Hard Dodger Update
As the old saying goes: “boat work takes 32 times longer and is 16 times more expensive than expected” (or some variation like that). This hard dodger project is one of those long ones. The total duration of projects can be attributed to different things: studying up on industry standards and proper system design, research & selection of the device or material to install, crawling into and out of awkward positions to do the job, surface preparations, working around compound angles because nothing on a sailboat is perfectly straight, and of course weather.
The hard dodger was a feature of the boat when we purchased Yara. The original owner had the hard dodger installed in the mid-1990s in preparation for their circumnavigation. It’s an excellent feature for an offshore cruising boat to keep the rain and sun off, if a wave washes over the cockpit it’ll deflect and defend keeping us dry, and ours also has various grab handles to assist with safe maneuvering around the cockpit. It’s a feature we definitely want to keep, but to be able to have the boat trucked down to Portland from Seattle we had to remove the hard dodger to reduce height & windage.
Related video:
In this week’s video, it was a time (again) to attempt reinstallation. We had started this same project at the end of last summer after the boat arrived in Portland. Our goal was to install the hard dodger prior to the fall and winter wet seasons in Portland. But this is one of those projects that has taken a lot longer than expected. We ran out of time and good weather.
Related video:
Last year we had to scrap the hard dodger installation and tarped up the boat to keep off the wet.
And now that drier weather has arrived we again started down the path of installation. Our first step last year was to patch the old holes with epoxy, we added fresh core material and thickened epoxy to set us up for the drill-fill-drill method. Once that dried we sanded smooth and faired with Petit EZ-Fair to help provide a smooth surface for primer and pain:
And this year we needed to ensure the surface was prepped and ready. Having already faired the surface last year it was a quicksand to ensure we were working with a fair surface. Then we layered on primer and paint. Remarkably we’re seeing success with a “marine grade” primer :
and paint:
Once the primer and paint were laid down it was time for another dry fit. And another dry fit. And another. We just aren’t able to get the hard dodger with its frame to sit properly to attach the canvas. This is one of those projects that has taken a lot longer than expected. We didn’t need to take time to research our purchase because we removed it from the boat, it should go back together. It’s nuts and bolts, nothing too intricate. No technology. No wiring. No real safety concerns to worry about. No industry standard to study. It should be one of the simpler projects. But we’re struggling.
The weather windows in Portland for on-deck projects are limited. And the compound angles are a major factor. And yeah, we had some surface prep to do. But time and time again we’re reminded that boat projects take a lot longer than expected. But for us, we have a yacht of love for what we do. And as long as we keep that in mind and maintain a passion for the passage, then we consider it a good day and move on to the next.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/_-p-zLwTWyc
Note: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. We include affiliate links in some of our posts and may earn a commission on your purchase.