Spray dodgers?

Capt. Clueless

Capt. Clueless

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Call them what you like...spray dodgers, aft screens etc. I have a brand new set with my boats name on that are new and therefore not used by the previous owner. My question is, do you guys who have them, fit them and leave them on for the season, or just fit them when you are on board, and then take them off when you leave please? Do they weather well?
 
Leave them on for the season, take them off for the winter. Attach top with cable ties and bottom with shock cord to yield to waves and allow outflow of water if necessary.
 
Too much hassle to take them off after each sail so we leave them on until the boat is out of the water. Dosn't seem to cause a problem. We thread 2mm rope (cord, string?) through the eyelets and around the guard rail and back through the eyelets. We don't sail too adventurously so no problem with waves.

Another useful aspect is that they fill the gap under and between the guardrails, which is good if you have youngsters on board.
 
As others have said, also, give it a good coat of waterproofing (Fabsil or similar) a couple of time per season, it will last much longer; if you have a sewing machine it will help to reinforce broken stitches; this is a winter job when sailing is out of bound. Look after it and it will last many years; if you dont, get ready to plash out anything between £500 and £1000 for a replacement.
 
I can't imagine anyone takes them off between trips. If they look unused it's probably because the previous owner changed his mind about using them.

I used to take Kindred Spirit's off when ashore for the winter. On Ariam there's no need to have them at all as the cockpit is pretty sheltered as-is.

Pete
 
I've never fitted dodgers in 45 yrs and never felt the need for them. I have occasionally sailed on boats with them and found them alternately comforting and irritating. They do make a great place to display your boat's name though.
 
I'm with johnalison on this one.

Dodgers present a lot of windage in strong winds and in extremes may even have to be cut away to preserve boat handling; I've always said ' if dodgers and sprayhoods were grp, people would say ' what a draggy motor-sailor ', but somehow being canvas makes them OK !

The only real advantage I see is displaying the boat name for people to call up, but people can always say ' badly sailed blue boat sail number 119 ' ! :)
 
I'm in the opposite camp. Dodgers make life a lot more comfortable in a small cockpit in moderate winds which is what I sail in most of the time. In a gale, I would probably have to take them down. I haven't got any yet but am hoping to get Mrs Moron to sew me some real soon.
 
My 22' boat, being an Oliver lee design, is pretty low freeboard especially aft, though I wouldn't describe her as a wet boat; however as I say I don't have any desire for dodgers or sprayhoods - it may well be that if I'd been brought up on boats with those I'd think them indespensible...
 
geem said:
I think they are a small boat issue. The larger the boat the less the relevance. If you have low freeboard I can imagine that might actually stop some spray
Click to expand...

I suspect they're more of a shallow cockpit issue than small boat issue.

I'm also not convinced they're much good for stopping spray. I find that usually comes from further ahead. I think they're mainly good at reducing the wind chill in the cocpit (particularly at anchor), and for making nervous boaters less insecure by hiding the nearest bit of sea.

Me, I like the proximity/visibility of the sea from the aft cockpit of a small boat, and consider the reduction of that in big boats and centre cockpits a disadvantage (to be weighed against their other benefits).
 
There is a second alternative for those who like the shelter nut prefer the view - dodgers made from PVC window material with acrylic canvas sewn edgings to take the eyelets and spread the load.

Rob.
 
I've been saved a lot of grief by my dodgers when waves broke over the stern quarter. Also they're good to hunker down behind when there's a cold cross or quartering wind. I've had a waver break over the stern in the Alderney race and even considered fitting them right round after that. Never seen so much water come aboard (and into the saloon) before or since. In similar conditions I always fit the washboards now.
 
Topcat47 said:
I've been saved a lot of grief by my dodgers when waves broke over the stern quarter. Also they're good to hunker down behind when there's a cold cross or quartering wind. I've had a waver break over the stern in the Alderney race and even considered fitting them right round after that. Never seen so much water come aboard (and into the saloon) before or since. In similar conditions I always fit the washboards now.
Click to expand...

Cannot have been that good if the sea still went into the saloon
 
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