To dodger or not

SolentBoy said:
IOn the other hand, once in port, or at anchor, there are times when the weather is such that you want protection from the sides and the stern. The best thing for this IMHO is a full cockpit tent, ideally with some windows and the ability to leave the leeward side open.
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Try hanging screens (flexible fibreglass insect netting) from your Bimini or cockpit enclosure roof for this purpose. Don't block the view but significantly block the wind. We used these in winter cruising our old boat -- works a treat.
 
Dockhead said:
Try hanging screens (flexible fibreglass insect netting) from your Bimini or cockpit enclosure roof for this purpose. Don't block the view but significantly block the wind. We used these in winter cruising our old boat -- works a treat.
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I saw a german couple in Turkey had similar.
Fitted with velcro ......in five minutes had the cockpit shielded from the sun.
 
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SolentBoy said:
I don't like dodgers when sailing as I think they look horrible and offer minimal protection as the wind and spray tend to come more from the front when you are moving.

On the other hand, once in port, or at anchor, there are times when the weather is such that you want protection from the sides and the stern. The best thing for this IMHO is a full cockpit tent, ideally with some windows and the ability to leave the leeward side open.

They still look horrible, but well worth it for comfort, protection, a place to dry wet stuff etc.
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I'll second that.

We got a cockpit tent (conservatory?) this year and it's worth every penny.

My boat had dodgers when we bought her but I took them off because they got in the way and impeded visibility to windward when steering from the lee side, which I like to do . The Old Guvnor grumbled a bit about not having them up when in marinas but now we have the cockpit tent she is quite happy.
 
Well I have a new conservatory (since last autumn) and it doesn't replace the dodgers because I don't use it at sea. In fact I have 2 sprayhoods with a zip-out centre-piece & the dodgers save me faffing with the centre piece when at anchor during the day - unless it rains.
 
I keep my boat on a swinging mooring and have two additional reasons for avoiding dodgers.

1. They would make the boat more likely to "sail around" when moored.
2. They would stop me transferring things easily from the dinghy to the cockpit.
 
The great thing about dodgers is that you can can have two different boat names on them, so that when you do something really daft, you can quickly swap them around so that someone else cops the blame. Our dodgers are instantly interchangeable.

Why else are they called dodgers?
 
My boat came with sprayhood and dodgers and they're great. Keep most of the wind/ rain off, I'm mostly in the cockpit in light waterproofs if it's raining or the sea /spray is lively. I don't think they look bad, agree that they add windage and wonder whether the sprayhood should be measured as a downwind sail. I occasionallyput the sprayhood down.
 
pugwash60 said:
My boat came with sprayhood and dodgers and they're great. Keep most of the wind/ rain off, I'm mostly in the cockpit in light waterproofs if it's raining or the sea /spray is lively. I don't think they look bad, agree that they add windage and wonder whether the sprayhood should be measured as a downwind sail. I occasionally put the sprayhood down.
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Snap

When going gets tough great shelter for watchkeeper in lee of sprayhood and dodger with windvane steering a better course to windward than I can manage.

Use and value - depends on your type of boat & sailing but in my opinion for serious passagemaking I want somewhere to keep the watchkeeper as warm and dry as possible to be effective.
 
Our boat came with dodgers which look perfectly servicable but I've never got around to fitting them. We eventually started using the sprayhood whilst cruising this summer and found that it was perfectly OK to keep watch stood in the companionway, with the autohelm on, peering through the sprayhood windows and using the boathook to push the buttons on the authohelm (£300 for a remote control? No thanks!)
Really not convinced the dodgers would make much difference.
 
On balance I prefer not to have them. However SWMBO much prefers to have them. So we have them! I think it is psychological when we are healing and saves reefing too soon! As a result well worth it...
 
Surely, it's horses for courses. Capricious doesn't take water from the side as she has a high freeboard and never dips the lee rail under, so dodgers are not necessary - the spray-hood earns it's keep, though, as if Caprcious takes water aboard, it tends to come from the windward bow and come aft diagonally across the coach-roof. We never get water on board from the side, so dodgers wouldn't do anything. But my Dad's boat was a Halcyon 27 with low freeboard and relatively tender so she routinely had the lee rail under, and the dodgers stopped a LOT of spray coming into the cockpit.
 
Robwhelton said:
Our boat came with dodgers which look perfectly servicable but I've never got around to fitting them. We eventually started using the sprayhood whilst cruising this summer and found that it was perfectly OK to keep watch stood in the companionway, with the autohelm on, peering through the sprayhood windows and using the boathook to push the buttons on the authohelm (£300 for a remote control? No thanks!)
Really not convinced the dodgers would make much difference.
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How much help dodgers are really depends on the boat, my last two they were good but now they are just a good way to display the boats name.

If you think a spray hood gives good shelter try a full cockpit tent, then you rally have shelter. It took a bit of getting usd too, but I have just sailed a couple of thousand miles without having to wear foul weather gear. We get into harbour in shirt sleaves whilst others are hanging wet gear up to dry. Also it makes the cockpit a very pleasant extra saloon in all but the very cldest of weather.
 
Just after I bought my present boat I bought dodgers as thought it would make the cockpit more comfortable and safer for the children, anyway lots of yachts have them.

However the children kept standing on the cockpit locker seats to see over the top of them instead keeping their feet safely on the cockpit sole and boarding and disembarking required dropping them which means the whole guardrail is then loose for a while as the guardrails cannot be re-fixed in a lowered position if they have dodgers on them. Also they got in the way picking up the mooring lines etc. so I didn't them back on the following year although they are still in a stern locker getting grubbier and grubbbier.

I suppose on boats with high cockpit soles due to stern cabins they may make the cockpit more comfortable and marina based boats perhaps find they give more privacy.

Also I think the boat looks better without them ...

DSC01652dodgerssmall.jpg
DSC01462nododgerssmall.jpg
 
maxi77 said:
If you think a spray hood gives good shelter try a full cockpit tent, then you rally have shelter.
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I had a cockpit tent for the Jouster (no reasonable offer refused) and will get one for Jumblie when I've got rid of the damn stackpack thing. It'll be a proper boom tent, too, using the boom as a ridge pole and not one of those huge blue tumours which seems to be making their way across from motorboat land to sailing boats!
 
Ubergeekian said:
I had a cockpit tent for the Jouster (no reasonable offer refused) and will get one for Jumblie when I've got rid of the damn stackpack thing. It'll be a proper boom tent, too, using the boom as a ridge pole and not one of those huge blue tumours which seems to be making their way across from motorboat land to sailing boats!
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Ours is one of the blue tumours as you call them, we can and normally do sail with it up, we have just sailed from Scotland to the Algarve and I have very occcasionally donned a lightweight waterproof jacket, when others are in full gear. Also gives shade from the sun at sea down here.

Overboom tents are good in harbour, we have a big one up now to keep the sun off, though at home we have used them more to give us somewhere to dry of the foul weather gear.

You may gather that I am not a purist and believe that sailing doesn't have to be painfull to be good.
 
My blue tumour is not suitable for sailing, but I can motor with the sides rolled up, altho I tend not to.

Its real benefit is that it extends the evening in the cockpit, it gives me an extra room at anchor or in harbour, it makes the cabin warmer overnight, and offers a dry path to the aft cabin should it be needed. It has made a huge difference to the useability & comfort of the boat.

The old boom tent was useful when it rained (especially after I added flexi tent poles to stop the sides curling in) but the new cover has been well worth the small fortune I spent on it.
 
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