Mine will be painted Epifanes dark green (2 pot paint). It is a pretty good match with Sunbrella dark green. I don’t think the cedar strips alone would be strong enough without the f/g covering top and bottom. I imagine you use two layers of cedar and just clear epoxy. The problem comes when you go around a fairly tight corner, eg at outer edge. It is tricky to get the joint to line up really well. Using cloth and fairing you can make it quite smooth. Pictures to come.
This is the dry fit of a very unfinished prototype, just to see if I got the shape right. My dad is also there.
still to do:
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straighten and finish edges of this prototype
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fair and finish inside of this prototype
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make mold of inside of this prototype
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make first final product with the use of the two molds
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finish first final product (hardware, wiring, keper rail)
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take shape of saloon to build mold of cockpit-edge
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build mold for cockpit-edge that allows lines go through and easy fit of screen and front legs
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build cockpit edge to mount on saloon roof
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start canvas work for front, sides
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… and so on
When all done, a second doger to fit any N36 exactly, will be “fast and easy” to build using the molds and canvas templates.
Perhaps, it’s an idea to INA promote this product as a complete drop-on dodger for the Nonsuch 36 that consists of molded hardtop roof, molded cockpit edge, canvas, and stainless hardware. No, I’m not mad nor am I joking, it’ll be finished in a couple of months (but hopefully weeks).
mark h
n36#25
netherlands
Tell your dad that he has done a beautiful job (as usual). He’s lucky to have you as a helper, though.
Ernie A. in Toronto
I’ll tell him that the folks oversea think that he’s an old money wealthy fart owning a shiny Nonsuch. And that they think that he gave orders to me to build a proper dodger. But that’s as far as I can go Ernie. The dodger is mine.
mark h
netherlands
Hi John
I also would like a hard dodger/ bimini after the soft one we have wears out. Put me on the list.
We find we have never taken off the dodger bimini in the 14 years we had it. It would just be too uncomfortable in the cockpit without the shade daytime and screens to keep bugs out at night. Would like to attach solar panels to the top of this bimini. There should also be a window in the top.
A photo of Doveke 36. Hard dodger/bimini. Has standing headroom everywhere and a large opening/window in the centre. Note the handrail on the outside. I’m not sure (because of the many years) but I believe the original owner told me this top was a standard fiberglass boat top that had custom support tubes.
Tom
26C 28
North Star
Penetang
Just finished installing my first attempt at a relatively low-cost, low-maintenance, light-duty hard dodger.
The top is 1/8th inch grey Centek PVC sign board. I used the old canvas as a starter template for the top, then re-drew and re-cut several versions before it worked well enough. I reused my pre-existing dodger frame to support it, holding it on with throughbolted straps.
The windows are 1/8th inch acrylic sheet, held in place along with awning track from Sailrite. The track was screwed down on the deck (with butyl tape for caulking) at the front and sides. The window tops for the three front panels are also held in place using Sailrite awning track; the upper tracks were glued to the hardtop underside using 3M foam tape.
The black edging is EDPM edge-grip trim with side bulb from Zoro.com, and the window panel frames are aluminum panel connectors from McMaster-Carr. The side grabrails were made with stainless steel rail mounts and 1" 316 stainless tubing, through-bolted to 3/4" thick by x 6" wide Starboard crossbars with matching grey Centek covers. Those panels were in turn throughbolted to straps over the dodger frame tubes. Attaching the upper parts of the side windows to those crossbars was done by mounting YKK Snads (plastic, glue-on snaps) to the outside of the side-window tops and the inside of the crossbars.
It photographs decently but will definitely NOT win any Concours d’Elegance awards on close inspection. It will not support any signficant weight on top. Paul Miller has a picture of him standing on the glassed-over wood one he built – I might put a kitten, but not a full-grown cat on this one. I believe it will stand up in winds up to 20-25 kts, but would not warrant it for heavy air sailing.
I’ll post again in a few seasons when I have more experience about how well it holds up. My goals are to have something that would hold up as long or longer than canvas, that could be repaired/replaced with home labor rather than having to find a craftsman, and would have UV-resistant windows that don’t need to be covered to keep from losing transparency.
We’ll see. I’ll post again in a few seasons when I have more experience about how well it holds up.
– Bob
Me Gusta
Nonsuch e26U #233
Marina del Rey, California