I took the frame for the dodger kit down to Galena on Saturday. It was a nice enough day for January. But by the time I decided to go, it was already late and by the time I got there it was dark and cold. So early the next morning I was hard at work.

First I had to establish exactly where the dodger would go and it's dimensions. The tubing that came with the kit was essentially two stainless steel bows and a bunch of fittings. The two horizontal pieces were first. I suspended them from the old bimini top with strings. I started with them in about the right place. Then I stood in the cockpit and ensured that I could see over the aft bar and just see Galena's bows. Then I positioned the forward horizontal tube to visually line up with the aft when I was at the tiller. That gave the top of the dodger a nice forward slope. Looked good.

In this picture I've highlighted the two dodger bars as they dangle under the old bimini.


Once those two bars were positioned I mounted the brackets to the cabintop and cut the side tubes for the dodger. Of course, this is the point where a mistake will cost money. So I stood there for an hour or two. Just looking at the setup. I taped all the pieces into place and looked at it some more. Finally I gathered up what manhood I could find and started cutting and drilling.

The frame is highlighted in this picture.


Yes, as I was working on this we received the first snow of the year. I really should be cruising in the islands right now!

Next I have to figure out how to attach the forward edge of the dodger to the cabintop. My companionway hatch doesn't have a turtle so the dodger has to have an opening for the hatch to slide under. Yet the front edge has to be stiff enough to keep out boarding waves. My current plan is to build a low, curved coaming (wall) from side-to-side and over the hatch. Not unlike this:

Shown above is the coaming on a half-million dollar yacht (Island Packet). My solution may not be quite as 'integrated' as this, but this is the idea. In a few weeks we'll compare my effort to this factory solution.

I used foam board to lay out the curve and get a general idea of the way the coaming will run around the cabintop.
In this picture I've airbrushed-out the old bimini supports since they will be removed as soon as we start putting the fabric on the new dodger.


Once that coaming is fabricated and installed, Jane will start fitting the fabric to the dodger frame. But I expect the construction will take a few weeks.