spray dodger for cs20

[Stan Robert]

Hi,

I've been lurking around for a few years. I spoke at length to Graham and Rob Blackburn about 2 years ago about cs20's. At the time I was building our house and couldn't build a boat as well. We bought a 33ft sloop and are thoroughly enjoying sailing her in the beatiful D'Entrecasteaux channel where we live. However, my dream hasn't changed. I still want a simple, safe, fun-to-sail camping boat for the 4 of us (2 young kids). Most people can't understand why we would contemplate going down in size and creature comforts!

Well, the house is built and the workshop is almost done so boatbuilding is now going to be a reality.

My wife doesn't want a cabin but would like to have a small bit of shelter for protection from wind and spray so she can knit sometimes and protection from sun (UV readings are very high here in summer). Has anyone built a dodger for a cs20 like the one shown in the diagram for cs17? Is it possible to build one that folds down flat (just for'd of the coaming) and that also connects up with a tent that can cover the rest of the cockpit? Has anyone done this? How about a pop-up foredeck, hinged for'd, with canvas sides. Could this work structurally on cs20?

[Rob Blackburn]

Well, I have started on mine this week. I have shamelessly printed out this page for the Kittiwake 16 and sent it with the boat to the marine trimmer to copy.

http://kittiwakeboats.co.uk/

What has put me off starting for 2 yrs is I could not see how to attach it to the coaming area without about 30 of those horrible little clip things screwed through the timber. But I suddenly thought at 2am one night that why not have another aluminium arch that simply lies in front of the coaming and then only needs one hold down point ...

So that is the current plan.

Also by doing this it will be easier to put it on and off by just undoing the bolts/wing nuts on each side that hold the tent cover to the deck fittings and putting it in the shed.

I am getting him to make a slip over and velcro up style of cover for the whole thing so it won't get covered in mud and stuff too.

My plan is to get this bit done and then ponder the next stage back. But to be honest I have never really got excited about sleeping on the boat as I don't reckon the wife and 2 kids will fit for any length of time and it seems simpler to put the tent in with a couple of nice comfy chairs etc.

Time will tell. Going for a grey material to match our inside colour so hopefully it will work.

At least doing it this way all the tent/cover is outside the coaming and should make going to weather or motoring into the wind a lot drier for all concerned.

Rob

ps shall put some photos up when it comes back.

[Stan Robert]

Thanks for the link. That one on Kittiwake 16 looks good and folds down realtively flat and unobtrusively.

How far back are you going to extend the dodger? Back to the mizzen mast? And, if you make it low enough so that the clew end of the sprit on the main can clear it would there be sitting headroom or would you have to sit on the floorboards?

Interesting to hear that you don't think sleeping aboard with the family would go that well. Maybe I'll sleep aboard with my wife and we can give the kids a tent and say "off you go...". Probably more fun for them.

Stan

[Rob Blackburn]

No, not all the way to the mizzen. I see 2 kids up under the tent in the front with the wife at the back missing the worst of the spray and wind... Me with my rum and water braving the elements.

I feel there will be only so much he can do with the hoops and besides you might as well build a bloody cabin otherwise!

Camping with kids seems easier to me. They can run around and a tentsite with a tarp has a lot more square metres than a little cs 20.

Have you finished the boat yet? or where are you up to.??

Rob

[JeffM]

CS20 #65 is a few days from launch, but my cloth top is still in the design phase. Graham made a nice dodger for his cs17, pictures and details in http://www.messing-about.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=31488#31488

but I'm getting more of my inspiration from "canvassing Core Sound 77" in http://www.messing-about.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=31488#31488. I've invested in some 1000 denier coated cordura (white, to beat the heat) from the Rain Shed. I figure to use 3-part pvc pipe bows attached as double 7 did. The hatch in my starboard forward seat locker is so arranged that I can stow pvc pipes up to 6'3" inside, so that's the max length I'm using. Like Rob, I want to avoid ugly hardware, so my working plan is to hold the edges down over the coaming (mine is over 2" high tapering to 1") on eye-straps. Since I'm 6'2" tall and want comfortable sitting head room, my masts will be about 6" taller than designed. (If heeling forces prove to be a problem, it will be a simple matter to cut the masts down a bit.) The shelter will be sectional: the forward dodger can be used under way. The remaining sections will be higher, requiring the sails be furled. (I haven't decided whether to end the tent at the mizzen, or go all the way to the aft deck.) The sections will velcro together. Graham had a tent on his old BRS, and liked that he could raise and lower parts of it independently at need. Like double 7, I want a hatch giving access to the foredeck and windows. For fair weather camping, I have enough no-see-um mesh to make an entire tent of that alone. When I've worked out the compromises in the design, I'll let you know how it comes out.[/url]

[Stan Robert]

Jeff - Thanks for pointing out Graham's dodger. For some reason I didn;t find that before when I did a search of the forum. Sorry to everyone for repeating a question that's been asked before.

Rob - I haven't even started building yet (see above post) . Hope to purchase plans and start soon.

Asking questions about the dodger was important a priori because my wife's not interested if it doesn't/can't have one.

Stan

[Rob Blackburn]

Looks like our forum has saved ANOTHER marriage.

This is essentially why we do this isn't it? Helping guys sell boats to wives and proving to them and the wife or wives if they more than 1 that this will be a simple project that will add value to their relationship.

Bit like Dr Phil really I guess?

Should we change our ids to all be doctors?

Rob

[Designer]

Dr Rob,

Have you seen how I attached my dodger around the front? Over here it is called awning track and we have two basic kinds, I used a plastic one, there is also an aluminium track with a flange on one side. The track is screwed and caulked to the deck with a boltrope is sewn to the dodger. It is fairly quick to rig the dodger and does not leak.

We sailed the Everglades challenge with the dodger installed in the track and pulled it up when we needed it.

[Rob Blackburn]

Dr Graham,

thank you for referring this matter to me .. Could you send me a photograph?

Dr Rob

[Stan Robert]

Dr Rob

if you get the aluminium stuff don't buy from a chandlery! I needed 8m for the putting a sail bag on the boom of our sloop. The price per metre at the chandlery was the same as the price per 6m length from the aluminium extrusion place (Ullrich metals - I think they are Australia-wide).

If you use Al, you'll probably have to anneal it first so that you can bend it around the coaming.

[Designer]

Rob,

Here is a picture of the track. It comes in white and black. I shaped it with a heat gun so that it would relax in the shape that I wanted so that I would not have to wrestle with it when I installed it.