Which type of dodger is best?

[coopec]

Everyone tells me I must build a dodger but I'm not at all sure which style is best.

• I worry that in very bad weather a hard dodger might get swept away taking half the deck with it.
• I'm not really enamored with the looks of canvas dodgers but (I think it was on this forum) an experienced offshore skipper said the first thing he did when caught out in foul weather was to lower the canvas dodger to deck level.
• The top right photo is of a dodger that looks smart. It could be a ss frame covered in canvas but I thought I'd cover it in fiberglass molded over over "bendy plyboard". I'd build it light enough so that In the event of extreme weather it wouldn't destroy the deck

The last shot is a photo of the 43ft center cockpit ketch.

I would appreciate your thoughts/advice

NOTE: (an afterthought) I would not build the dodger high enough to stand up full height

 

[Boathook]

If you are worried about bad weather I would go for the full fabric as in the 3rd picture. Personally for my sailing I would go for the hard top one in your first picture with toughened glass and maybe extend in fabric depending upon weather. For the UK, if the cockpit could be enclosed in harbour, etc it is another room.

 

[harvey38]

I'm no yachtie but I you stated the make and model of boat it may assist with suggestions.

 

[coopec]

I'm no yachtie but I you stated the make and model of boat it may assist with suggestions.

Thanks

It is a Roberts 43 Mauritius. Here are the specifications.
SailboatData.com - MAURITIUS 43 Sailboat

 

[johnalison]

A lot depends on the geometry of your boat. Whatever you choose, I would retain good visibility as a prime requirement. I have sailed boats with and for many years without what we call sprayhoods and there is no doubt that they can give great comfort.

The advantage of a soft hood is that it can be folded down. People vary in their needs, but we only fold ours down very rarely, when working on the boat or for parties to make more room. My HR is a compromise, with a fixed screen of toughened glass and a canvas section above. I can see the attraction of a fixed hood for those sailing oceans, but most people I know would rather have a folding option. Either way, I would advise making the hood shelter at least a portion of the cockpit, since the front corner then becomes the most comfortable place to sit, in harbour or under sail. It also helps if the headroom at this point is adequate.

My last point is that under glassed hood it can get stiflingly hot in fine weather. I am fortunate enough to have an opening section at the front which hinges up, and this is a godsend on occasion.

 

[coopec]

A lot depends on the geometry of your boat. Whatever you choose, I would retain good visibility as a prime requirement. I have sailed boats with and for many years without what we call sprayhoods and there is no doubt that they can give great comfort.

The advantage of a soft hood is that it can be folded down. People vary in their needs, but we only fold ours down very rarely, when working on the boat or for parties to make more room. My HR is a compromise, with a fixed screen of toughened glass and a canvas section above. I can see the attraction of a fixed hood for those sailing oceans, but most people I know would rather have a folding option. Either way, I would advise making the hood shelter at least a portion of the cockpit, since the front corner then becomes the most comfortable place to sit, in harbour or under sail. It also helps if the headroom at this point is adequate.

My last point is that under glassed hood it can get stiflingly hot in fine weather. I am fortunate enough to have an opening section at the front which hinges up, and this is a godsend on occasion.

If I went the hard dodger way I could use two spare deck hatches - one at the front and one in the roof. That would mean I would have three "windows" on the front (a deck hatch in the middle and two fixed either side.)

I have had a close look at the HR dodger as it looks fine

 

[Graham376]

Ours is a fold-down with a backdrop which can be clipped in when it's wet or coupled to the cockpit tent. Unlike the UK, heat is the problem and we mostly leave it folded down for air flow.

 

[Stemar]

Our canvas sprayhood stayed up on Jissel come rain (especially!) come shine. I could see folding it and tying it down if you're sailing a submarine like the Contessa 32, but Jissel had plenty of floatation forward, so only ever got spray coming aft, so the hood gave us something to duck behind. I rather like the look of the GRP job top left. I wanted to build something like that for Jazzcat. but Madame prevailed on me to get canvas now rather than GRP later. I still regret that decision slightly.

What really made the difference, though, was when we spent far too much money for a little boat on a full cockpit tent that zipped to the sprayhood. It allowed us to sit in the cockpit looking out over an anchorage long after everyone else had gone below where they couldn't really see out.

 

[Neeves]

I made one from 12mm foam and 750gsm glassfibre. All the windows open. The windscreen hinges to horizontal and has a shade cover. The height was dictated by the boom when reefing. The geometry was dictated by the existing empty space.

You will find that getting the seal where a new structure meets the deck difficult, but its easy. Make your dodger (God Pod) lay packing tape where the dodger will sit on the deck. Make up some filled resin (peanut butter), spread on the edge of your structure.. Plonk buttered structure on the packing tape (you will need help for this, it will be quite large) and leave to set off. Grind down the filled , now hard, resin and coat with glass tape. Remove packing tape. Spray paint. I made our edge where it meets the deck as a flange. Fix with sealant or screws and sealant. Perfect fit.

Ours has withstood seas over the cabin roof and 55 knots.

Jonathan

 

[geem]

You need to decide what you are trying to achieve. How much of the cockpit do you want to stay dry? How much ventilation do you want? How does it work with interaction of winches and any lines in the cockpit. Where will your chart plotter be? All of these things have a bearing on design and construction of a sprayhood. Do you want to be able to look over it when steering or through it?
We can sit four people at the cockpit table in the rain and stay dry. The sprayhood goes all the way back to the wheel. The large centre window zips out for lots of ventilation. This centre window is Makralon for enhanced visibility in wet weather. It folds inside the sprayhood and velcro to the sprayhood ceiling.
We rarely ever fold the sprayhood down as it keeps the sun off us. The sprayhood can be extended with an additional frame to totally enclose the cockpit in poor weather at anchor or in a marina. Our sprayhood is now over 10 years old and has done a lot of miles but it's still in surprisingly good condition.

 

[eilerts]

For years I have been thinking about making a hard dodger, but never had the time. If I make it, it will be a carbon fiber sandwich construction. Light and strong.
In this thinking process, I have come to the conclusion that it is really the solid windows that I want, something like HR and Najad has. I also have a local championship in knocking my head into things, and have often met the canvas on my way up in a hurry. Having something really solid there might make the outcome of this a bit worse.

Neeves, do mean 750g total, 750 on each side or the weigt of each ply?

 

[dunedin]

The Scandinavians have this down to a fine art - a fixed windscreen, which is easy to see through in all conditions when on watch, with a foldable canvas sprayhood above. If cruising southern latitudes add a Bimini, in northern latitudes convert that into a full cockpit tent.
I would certainly not venture to sea in a boat like the OPs without a good sprayhood at a minimum.

PS, For the OP, in UK terms the word “dodger” tends to be used more for the canvas panels put along the sides of the cockpit, and the canvas at the front of the cockpit referred to as a “sprayhood”. Like most of boating terms, there are exceptions and disagreements, but that is probably the common usage.

 

[coopec]

I like this one. But I'd put a deck hatch in the middle and the other one in the roof. That would be quite easy to build using Divinycell core

 

[Refueler]

Dodger ???? I was a little confused until scrolling down and seeing it was about 'Sprayhood' ... I accept that different names - different locations ...

OK - I love hard pilot-house ... BUT on many boats - they are not suited. So next best thing is the folding 'canvas' variety. Then you have the option of down when weather is good ... up when its ***** !!

My Sprayhood has been on the boat for over 30yrs and had its 'windows' replaced 2x by me ... but finally the general stitching is failing ... windows cracked in the last freeze .... it no longer sits straight / level between the tubular frames.

I have agreed for new Sprayhood .... mainsail boom cover .... side 'dodgers' - basically replacing the lot in spring .... as well as new wood rubbing strake round the hull.

That'll keep her another 30yrs !! (doubt I'll be around then !!)

I thought about leaving it off and not replacing ..... but honest ? Its so good to have a Sprayhood - I really cannot imagine not having it.

 

[zoidberg]

There's no doubt a 'hood giving a modest overhang over the companion hatch protects the cabin - and its denizens - from much rain and spray, and projects some shade below. Having a 'roof' above the helmsman/person both in fair weather and foul will be appreciated. 'Coopec's Roberts 43 with the centre-cockpit layout has perhaps the ideal configuration to arrange a hard 'hood forward with a folding 'bimini' fabric aft.

It's easier to attach PV panels to a hard hood - and grab handles for going forward.

OTOH, Jean-Luc van den Heede sailed his Matmut around the globe, winning the last Golden Globe Race and surviving a severe knockdown, with a folding 'hood plus rear curtain extension. That worked.

Edit: Just seen Coopec's #13 post..... so, yes! That's good!


.

 

[steveeasy]

i would think it all depends on what type of sailing you anticipate doing. On warm days or again racing nothing better than lowering the canvas hood to aid visability and more importantly keeping the boat looking good.
on a drizzly day or moored up great to have shelter.
Having a hard top unless your planning very long passages just is one step to closer to a motor cruiser. Not that is a bad thing if that is what you need or prefer.
steveeasy

 

[coopec]

You need to decide what you are trying to achieve. How much of the cockpit do you want to stay dry? How much ventilation do you want? How does it work with interaction of winches and any lines in the cockpit. Where will your chart plotter be? All of these things have a bearing on design and construction of a sprayhood. Do you want to be able to look over it when steering or through it?
We can sit four people at the cockpit table in the rain and stay dry. The sprayhood goes all the way back to the wheel. The large centre window zips out for lots of ventilation. This centre window is Makralon for enhanced visibility in wet weather. It folds inside the sprayhood and velcro to the sprayhood ceiling.
We rarely ever fold the sprayhood down as it keeps the sun off us. The sprayhood can be extended with an additional frame to totally enclose the cockpit in poor weather at anchor or in a marina. Our sprayhood is now over 10 years old and has done a lot of miles but it's still in surprisingly good condition.

I definitely want to look over the "spray hood" (dodger)

Apparently in the tropics a spray hood can become "insufferably hot" unless it has an opening window at front AND on the roof.

This type of spray hood on "Garcia" would be ideal. If I go "hard" I'll probably follow that design. (It doesn't look that solid that it would destroy the deck if it was carried away)

 

[geem]

I definitely want to look over the "spray hood" (dodger)

Apparently in the tropics a spray hood can become "insufferably hot" unless it has an opening window at front AND on the roof.

This type of spray hood on "Garcia" would be ideal. If I go "hard" I'll probably follow that design. (It doesn't look that solid that it would destroy the deck if it was carried away)

View attachment 148891

In my experience of the Caribbean the last place you want an opening is in the top. We spend all our time trying to stay in the shade. Any opening in the top will let the sun in.
That hard sprayhood will provide no shelter from the sun. You can't sit under it. All it is doing is stopping spray and rain from going down the companionway.
We find our long sprayhood fantastic on night passages. You are out of the wind and weather. I can sit on a beanbag with my feet up and read whilst still being able to see the chartplotter all in full shelter.
Lots of boats sail about at anchor. This exposes the cockpit to wind from one side then the other repeatedly. Sitting out in the evening with a drink gets tedious being buffeted by the wind. Even in the Tropics good shelter in the cockpit makes a big difference. We see so many cruisers making for the hot saloon when it rains because their cockpit sprayhoods are poorly designed. You have the opportunity to get this right now if you consider how you intend to use the boat. We rarely see a production boat with a well designed sprayhood allows you to live in comfort in the cockpit. Our Trintella used to have a fixed window like the HRs. We removed it 10 years ago in favour of a soft sprayhood and have never regretted it.

 

[coopec]

OTOH, Jean-Luc van den Heede sailed his Matmut around the globe, winning the last Golden Globe Race and surviving a severe knockdown, with a folding 'hood plus rear curtain extension. That worked.

Edit: Just seen Coopec's #13 post..... so, yes! That's good!
.

I think I'm rapidly swinging around in favor of a canvas dodger. BUT I like this design using canvas over a SS frame with zippered panels/windows. The SS frame would provide hand hols (as has been mentioned)

I'd make up the frame myself ( I'd get the bends down by my tradesman mate) and I'd have to get the canvas done professionally.

I wonder if I could use (strong) velcro to hold the canvas in place?

 

[michael_w]

Not being able to fold the thing down is like owning a sports car and never lowering the hood. I can't understand the obsession with fixed windscreens. To my mind, they just take up deck space and are something else to fall over when you are flaking the mainsail. Plus they look pretty grim too.

Ducks for cover (behind canvas!)