* claus wrote, On 3/18/2007 2:03 PM:
....
Perhaps the group could give me some pros and cons re "soft" vs "hard"
dodgers?

I love having a hardtop. It turns the forward part of my cockpit
(which includes the helm) into a pilothouse that can be sealed in or
opened up. Although not quite as weather-proof as a true pilothouse,
I've been able to drive the boat through nasty stuff, including
torrential downpours and snow storms, in reasonable comfort. Being
able to seal up the area with full surrounds has allowed traveling in
pretty cold weather.

The hardtop is strong enough to walk on, but it is lightweight, so I
don't allow kids to play up there. Extra carbon fiber had to be added
so that it would be stiff enough to handle the mainsheet traveler.
Having the mainsheet removed from the cockpit is a major plus, but it
does mean that a bit of engineering is required to ensure the
appropriate strength. It was also designed to handle three solar
panels, with airflow underneath so they won't heat up too much. They
are not as efficient as they would be in the davits, where there is
less chance of shadowing, but they are in place full time, and never
in the way.

If you don't plan on putting the traveler on the top, you can come
close to the hardtop design with a good steel frame, and then canvas
stretched on top. I've seen a number of these setups, including some
stock catamarans.

The only downside, assuming you like the "pilothouse" concept," is the
cost. Remember that if you use a design like ours, where the canvas
can be removed from the sides, you sill still need to periodically
repair and replace canvas. We've replaced most of the windows, and
done repair on parts of the canvas.

Here's some marketing pics from the builder:
http://www.sv-loki.com/ca-quart.jpg
http://www.sv-loki.com/ca-moor.jpg
http://www.sv-loki.com/ca-beam.jpg

And here's ours, late in the season bundled up:
http://www.sv-loki.com/Along_the_Way/surround.jpg