Mini dodger trailering questions

[Relackson]

Just fitting my new mini dodger all the way from BWYs in the USA.

I'm about to take Relackson out of the water and trailer her nearly 2000 kilometres up to Brisbane.

My questions are: do you leave the dodger up when you drop the mast (will the mast fit over the dodger when laying in its normal position); and if so, do you leave the dodger up when travelling?

Anything else I should know about the mini dodger?

Thanks

Stan

[Castlestone]

We take the dodger off, otherwise it beats itself to death. If you use quick pins rather than screws it's pretty easy.

[yukonbob]

Second the removal unless you feel like driving all the way back when you get home...to buy another dodger

[seahouse]

Stan – While you might find that the dodger is not in the way when the mast is in its normal horizontal trailering position, it might be in the way at the time you are lowering the mast when it's still attached at its base pivot bolt. The rear mast support at the stern might not be high enough to give it clearance. And the leverage that the mast would have by its own weight would easily crush the dodger frame. Unless the frame is of heavy stainless. Then maybe you could use it to crack walnuts.

So even if you did have the clearance to trailer with it in the normal horizontal position, you would still have to lower the dodger anyway just to get it into that position in the first place.

- Brian.

[jimbo]

+1 or is it +2 /+3 but worth a +100

Remove it for trailering. Been there and done that. Although the mast can be lowered if my dodger is folded, the dodger will catch the wind and blow up to mast and mast movement side to side as the trailer travels will wear a hole in the dodger cover pretty dang quick oh and then the stainless steel of the dodger now exposed starts to wear a groove in the mast . . . enough said I think . . .

[Tomfoolery]

And don't forget all the bugs you'll get stuck on that fabric and clear plastic. A few year's worth of wear and tear in a few hours.

Strip it off and put the canvas below for anything more than a trip around town to the ramp. Takes no time to install if you leave the hoops in place, folded if they need to be (they don't on my , but that's a different boat).

Edit: I should add that half the time I don't even bother with the dodger, and just leave the hoops laying flat, or removed all together. The bimini is usually enough, unless I need to cover the cockpit, in which case the dodger is needed to support the bridge piece to the bimini so the whole cockpit is covered. Visibility and accessibility is way better without it, and being the small boat that it is, I'm not usually out in the rough stuff taking water or heavy spray over the bow.

[Russ]

Yea, the quick pins make removal simple. Can't see it worth leaving on and getting beat up by the road.

[Relackson]

Thanks, fellas.

Probably a silly question.....

Took Relackson out for the first time with the new dodger fitted. All went well - boom cleared well.

Ordering quick release pins.

Fair sailing
Stan

[bartmac]

I have made a dedicated cover for our dodger which goes over it in the down position...it also goes over the hatch...making it more water proof for trailering especially the leading edge ....actually made the cover prior to the dodger being fitted as at 80-90km on the road the hatch didn't seal real well.We have to put the dodger down to raise the mast even though our mast travels higher on a rear tower.