it will eventually home solar panels... it makes a big difference when its raining.

what a nice looking craft!

 

[charles_reed]

Both the two I've seen were made by returning circumnavigators.
Both had done the same using the sprayhood frame and clothing it in thin ply as a former and then GRPolyester with gel coat on the outside, To ensure fairness of the gel-coat they'd used cling film.
One was on a Rival 36, the other a hard chine steel boat, both improved the look of the boat and both had multiple curves as one would expect from a canvas sprayhood.

 

[coopec]

Like Scotty-Tradewind I would worry about taking a green one over the deck, hitting a solid dodger and doing structural damage to the coach-house. That would be one reason to go for a ss steel tube and canvas dodger.

Windage and weight would be two other considerations and bearing that in mind I think f/g sandwich would be the best type of construction (although timber would looks great.)

 

[lw395]

I've sailed a few times on a Contest, with solid windscreen, canvas sides and top..
Seemed a good compromise to me.