CS20 spray dodger -- height? tweaks?

[wkisting]

Hi all,

I know this topic has been addressed on several other threads, but I can't find any specific answer regarding the minimum height a dodger must be to effectively/appreciably block the spray that tends to come over the rail about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way back from the bow on a CS20.

Since my boat has oversized sails, the foot of the main comes quite low... only about 9" clearance above deck at the leading cockpit edge, so I'm trying to envision a design that will work with my sails. I'm expecting anything will work if the person sits on the floor up under the dodger, even if it is very low. But this is my more pressing question: How tall need a dodger be to offer appreciable spray deflection for the person sitting aft at the tiller?

The answer will determine whether I should try building a reasonably-upright dodger, or just a low cover for the forward person/passengers to take shelter under.

Thanks!

[Hirilonde]

I think a dodger's job is to provide a place of refuge, not attempt to make a boat dry. I don't think you will succeed in making the whole cockpit dry no matter what size it is.  Keep in mind also that a dodger adds considerable wind-age if it is too high/large. 

I don't know that any height dodger will protect the helmsman.  It is the crew member hiking out's job to intercept spray from hitting the helmsman anyway.  8-)

[wkisting]

Thanks Dave. I know the dodger won't shield the helmsman from all spray, but I'm wondering how small the dodger can be to still block the dominant wave that seems to come over the forward third of the CS20's rail. That seems to be the way we take on most water when the waves are up, so I'm hoping there might be a way to construct a very low dodger that will still reduce how much water we take on when reaching to windward in a steep chop.

I'm curious if some of the folks who have designed dodgers for their CS boats have found that there is such a thing as an optimal height (or perhaps a minimum length the dodger should run aft) to be useful. There seem to be a lot of varying styles folks have built, ranging from a very minimalist front shield to a more tent-like dodger that stretches several feet aft.

Of course, there's always trial and error, but I hestitate to build one until I have a clearer idea of what reasonable dimensions it would need to be.

[Ray Frechette Jr]

The faster you are going the farther aft the waves will spray aboard.

Good foulies are a bettah friend than a dodger for that....

[Brent]

I have thought the same, but after observing waves coming over the bow, I came to the conclusion that a dodger that caught most of them would block the view and be a detraction to the beautiful lines of the boat.  In a blow the spary comes in great drenching quantities flying well above deck level, and from a broad spectrum of forward angles depending on waves and how hard the boat is driving.

I invested in good breathable rain wear and found that to be the solution for me.  I go out in all kinds of weather, and actually enjoy the feeling of the spray hitting my foul weather gear, running down my boots and into the bottom of the boat, where it is returned to the sea by the vortex bailer. 

[John Turpin]

I enjoy the feeling of the spray hitting the person sitting directly in front of me.

[wkisting]

Yep, some of your comments confirm what I had suspected... that a good dodger is really just a low-profile place for someone in the forward section to squat down and keep out of the weather. That's good news for me, actually, since anything I build would need to be very low-profile to clear the foot of the mainsail anyhow. I just wanted to make sure there weren't any "obvious" design considerations that I should implement before moving forward.

What I'm envisioning is a small soft-top folding dodger that provides just enough shelter/sun protection that my wife or our little girl could curl up on the forward berth and take a nap (rain or shine) out of the elements. As for myself at the helm, I carry foul weather gear aboard already, and that works fine. I am interested in the dodger mostly as a way to improve the comfort of the boat for my wife and daughter.... as much for shelter from the hot Georgia sun as from the waves/spray, but both are liable to cause them to make me turn back to the dock, which is unacceptable. 

[Hirilonde]

What I'm envisioning is a small soft-top folding dodger that provides just enough shelter/sun protection that my wife or our little girl could curl up on the forward berth and take a nap (rain or shine) out of the elements.

I bet you can accomplish that quite well without distracting from the looks of the boat or interfering with performance.

[Peter HK]

I've always liked Peter Batchelor's dodger as it's unobtrusive and folds away nicely.

http://www.batchelors.net/personal/boat/cs17/index.html