Main Sail tie up with a Dodger

[Set2sea]

I have wanted to get a dodger made for my boat for a few years now and am getting ready to pull the trigger. I just thought about how I tie up my main - I stand right where the dodger will be and put sail ties on and make the snaps of the sail cover.
How will I tie up the Main with a dodger?
I do have lazy jacks but I still put sail ties on before cover.

[Ron Hill]

Paul : Open up the dodger windshield (overhead hatch closed) and stretch your arms out!!  Once you get the mainsail trained it will start to fall in place as the person at the helm feeds out main halyard.

Have to admit, one person taking down the main is easier without a dodger!!

A thought

[Stu Jackson]

We simply pull the main over to starboard with the traveler and deal with it in front of the dodger and from the side deck.  We board normally on port.

Some people think that's all the traveler is good for anyway!   

[Noah]

I second that. You just will learn to work around it and find place to step and techniques on where to lean. BTW- Get SS hand rails on the top/sides of your dodger. They are very "handy"!

[Set2sea]

Thanks guys, pulling the traveler over sounds good.

[Set2sea]

I'm going away for vaca #1 to lake And my dodger should be done when we get back, just in time for our sailing vacation! Can't wait to see BuddyB with a dodger!

[Roc]

I zip open one side of the windshield and put my feet along the companionway opening (I make sure the sliding hatch is closed!!).  I can reach the whole boom.

[patrice]

I zip open one side of the windshield and put my feet along the companionway opening (I make sure the sliding hatch is closed!!).  I can reach the whole boom.

I do the same way ...   
And work great.

[chuck53]

I don't even bother opening up my dodger or moving the boom over.  Instead of sail straps, I use a sail bungee cord that stretches from the mast to the end of the boom and that has about 6-7 tie down bungees to tie up the sail.  Beats the heck out of sail straps.  I can reach all of them from either the cockpit or standing on deck.  Snaps on my sail cover are also reachable.

[Ken Juul]

I use the traveller method, pull it all the way to stbd.  It also helps with the inherent port list that is noticible at the dock.

[Phil Spicer]

   Hand rails on the sides are a safety must. You will use them every time you leave the cockpit.

[britinusa]

And if you have the hand rails (Eximius doesn't yet) you won't be tempted to repeatedly grab the canvas over the dodger tubes (we do) and you won't get excessive wear (we have) on the canvas.

Hand rails are on my list, and I plan on restitching the canvas.

Paul

[Stu Jackson]

Hand rails are on my list, ...

Paul,

I have a PDF of the instructions from a waaay old Good Old Boat magazine about how to do just that.

Send me a pm and I'll get it to you.

[Phil Spicer]

   As for the excessive wear on canvas. I finally put leather across the back edge of the dodger to stop the wear.

[Noah]

On my dodger, I put a foam patch covered with red vinyl  in the center, on the cockpit edge. I kept knocking my head on it going down the companionway ladder. Works "so-so". I just don't seem to learn...and still bonk my head occassionally. Worse with baseball cap on!