Sprayhoods with roll up "window"

[sailorgirl]

Anyone else with a sprayhood that opens in the forward central section?

It seemed a good idea when it was originally made as it allows an airflow into the cockpit on warm days but keeps the shade over the companionway. Now after some wet passage making this summer I'm not so sure as water runs off onto the hatch top when it has been left with a couple of inches strategically protruding from its garage otherwise the water falls directly into the boat and we've had a couple of unnecessary dunkings down below as a result. Our old sprayhood had a tongue of canvas which fitted under the traveller and attached to the deck forward of it meaning water ran off harmlessly.

I am thinking about a modification to slide under the traveller and velcro onto the bottom edge of the sprayhood opening which will re-direct some of the rain/seawater sideways along the deck forward of the sprayhood but wondered if anyone else has had a similar problem and how you solved it?

 

[Cloven]

I got my sprayhood converted when we took the boat out to France and would not be without the option of a roll-up window. The base of the sprayhood runs in a track. It has two vertical zips either side of the central window and then a fairly wide strip of Velcro across the bottom which overlaps & sticks to the section that runs in the track which has the opposing type of Velcro. Water runs off easily & had no problems of water ingress when the zips have been fully closed. Each of the zips also has a flap of fabric which covers the zip when it is closed.

 

[sailorgirl]

The base of the sprayhood runs in a track.

Ours does too but only to either side of the hatch the bit in the middle where it crosses the companionway has nothing to attach to and the sprayhood couldn't be any further forward or it would interfere with the traveller. Its one of those boat design compromises.

 

[vyv_cox]

Mine rolls down rather than up, which gives us better airflow through it. Zips each side and at the top. Excellent in the Med, where the hood and bimini keep sun out of the cockpit but breeze blows through.

 

[sailorgirl]

Mine rolls down rather than up, which gives us better airflow through it. Zips each side and at the top. Excellent in the Med, where the hood and bimini keep sun out of the cockpit but breeze blows through.

Will keep that in mind for any future replacement Vyv as that seems a better idea altogether than our loose footed arrangement

Thx

S

 

[rogerthebodger]

My spray hood also has a roll up centre window but also has roll up covers to protect the window material and also stops water coming in the window zips.

I even have covers in the windows in the side panels of my cockpit cover to make the plastic window material last and not go milky by the UV

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

I think all this over-complication is unnecessary. A sprayhood is for keeping out spray, rain and cold wind. If it has holes in it, it is compromised in this function. I don't have one on my boat, but on Med charter holidays we generally fold it down for visibility on leaving marinas, leave it down all day and only put it back up again when we have tied up. The bimini usually provides enough shade, as in high season the sun is quite high most of the day, and the through breeze is much appreciated.

 

[Bav34]

I think all this over-complication is unnecessary. A sprayhood is for keeping out spray, rain and cold wind. If it has holes in it, it is compromised in this function. I don't have one on my boat, but on Med charter holidays we generally fold it down for visibility on leaving marinas, leave it down all day and only put it back up again when we have tied up. The bimini usually provides enough shade, as in high season the sun is quite high most of the day, and the through breeze is much appreciated.

Don't agree.

Firstly it's hardly over-complication. Three zips, some flaps and Velcro. That's it.

The major benefit is that we have a full cockpit canopy that zips to the sprayhood.

On really hot days we put it up as a Bimini with the two sides and rear section folded on top and two simple lines to the split back stay.

If we took the sprayhood down we would struggle to find anywhere to tie it forward and as a result the potentially cooling breeze doesn't get into the cockpit.

Opening the window solves that immediately.

 

[KellysEye]

> It has two vertical zips either side of the central window and then a fairly wide strip of Velcro across the bottom which overlaps & sticks to the section that runs in the track which has the opposing type of Velcro. Water runs off easily & had no problems of water ingress when the zips have been fully closed. Each of the zips also has a flap of fabric which covers the zip when it is closed.

We had the same but the bottom of the sprayhood had twistlocks in teak curved around the front.

 

[Grumpybear]

We have a similar arrangement which has never caused a problem, perhaps because the hatch protrudes slightly over the companionway when pushed fully back, and has a raised lip as a handle which doubles as a breakwater. In really heavy rain or spray we do get a bit of leakage which runs off either side of the roof, under the edges of the hood and down onto the side decks.

 

[TQA]

I too have a roll up window but it gets scratched easily and now is getting hard to see through with some degree of milky UV damage.

How do people protect their windows against scratches and UV? I have had conflicting advice.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I too have a roll up window but it gets scratched easily and now is getting hard to see through with some degree of milky UV damage.

How do people protect their windows against scratches and UV? I have had conflicting advice.

See posting #6

 

[bert49uk]

Just taken off a spray hood on my Fulmar with a roll up centre window still serviceable if any one would like to make an offer

 

[prv]

Can't see the point of it in the UK (I defer to others re hot places). If the weather is "OK" or better, the hood is folded away completely rather than opening a catflap in the front. We don't get hot enough sun to need the shade.

Pete

 

[vyv_cox]

I think all this over-complication is unnecessary. A sprayhood is for keeping out spray, rain and cold wind. If it has holes in it, it is compromised in this function. I don't have one on my boat, but on Med charter holidays we generally fold it down for visibility on leaving marinas, leave it down all day and only put it back up again when we have tied up. The bimini usually provides enough shade, as in high season the sun is quite high most of the day, and the through breeze is much appreciated.

Cannot agree with much of that. Sprayhoods are for whatever you need them for. Sometimes its's keeping out cold and rain, neither of which we see very much in the Med. Whenever we use it to keep heavy spray out of the cockpit, when beating in chop, our zips are perfectly effective at keeping the water out.

Biminis on recent designs that were always intended for Med charters may cover much of the cockpit but those added to older boats most certainly do not. Our hood covers the companionway but the bimini is some way back and allows a lot of heat down into the saloon. We mostly sail with the hood down and the hatch covering the companionway but at anchor we zip a bridging piece between the hood and bimini and lower the central screen to allow air through.
Like this

We also have two covers for the quarter windows that help a lot later in the day. One is visible here.

 

[[2574]]

We don't get hot enough sun to need the shade.

Pete

Can't agree with that. Some days this past summer we've been very grateful of our bimini. We've had shadeless boats raft alongside us (in Helford this year) who have asked if they can bring their G&T under our bimini to get out of the sun. That's always the start of a good party!

 

[geem]

Cannot agree with much of that. Sprayhoods are for whatever you need them for. Sometimes its's keeping out cold and rain, neither of which we see very much in the Med. Whenever we use it to keep heavy spray out of the cockpit, when beating in chop, our zips are perfectly effective at keeping the water out.

Biminis on recent designs that were always intended for Med charters may cover much of the cockpit but those added to older boats most certainly do not. Our hood covers the companionway but the bimini is some way back and allows a lot of heat down into the saloon. We mostly sail with the hood down and the hatch covering the companionway but at anchor we zip a bridging piece between the hood and bimini and lower the central screen to allow air through.
Like this

We also have two covers for the quarter windows that help a lot later in the day. One is visible here.

Goo to know. We are just having a new sprayhood with roll up window. We are going to have screens for the windows so we can cover. Off to warmer climes so all necessary

 

[sailorgirl]

+1 - exactly why ours was designed as it is. Like the idea of window covers- shade over the companionway is essential to keep it cool down below.

 

[vyv_cox]

+1 - exactly why ours was designed as it is. Like the idea of window covers- shade over the companionway is essential to keep it cool down below.

You cannot see the curtains in the photo but ours are lined with silver lame (e with an acute accent!) We used to use cut out pieces of windscreen reflector but they were something of an inconvenience. All helps to keep cool.

 

[Bav34]

lame (e with an acute accent!).

Please have this one. é