Dodger question: Do most people

[AmzngGrace]

Is sewing your own dodger within the realm of possible or do you have to be some type of sewing God? Are there any plans out there? Do you need a special sewing machine?

[tkeithlu]

I've not found any sailing cloth (Sunbrella, for example) that I could not sew with my wife's modern Brother sewing machine. On the other hand, our older Singer went bonkers wherever asked to digest anything other than bed sheets.

But, the last time I had a canopy made for a boat (about twenty years ago) I left it to the pros, because it was a tailoring job as well as sewing.

The Crealock 37 is still in production, so I suspect that there is either a pattern or aftermarket dodgers for it. Have you asked them?

[Pete7]

Perhaps a look at the sailrite website might give you some ideas:

https://www.sailrite.com/boat-canvaswork

[deltaten]

I did the Dodger and tubes for my 27. Used SailRite vids, notions and glazing. Material was an older sunbrella boat cover found in storage. Supple; but not worn nor sunburned.
Plan, mock-up, revise, sketch and layout pieces in order of application. Not much different than any other task aboard, ie: att'n to detail, follow thru and be prepared to do it again..
Best of luck

[sguerrero1971]

If you have a dodger on it even if it is falling apart you can always use it as a pattern for the new one. I agree with Pete7, check out the Sailrite site for the videos on making a new dodger, they show how to create a pattern if you don't have one.


As for the sewing machine, sunbrella or the fabric won't be your issue, the strataglass or whatever you use for a window will be. We have a sailrite, but if you are in an anchorage ask around, I have lent mine out more than once.


In the end if you're looking for perfection and want it on a timeline hire it out, but if you want to learn and don't mind a wavy stitch here or there, give it a try.



Good luck!

[OneKoolCat]

I used by wife's Brother sewing machine and it worked for a while repairing my sail's Stack Pack. After a while the automatic threader went out of alignment. My wife was not happy.

I then tried a used "Heavy Duty" Singer I got from craigslist. That worked until I was almost done and then something bent and that sent something else out of alignment and now it does not work at all.

I have seen people use the real heavy duty machines and they have no issues. I can't tell you how tempted I was to just use 3M5200 on the cloth seam.

Cheers

[Tetepare]

Whatever you do, make sure you use sun-resistant thread. Too many people sew their own canvas, and use "heavy" thread meant for clothing and such, and in two years the thread is burned and rotted out.

[Bill Seal]

If you don't have a walking foot machine, (or even if you do) use seamstick tape to keep the fabric from slithering around. Even major sailmakers like Hyde use it. You can find it from Sailrite or Sailmakers Supply (cheaper).

[AmzngGrace]

The Crealock 37 is still in production, so I suspect that there is either a pattern or aftermarket dodgers for it. Have you asked them?[/QUOTE]


Great idea thanks for the post!

[AgPilot]

I made a dodger last Winter for my Endeavour 33. My first sewing project of any kind. Years earlier I had bought the blue Sailrite machine. I watched their videos, watched them again, hung a t.v. next to my sewing machine so I could watch, stop, and watch again. I will admit, it turned out pretty well for my first project. I will make a bimini this Winter. I bought my stainless steel frames from Craig's List. Here's a link:
https://youtu.be/vNxQ32-KLFI[/IMG]

[zstine]

The sewing itself isn't the problem. Anyone can learn to sew, making it pretty at detailed level is another thing. A dodger is a bit complicated and you really need to take it slow and make sure you have the right sew allowances and are putting it together in the correct order. In some areas like pockets, you need to sew seems in a certain order to prevent them from being hidden... again not rocket science and the sail rite video will help a lot. Using your existing dodger, deconstructed, for a pattern is a good idea. However, I highly recommend not placing the bottom hem and snaps where it attaches to the boat without fitting it up to the frame and placing that directly off the boat, vice the old dodger.. it is a time consuming project. Consider a few easier learning projects first.



My el cheapo $90 brother machine was able to patch my dodger many times, up to 4 layers without a problem, but you will need to do more than 4 layers and as others have said, the cheap machines may not be up to going through the window. But you don't need a $700 sailrite. For a dodger, I'm sure you can get a middle grade machine for a few hundred that will sew the dodger no issue. The REX RX-607 is what the sailrite machine is based on and is available new for around $400. It is walking foot and is overkill for the dodger. Sailrite mods it with different gearing to run slower and a new fly wheel and some other stuff, all available from them I believe.



In conclusion, if you have time and aren't super picky about minor cosmetic issues like a little wrinkle or pucker here or there and you can either borrow a machine or can spend a few hundreds on a middle grade machine, go for it. You can save a thousand on just a the dodger project.. If you expect perfection and don't have the time.. pay for one to be made

[Sailor647]

Originally Posted by AmzngGrace

Is sewing your own dodger within the realm of possible or do you have to be some type of sewing God? Are there any plans out there? Do you need a special sewing machine?

Yes, sewing your own dodger is possible. I made ours.
No, you don't have to be a god. But you'll need the patience of one.
No, there are no plans (patterns) out there. Because ever dodger is different in design, use, size, etc.
Yes, you need a special sewing machine, special needles, and special thread. You will be sewing through 4-8 layers of acrylic and Strataglass. I used an industrial machine for the first one, and now use a Sailrite LSZ-1.

Most importantly, you NEED a huge flat surface to move your dodger project around on while you are sewing it. You also need some thin plastic to protect the Strataglass (or other window material) while you are sewing it. Sliding it across the table unprotected will scratch the heck out of it.

Dodgers are a lot more complicated than any other boat 'canvas' project. Knowing how to sew before you start a project of this magnitude is helpful, but if you can learn on the fly, you can do it. How well you do it is up to you. Whether it looks professional when finished, or "homemade" is determined by your going slow and attention to detail. Be prepared to rip it out and sew it over.

There are a lot of "steps" involved in the making of a dodger. Completing them in the right sequence is essential.

I don't recommend using the old dodger as a pattern. The fabric changes too much over time. Boats are not symmetrical. If you make a pattern and fold it in half, you will find that the sides don't match....because the frame that holds the dodger isn't symmetrical. They just aren't. Trust your pattern.

You can save thousands of dollars by doing all the boat 'canvas' projects yourself. It's a great skill to have!

Best of luck!

[Cheechako]

My opinion is unless you are already good at sewing, materials and design, the cheapest dodger you can buy on line will be better than the first dodger you make yourself.

[FabioC]

I think, realistically, to have a decent chance at sewing your own dodger, you need to be reasonably skillful at sewing, have a reasonably decent sewing machine, and at least a minimum of experience with the materials involved.
I also think starting from scratch is exponentially more difficult than repairing an existing dodger (where you can use the existing fabric as a pattern).

My approach is to evolve into that level of skills (not sure whether I'll ever get there), starting from some simpler projects like a winch cover or similar. From there, I think a bimini or a connection bimini/dodger is much simpler and more realistic than a full dodger, and eventually "graduate" to canvas work of the complexity of a dodger.

[JPA Cate]

Hello, again, Amzng Grace.

One of our members here did her own dodger for their previous boat, Seaworthy Lass. There are some pics and discussion at the Sewing Group, under "Community".

Myself, I sort of think Cheekako has the right of it: it is a project wherein the fit has to be pretty exact, but -- depending on the material used -- you may have to make a tiny bit too big to account for shrinkage over time (with "marine hooding"). So one's chances of having one come out right will be improved if you already have experience with the fabrics and principles involved.

Stamoid fabric (the heavy weight) makes a very nice dodger. It is a pvc fabric, and it has NO bias stretch at all. It also will show any mis- stitches that might require removing.

Pay close attention at the sailrite site and their instructions are so good, following them will make your life a lot easier. Jim and I only found their dinghy chaps instructions after we'd made them. We're always saying to read the manual first, well in this case, sailrite is an excellent "manual" source.

Ann

On edit: if you decide to make your own, sew it with ptfe thread (one trade name is Tenara). It will last the life of the dodger. Plan on wasting a fair wee bit of it as you learn to work with it, but it lasts a treat, comes in clear, white, and black.