Sunday, October 21, 2012

Dodger Phase III Complete

I finished the side curtains on the dodger which now completes Phase III. The side curtains zip off easy so we can take them off when we sail as they are in the way of the winch handle when they're attached. The next phase is to make an enclosure between the side curtains and the top edge so that the companionway can be closed off in the winter. Eventually we want to have a bridge between the bimini and the dodger and a full enclosure for the cockpit, but those are going to wait for awhile.



7 comments:

S/V Veranda said...

looks great...another big step taken

Sabrina and Tom said...

Fantastic! Well done!

~~_/)~~
Sabrina

Robert Salnick said...

Deb -

I can't speak to the value in the tropics, but here in a temperate climate, having a full enclosure is a wonderful luxury. It keeps you out of the weather when it is raining of course. But if you live aboard, it becomes a sunroom in the winter - warm and inviting, even when it is cold outside, as long as the sun is shining.

bob

Deb said...

Thanks everyone for your kind words. It's really satisfying to finish a project like that and actually have it turn out the way you wanted!

Bob - we would love to have a full enclosure but right now there are other things competing for the time and money like a good sail cover. We're still using the cover I made from the freebie aircraft covering fabric that we ended up with but it's showing some wear and tear. We are going to enclose the dodger area in the next few weeks so we can have a very small sunroom over the companionway. That will give us more light in the winter without sacrificing heat.

LittleCunningPlan.com said...

Wow! That looks great! I don't think I would have the courage to tackle a project like that. I would love to have an enclosed cockpit. It would almost double our usable living space on the boat.

SailFarLiveFree said...

I love the grab rails on the dodger frame. I wish we had them, both for extra grip going forward and for mounting solar panels and any other rail-mountable gear. Well done!

Deb said...

Melissa - I agree it's not for the inexperienced or faint of heart!

Kevin - I think you could add the grab rails to your dodger without too much trouble. They're available on Sailrite as a kit