Custom Dodger
Article by Lon Zimmerman
I happened upon Scott Simpson’s website about his Montgomery 17, Pony Engine. The M-17 in his diagram had a dodger. When I inquired, he said he had not made the dodger yet, but he sent me the dimensions.
I began to imagine my old Montgomery 17 with a dodger protecting the cockpit. Sailing would be more comfortable. It would also be nice to have stand-up headroom in the companionway with the hatch removed.
The cost of the dodger was the first impediment. I scoured craigslist for almost a year looking for a used dodger that could be modified to fit. Several soft dodgers from larger boats came up, but the prospect of recutting and then sewing all the canvas, and then modifying the frame was daunting.
Next stop was Sailrite. They offer a 2-Bow Complete Dodger Kit with 1" stainless steel frames, pre bent for $657. I contemplated this for some time before deciding that I was not competent to do a nice job of sewing.
My search led me to H2UBE. Their approach was quite different. Thick walled aluminum tube is used for their dodger frame. While H2UBE calls this product tubing, “pipe” might be more appropriate. My dodger was made from the 1 inch diameter H2UBE, which has 1/8" wall thickness. A 1.25 inch diameter is available for use on larger boats.
Hallett Canvas & Sails from Falmouth, Maine developed H2UBE.
Dodgers made with H2UBE frames were first shown at the 2005 Maine Boatbuilders Show.
H2UBE describes their product as “two-channel tubing that has an extra thick wall for an incredibly strong frame, and has a silver anodized finish that is both durable and elegant.” Their two-channel tubing makes a very robust dodger frame. The fabric slides into the groove on the like bolt rope sliding into sailtrack, to become part of the frame, and does not just wrap around the tubing. This dynamic tension makes the dodger very sturdy.
H2UBE Hints & Tips can be found here.
Sunbrella fabric is sewn to Keder welt, which slides into the channels of the tubing. The Sunbrella tensions along the frame and creates a wrinkle free dodger. This saves some labor costs because zipper pockets are not needed to attach the fabric of the dodger to the frame.
I took my research to Joe Sifton, owner of Sea Bear Marine Canvas in the Port Townsend Boat Haven. Joe was interested as soon as he saw the information. We agreed on a price and he ordered H2UBE.
The table below shows the actual costs. The total with tax was $1282.
While it costs more than the SailRite kit, the dodger looks as if it was professionally made.
Joe quickly built the dodger shown. He liked the H2UBE frames because they do away with the zipper pockets found on traditional dodgers. H2UBE made it “super simple to pattern.” He liked the appearance. There is some reduced labor cost due to eliminating zipper pockets. The durability should be good because there are no zippers to sag.
The only negative Joe noted was that it was more difficult to assemble. He had to dismantle the frame to get the Keder welt to slide into the twin-channels. Bending the frames worked the same as with stainless. A tube bender will bend H2UBE to a 4-inch radius. Cutting was more work since the tube cutter would not work on the thick tubing; it had to be cut with a hacksaw.
The H2UBE frames are fitted with eye ends that fit on the end of the tubing and bolt to a jawslide or flat plate to mount to the boat.
I was very pleased with Joe’s experiment with the H2UBE frame. The dodger has a very clean, tight appearance and feels robust. Cockpit protection is enhanced and a bit of headroom for the tiny cabin is gained.
The dodger turned out better than I had hoped, thanks to H2UBE and Joe Sifton at Sea Bear Marine Canvas. •SCA• First appeared in issue #64
Readers: Tell us about your favorite or most successful small-boat upgrade or improvement in the comments below. —Eds
This is without a doubt a much overlooked addition to any small cruising boat. A look back at Conscript, my Sanibel will show that I've been pushing this idea for quite awhile. People who have done little metal fabrication find this sort of project far more daunting than it needs to be. One needs no welding, the parts are all available both new and used. Bending tubing is much easier if one uses a thicker walled tube and a set of inexpensive bending tools that can be purchased at Harbor Freight among others. once you have settled on the shape you want. (as opposed to what was available used) the pre polished stainless tube, available from multiple sources is bent up and assembled. If you have that I found it nearly as cheap to have a custom canvas specialist come to me as to try to build a kit.
Joe, Thanks for asking. Conscript was kindly presented in SCA #133. I think Josh may still have one or two photos that show a bit of detail. If he feels there is enough interest I think we can find some information for you. If not perhaps an email to him might get either some help or my contact info. This is his journal and he's pretty good at finding the things people want to see and hear about.