dodger repair

[mike cunningham]

I stuck my hand through the top of my dodger last weekend. The seams tore out like a well oiled zipper. It was pretty funny in an oh shit there goes yet another wad of money sort of way. I am not keen on the expense of replacing the whole thing. The sunbrella is in pretty good shape although one of the windows needs replacing due to a tear and the stitching is pretty well shot in some areas (obviously). I also have a few mods I want to get done. Anyone have a recommendation for someone who is creative and does good repair work?

 

[AZ Sailor]

Just went through the same thing. I bought Morning Star off the East coast two years ago, and the dodger was in great shape. Then, this season, one seam after another started to give out. I don't think they used UV resistant thread in Maine, where the boat is stored indoors all winter, and 2+ years in the San Diego sun killed the thread. The sunbrella, eisenglass, and vinyl all seemed good. Took the fabric (carefully) off the frame, took it to a local canvas shop (Canvas Services, San Diego), and they re-stitched every seam -- and added a vinyl patch on the brow where the boom sometimes rubs. $150 bucks or so. Put it back on and the whole thing is perfect, tight as a drum.

I'm sure any reputable canvas shop in your area can do the same. I was really surprised at how much the whole thing was improved -- the eisenglass is much less wavy, and the whole structure seems vastly more solid.

 

[Gamayun]

Mike, the same thing happened to mine. This work is a total PITA. Do the zippers move? Can you get the dodger off the snaps easily? If you can do that, it should not be that difficult to take it to a canvas shop for a really nice repair job. They can sew it up with additional sunbrella along the whole front side where it's the weakest and where you have the current tear. Michael Jefferson helped me sew mine back together. My dodger is really old so I didn't care what it looked like, but it was not so easy to do. We will next try to replace the isinglass. I have bought material to do this, but I suspect it'll be the death of me trying to wrestle the dodger into submission. People who sew dodgers for a living have ALL my respect! I don't know any canvas people personally, but you could see if the SSS's Synthia Petroka might do this for you. I believe she is in the business.

 

[mike cunningham]

Mike, the same thing happened to mine. This work is a total PITA. Do the zippers move? Can you get the dodger off the snaps easily? If you can do that, it should not be that difficult to take it to a canvas shop for a really nice repair job. They can sew it up with additional sunbrella along the whole front side where it's the weakest and where you have the current tear. Michael Jefferson helped me sew mine back together. My dodger is really old so I didn't care what it looked like, but it was not so easy to do. We will next try to replace the isinglass. I have bought material to do this, but I suspect it'll be the death of me trying to wrestle the dodger into submission. People who sew dodgers for a living have ALL my respect! I don't know any canvas people personally, but you could see if the SSS's Synthia Petroka might do this for you. I believe she is in the business.

Yes, I was able to get it off the boat pretty quickly. This is one of the reasons I want to retain what I have. It is a simple dodger but extremely effective in making the cockpit a more comfortable place. I added some interior mesh pockets and a solar panel pocket prior to the SHTP. I have a few more mods in mind including srtrengthening the solar panel pocket, integration of my canvas companionway cover which is now a separate piece of material, adding a long velcro fastened flap to house Solar array wiring, and adding a small waterproof pocket to house my inreach tracker and supplemental battery. I have a list...

BTW, with regard to inreach trackers. The unit is waterproof but the bloody mini usb connector corrodes very quickly regardless the little plastic flap they provide, thus I want to get it into a water tight space with good RF transparency.

I have also done my own hand sewing in several areas but the dodger is getting to look like something off Huck Finn's raft at this point. I really need to get it cleaned up by a professional.

 

[hodgmo]

I stuck my hand through the top of my dodger last weekend. The seams tore out like a well oiled zipper. It was pretty funny in an oh shit there goes yet another wad of money sort of way. I am not keen on the expense of replacing the whole thing. The sunbrella is in pretty good shape although one of the windows needs replacing due to a tear and the stitching is pretty well shot in some areas (obviously). I also have a few mods I want to get done. Anyone have a recommendation for someone who is creative and does good repair work?

That happened a couple years ago on Frolic and her ~15 yr old dodger. And my zippers were broken and/or frozen. I am very happy with the repair/refurbishment/water proofing done by Laurie Elliot (Canvas Smith, canvasmithe at comcast dot net, 510 632 0110) and hope to get a few more years out of the tent.

 

[Intermission]

. . . I am very happy with the repair/refurbishment/water proofing done by Laurie Elliot (Canvas Smith, canvasmithe at comcast dot net, 510 632 0110) . . .

I have a couple of "old salt" friends from OYC who swear by Laurie's work.
I think there are good craftsmen and women all around the Bay and in Monterey bay too, who do excellent work; it just sort of depends on where you keep your boat and where you live that determines who you use.

 

[mike cunningham]

Thanks all, I will contact Laurie. My dodger is nothing fancy, that's for sure. I can easily carry it around when it is folded so I can pretty the thing anywhere to get it fixed up and modified. Hopefully she won't need the boat. If she does, I'll make it available. I keep the boat on the delta but no biggie. I like bringing it up to the bay and hanging out.