The Offshore Voyaging Reference Site

How To Home Build a Hard Dodger For an Offshore Sailboat

After reading about our dodger, very experienced live aboard voyagers Lane and Kay Finley sent along a detailed description of their hard dodger, complete with photographs. The advantage of theirs over ours is that it is all hard with glass windows; much stronger and pretty much maintenance free. On the other hand, I like the larger expanse of window, fewer blind spots and curved shape of ours. Just goes to show that everything on a boat is a compromise.

Many thanks to the Finleys for sharing the information below:

In the end, we designed and built our own hard top, using foam-cored fiberglass construction to achieve strength and lightness. The finished project is strong, safe to stand on, gives excellent visibility through glass, doesn’t ruin the lines of the boat and provides amazing protection from the weather.

Our navigation electronics now live under the hard dodger where they are protected from the elements and much more user friendly. We have also noticed that we get less ‘salt air’ inside the cabin.

Before undertaking this project, we took pictures of dozens of hard dodgers on boats that we saw sailing in New Zealand waters. The New Zealanders are well aware of the benefits and you can see all sorts of creative designs in every port.

Since we consider our Annapolis 44 to have fairly elegant lines we were very cautious to adhere to a complementary design. After many drafts, we finally drew the final design to scale and then lofted the plans on our garage floor. We built the mould out of MDF plywood with inserts for the windows so that the 10mm safety glass would end up being set-in against a solid fiberglass lip and be flush with the exterior surface of the hard top.

This was a ‘female’ mould, so the interior surface was sanded smooth and then waxed to prevent the fiberglass resins from sticking to the mould. We laid up the required layers of fiberglass cloth and resin in the mould, and then placed the foam core (30mm medium density) over the fiberglass layers. At this point we laid up more fiberglass to the design specifications and ‘sandwiched’ the foam in place.

High Modulus, a composite engineering company in Auckland, made some recommendations for the engineering specifications.

The finished product, which also includes a dome light and reading lights in the ceiling, was fibreglassed in place and we re-painted the deck to finish it off. It has proven to be an excellent addition to the boat and cost approximately US$3000 in materials to build. Of course that does not count our labour. However, it was an interesting winter project and one that we are very proud of.

More Articles From Cockpit Enclosures and Dodgers:

  1. Cockpit Dodger For an Offshore Sailboat
  2. How To Home Build a Hard Dodger For an Offshore Sailboat
  3. A Sailor’s Cockpit Enclosure—Part 1
  4. A Sailor’s Cockpit Enclosure—Part 2
20 Comments
Oldest
Newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
darrell

We are venturing out on our first cruise at the end of this year. San Diego to Annapolis VIA Panama Canal BVI. I am considering a hard dodger, but am probably going to do the work myself due to quality craftsmanship, and design. Any pics and instructions explaining your process would be a real help. I truely believe there is a growing interest in hard dodger design and home fabrication. You’d surely get internet traffic if you posted your process. Thanks in advance. Darrell

Bill Robinson

I built a hard dodger for Jenain, my steel Ebbtide 36, a few years ago. I used commercial Hexacor g.r.p panels, which are cored with cored with pvc honey comb, 10mm tempered glass for the fixed windows and 12mm polycarbonate for the opening window. I built it using the stitch and glue technique and West Epoxy. In my case, it has to be removable as I could otherwise not remove the engine. This was an easy project, finished in two weeks, and very strong, good looking and practical. Off course in hind sight, it could be improved on, by moulding in wire conduits for example, but overall I am very happy with it. It provides great protection, is light, and compliments the boat’s lines. I have a lot of photos if anyone is interested.

jonathan miller

hey bill i would be interested in some pictures of your dodger. i have a goderich 37 ‘ steel hull (libro vent), and i need to get her ready for travel.
thanks
jonathan miller

jonathan miller

hey bill i would like to see some pictures of your dodger. i have a 37′ steel hull (libro vent). i need to get her ready for travel.
thanks
jonathan

Denis

If it ever stops snowing, I am going to replace my Sunbrella covered dodger and bimini with something rigid. I would love to see some detail pics of your stitch and glue technique with the Hexicore also how you deal with the edges. Sounds like the best way to go.

Bill Robinson

Hi Jonothan, send me your email address, and I will send you the photos. My email address is moc.oohay@9991nianej.
Bill Robinson.

Clay Langland

I too would appreciate pictures. Here in Alaska my Formosa 46 could use a hard cover for snow and cold protection. If available, please send pics to:
moc.cam@yalcateb
Thanks, Clay

Dennnis Gildea

Would you send me some picture as well?
I’d like to make one for my pocket cruiser S2 9.2c
sounds like a good way to go.
Captain Den

Bill Robinson

If I had your email address, I could send you the info!

Bill Attwood

Hi Bill.
Would you be kind enought to send me some pictures of your hard dodger.
My email is:
moc.liamg@asnik.ys
With thanks in advance,
Bill Attwood

Craig

Bill, please send pics of your dodger. Thank you.

Edwin Rudetsky

Hi Bill,
Please send pics of your dodger
Thank you,
Ed Rudetsky

Clive Arnold

Hello bill,
Could you please send me your dodger pictures?
Clive @ earrame.net
Thanks in advance.

Barry Zajdlik

Hello Bill,
Another request for dodger pictures! Would love to build one for my Niagara 35.
Thanks in advance for sharing the photos.

Regards,
Barry

Dennis Woods

I am building a hard dodger for an O’Day 35, I want to move the traveler from the deck forward of the companionway to the aft end of the dodger–out of the way. The main arch at the very rear which will be the load bearing part, has a base (entire top ) of 1/2″ cell modulus (NICORE) with one layer of fiberglass matting on the bottom and three on top, laminated. In addition, across the top inside will be two beams two feet apart and 65″ wide made of six 2″ strips of 1/4″ plywood laminated into a curve with an apogee of 6″. On the sides in the area of the traveler there will be a 1/2″ aluminum plate bolted to the side just above the deck with a straight piece of the laminated plywood connecting to the top beam with bolts, a 10″ x 10″ gusset and a aluminum “T” bar where the “T” is 1 full inch as is the cross part. This will be screwed to the wood piece and then the outer part. will accept the side structure on top of the aluminum plate and inserted into the notch in the aluminum upright that is connected to the wood upright. The sides will be a layer of fiberglass with under a 1/2 ” piece of Nicor and two or more layers of fiberglass inside. I’m going to make a deck casting out of fiberglass to mount the sides in and the whole thing will be smoothed and faired with more fiberglass, resin, etc. the casting will ne bolted to the deck. I don’t need to go further since the question is: Do you think this construction will be sufficient to handle the load of the traveler and it’s sheet?

Denny

Barry Z.

Hello Denny

It’s not clear to me whether the hard dodger will be removable. Regardless, if ever you plan to move the boat via road, a non-removable dodger may not meet height restrictions. I recently had to remove an arch and all stanchions when transporting my Niagara 35.
Barry