welding

Making a Dodger Frame for V

To keep out the rain and sun, Grant has built us a dodger out of stainless steel and starboard!  (I still have to sew together the isinglass and sunbrella sides)

After looking online at different designs, we decided we liked the rounded look with side visibility, a hard top and soft isinglass sides.  This way it will be strong.  We could stand on it if needed.  The starboard top will not need to be replaced in a few years like a full fabric dodger.  We found inexpensive isinglass in new condition that was consigned at Bacon Sails that I will recut and sew onto the frame.

For the frame, Grant welded together stainless steel tubing using scraps from other biminis we found. He used two rounded sections he bent a curve into, and the cross beams about every foot.  For the starboard top, he welded tabs for it to secure to using bolts.  On each side, he welded outer handles, and then welded threads into them, so that they would also secure the starboard on a tab.  To fasten it to the boat, he also welded tabs.

For the top, we cut a big section of starboard into the right dimensions and bolted it to the frame on the tabs.  On the lower part below the handles we used U bolts.

As a project, Grant spent three days measuring and constructing the frame.  It took one day to attach the starboard and attach it to the boat.  We measured the distance from the cabin to the boom MANY times, and even had our new sails cut specifically to make the boom higher when we were sailing so that we could stand in the cockpit and have room for a higher dodger.  It is about 16.5 inches high from the cabin top to the top of the dodger.

We really love it!