Lars,
you are a never ending source of great useful information!

This is an extremely interesting thing I suspected but never were completely aware of.
Is there a design of the canvas dodger somewhere? I would really like to have one made with the original shape and measurements.

Daniel

Dear Daniel,
as far as I remember Franco Henny (st.henny@tin.it) has an original dodger, you could ask him a digital picture and measurment!
Fair wind
Matteo (38/067 Only You)

Daniel

The design includes zippers each side, with these closed the dodger fits snugly over the hatch, with zippers open the dodger can be lifted slightly off the hatch enabling ventilation to be arranged. Works also with hinged hatches, then the side pieces inside the zippers are triangular

Lars

Thank you all,
following Matteo′s advice, I had an exchange of letters with Franco who has a dodger on Caid and was very clear in explaining the shape of the canvas.
The only thing that puzzles me is that the fwd hatch will not be easily accessible to a person anymore. According to my experience, fitting and unfitting the bolt rope into the grooved profile is not a quick job.

I wonder if there is a good reason for NOT fitting also there an umbrella-like folding dodger like the one at the main entrance hatch?

Daniel

Forward hatch is leaking:

Hello everyone, very interesting topic indeed.

From our experience with ou 41/022 one must first check wether the hatch is really of a drop down type. On our boat it was not (1974) and was leaking like mad. ... and had been from 182 to 2000!

After a discussion with dear professor back in 2001 we modified it to a drop down type wich is rather simple. (see attached drawings he sent us at the time). IE the plastic rails on which the hatch is sliding must be cut at the forward and back ends and screwed to the upper wooden frame (D). The Stainless steel (E) piece holding the hatch down needs to be replaced so as to allow the hatch to go up by around 1cm when sliding backwards to open. Be careful that the front gap in the plastic rail should be longer than the rear one so that when opening the hatch the front cannot drop in the back gap (hope I'm clear!). 

Then you have to machine the perspex to make a recess in which the hooks for the four corner fasteners will be, and add rubber seals on the top frame (see drawings).

The result in any case is just perfect, no more leakks!

Great picture indeed and I wish I could have a copy...
Much more clear than the thousand words we were trying to spend in describing the hatch devised by the genius of Stephens.
Actually I am quite surprised that your former setup did not have the drop down feature.
Lars, just as a curiosity, was it introduced only after 1974?

Daniel

Hello All:

I have been busy with work, so dropped off for a little bit. Never mind. Have attached a series of three pics of our forward hatch cover.

In this first picture you will immediately notice that our poor sailboat lives in a marina with alot of mean, nasty power boats. :(

Next, you may notice the hatch open with insect screen in place. Essential equipment in the Caribbean.

Finally, we can have the hatch cover act as a wind scoop in either direction. At the dock the wind comes from the direction of our stern. At anchor, we turn it around 180 degrees to catch the wind from the bow.

Milo

Swan 47/048

s/v The Last of the Normal People

In the second picture, the bolt rope fed into the guide track may be seen.

Finally, the hatch cover seen facing aft.

Note the zipper, which is undone and allows the cover to be opened up.

While underway, the cover is collapsed and the zipper closed.

If anyone would like any other pics, please ask.

Cheers,

Milo

Milo,
thank you for the pictures which are very clear and enough for duplicating the dodger.
I will turn my question to you: can you still easily use the fwd hatch as a passage for crew and goods?
The triangle sides appear to be higher than the size mentioned before (10-15cm) but the clearance might be still uncomfortable for such a use.

Regards
Daniel

Sliding - dropping forward hatch.

Here is a second drawing.

Sliding-dropping forward hatch.

Here is my third drawing.

About the fabric hatch cover seen in the pictures we have the same arrangement without a zipper and find it really indispensable as a wind scoop.

Kind regards. Philippe (41/022)

Dear all,
a question regarding the seals. Please look at the drawing in the post #32 by Philippe and the picture in the post #16 by Milo.
The seal in my hatch is like the one in the picture by Milo but I think that the one in the drawing could be a better solution.
Moreover, please notice that in the drawing there are three different possibilities.
I would appreciate reading comments and, then, suggestions on the possible modification to be performed, on size, shape and availability of the seals in Europe.

Daniel

Daniel:

The height of the cover is approximately 50 cms (or 20").  I do not use the forward hatch as a routine access when the cover is up. I just used it now as a test and found it was possible, but awkward. (Mind you, I have an aching back and am abot 190cms.) I do think it might be easier if the cover was in the forward facing position instead of how we have it in the aft facing position. A younger or smaller person would have less trouble.

You could easily pass small supplies down below, but not large items such as a sail. Our cover's bolt rope slides readily in and out of the groove and changing position or removal is not a problem. It takes a couple of minutes but a child could do it. To hold the cover up we have line we attach from the cover to the side stays. They take a minute to undo or reattached. If facing forward, we have our headsail furled and then secure the headsail sheets snuggly or firmly. With the sheets reasonably taut, we use them to attach the line.

Cheers,

Milo

Dear Friends

speaking of wind scoop, look at the ones they have onboard ALPHA CENTAURI, Swan 65/007, I think they are a Hiscock design, they are fantastic in hot climate, believe me!

Fair wind!

Matteo (38/067 Only You)

Hi all,

You will find S&S type plans at http://www.sparkmanstephens.com/yachtdesign/design_typeplans/
including the design for a sliding hatch cover.

Happy sailing
- Harald

HI Lars

I found post very interesting about the sliding hatch

on alpha we just have to change the original gasket and it will work again perfectly

where can i get this gasket and order it

we have been sailing alot ,and if the gasket adhérant to the Plexiglas with the 4 attachment there is no leak at all

thanks in advance

Bruno