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Paul
 
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Default Replacing a Bimini with a Hardtop

I've been thinking about a hard dodger, too.

There are a couple of aftermarket sources that are essentially fiberglass
"roofs" held up with tubular stainless frames. You still have fabric for the
side panels and the front. I don't really see the point.

Someone built, photographed, and posted a "stitch and glue" hard dodger. If
you aren't familiar with the term, it means plywood panels that are tabbed
together with resin and fiberglass cloth, then painted. The pictures are
easy to find with google or Yahoo! by searching for "stitch and glue
dodger". I think it looks terrible, but it may inspire you to do something
better.

The best looking one I've ever seen--from a distance anyway--is on Sue and
Larry's restored Formosa Peterson, "Serengeti." Sue and Larry are sailing
authors who regularly contribute to sailnet.com, and there are many pictures
of their boat attached to their articles. The reason I like their hard
dodger the best is because the dodger and bimini are one long, continuous
piece covers the entire cockpit and is large enough to put a whole boatload
of solar panels on. It also has a hard windshield. Visit sailnet.com and
search for "hard dodger" and you'll see it.

I've done some pencil sketches of my own version of Sue and Larry's design,
I think it's doable but quite the project. I guess if Larry can do it so
could I, but I notice that they never wrote an article about the dodger and
they never show it close up. So, they may be unhappy with their workmanship.

Next time I order a custom yacht, I'm getting one for sure (yeah, right).