Canvas

Great advice. He is planning on using a lot of #6 screws and as well. Lastly he said he'd have two straps two alleviate the stress to the cabin top.
I plan to remove the top for anything other than Local trips and for Local trips it will be in a boot.
 
Not meaning to highjack this post but it’s somewhat relevant.
What is the best way to store the side curtain with clear window when not in use. I’m sure flat is ideal but hard to do in a small boat, leaving folded or roll. I try both way, not sure what is best.
Thanks
 
That's not a hi-jack. A hi-jack might be water-skiing or discussing cooking aboard.
I've heard people say that they store the flat under the v-birth cussions, separated by paper or towels. I plan to find a tube of say 10" diameter and store them in there when underway.
What have you heard?
 
I know it wasn’t much of a highjack...
Folding flat sound very good, but not the most convenient, especially in the 22 since the middle removable section will interfere with that. In the Tomcat it will be most likely sitting on top of the access hatch which I use frequently. Mine came with a couple big bags to store them in, they were folded in there but I’m wondering if rolling them will be better. It is easy to store under the berth either way, should fit nicely under the 22 v-berth also. Your canvas maker could make you a couple bags with the scrap fabric.
 
I'm not, shall we say, the most delicate operator. I tend be tough on stuff if I don't protect it from me. To that end I'm planing to store them in a rigid tube. Not a tight tube, but probably 8". When they are on the Bimini they hang true. When I move them home in fall they will hang flat in the basement. While I may be swayed by the advice of others that is what I'm planning for now.
 
As above: I noted to make terry cloth or soft muslim sheet material, to make "sheaths" for each one of the camper back pieces. Stow under the v berth when not used.

You will cause vinyl distortion if. you roll them up. A lot depends on the quality of the vinyl, as well as the thickness. This is a whole different subject, which has not been broached in this conversation.

I don't believe I have ever seen a Bimini which had straps as well as the awning rail. If properly attached, the awning rail is well secured and does not require straps. This is why I use awning rail with the flange attached--the flange takes the load. #6 screws are very small....are they being put into cored structure?
 
In the current design the screws are not going into a cored area...just the back of the cabin.

I rucharound too much. They would be highly compromised if I stored them under my bed. I'll be using the best, very thick, non-shrinking windows (forget the name) though doubt I'll need it. Rolling will be fine as they're not windshields but merely see through walls.
 
If. you are rolling the clear vinyl, it is best to put old sheet material between the layers of vinyl, and roll that up. The very best in 60 mil costs about $1500 for a 54"x 110" sheet of material, plus the cost of sewing and other fittings.

Many of us put memory foam and / or other foams, on top of the bunk material which comes with the C Dory. That makes for a more comfortable nights sleep.
 
So here is the question: Who actually uses the clear side panels during the summer? I really don't use them in the summer because they quickly overheat the cockpit when the sun comes out. I store them at home for the summer and put them on only when the boat is in winter storage on its trailer. I sewed new panels to the same shape out of a thinner water resistant poly fabric (like a light Sunbrella) that zips into the same track. The big difference is that these panels are white and help reflect the sun. They are lighter in weight and can be more easily folded out of the way to let the air through. The vinyl panels provided by King Marine are a really good quality, but very difficult to put on and fold back on a daily basis when cruising. The white panels also provide privacy in the evening when we use the cockpit as additional living space.
 
So here is the question: Who actually uses the clear side panels during the summer? I really don't use them in the summer because they quickly overheat the cockpit when the sun comes out. I store them at home for the summer and put them on only when the boat is in winter storage on its trailer. I sewed new panels to the same shape out of a thinner water resistant poly fabric (like a light Sunbrella) that zips into the same track. The big difference is that these panels are white and help reflect the sun. They are lighter in weight and can be more easily folded out of the way to let the air through. The vinyl panels provided by King Marine are a really good quality, but very difficult to put on and fold back on a daily basis when cruising. The white panels also provide privacy in the evening when we use the cockpit as additional living space.
 
OOPS. Sorry my previous post got double posted. I must have double clicked.
 
I guess I never thought of summer heat. Soft sides would be nice and could easily be waterproofed. Sailright has $20/yd Bimini cloth that would be perfect for summer use. Come mid September the vinyl goes back on.
For now I'm only interested in completing the basic Bimini but with extra hems sewn in for next year when I add sides.
 
Mid-September is when we stop cruising here in Puget Sound. The boating season sort of shuts down for us after the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. The wind and rain move into their winter pattern so we travel on land in our RV trailer. We plan a few day trips in May but our cruising season really starts the last weekend in May with the Small Boat Festival in Port Ludlow. So, the clear panels stay home for the summer.
 
I have added a photo to my album page showing the white sides on the camper top.
 
Who actually uses the clear side panels during the summer? I really don't use them in the summer because they quickly overheat the cockpit when the sun comes out.
Click to expand...

Rain is the reason to have the clear panels aboard. When we cruised the PNW--4 trips to AK via inland passage in our Cal 46, we welcomed the warmth of our full (center)cockpit enclosure on cool and foggy days. Our "season" in the PNW, was April thru October--winter base was Sequim, John Wayne Marina.

Even in mid America, we have used the clear panels during rainstorms on all of our C dorys.
 
Bob, I quite agree the enclosed cockpit is great when cruising in a deep keel large boat. Unfortunately the 22' C-Dory is light and has a flat bottom. That means that it has very little lateral resistance to cross winds. I have found that I have to roll up the top and fold it around the bimini bows when cruising, even in winds as low as 8-10 mph, and forget about leaving the side panels on! We extend the top and put on the side panels when we get to a marina or anchorage. In that case the "privacy" panels we have work just as well at keeping the rain out. They are easier to roll up and store than the clear vinyl sides. That is why we keep them at home for the summer.
 
Tom Hruby":3spzrnhi said:
Bob, I quite agree the enclosed cockpit is great when cruising in a deep keel large boat. Unfortunately the 22' C-Dory is light and has a flat bottom. That means that it has very little lateral resistance to cross winds. I have found that I have to roll up the top and fold it around the bimini bows when cruising, even in winds as low as 8-10 mph, and forget about leaving the side panels on! We extend the top and put on the side panels when we get to a marina or anchorage. In that case the "privacy" panels we have work just as well at keeping the rain out. They are easier to roll up and store than the clear vinyl sides. That is why we keep them at home for the summer.
Click to expand...

I suspect that your handling problems are because of the electric propulsion system--I have run many hundreds (thousands) of miles with the full camper up, and no issues. I believe you go marina to marina in order to recharge your batteries--where we often avoid marinas, and anchor out. Also you are not able to take advantage of the speed of the C Dory when on a plane; that allows you to go thru passes in the PNW where with the displacement speed you power at, does not allow you to more than one pass a day--and you have to wait for slack water or a slow favorable current. Also being dependent on recharging, limits the places you can cruise to in one of the most wonderful cruising grounds in the entire World.


We have done a month long trip to AK with a 25, full camper canvas up the entire time. Same with month long several trips up to desolation sound and to the Broughtons. We have done several other trips in the PNW with both 22's and 25's--again no issues with the full camper canvas up. The camper back allowed us to cruise year around in many areas, including in the SE part of the USA.
 
Tom Hruby":airhfcs4 said:
Bob, I quite agree the enclosed cockpit is great when cruising in a deep keel large boat. Unfortunately the 22' C-Dory is light and has a flat bottom. That means that it has very little lateral resistance to cross winds. I have found that I have to roll up the top and fold it around the bimini bows when cruising, even in winds as low as 8-10 mph, and forget about leaving the side panels on! We extend the top and put on the side panels when we get to a marina or anchorage. In that case the "privacy" panels we have work just as well at keeping the rain out. They are easier to roll up and store than the clear vinyl sides. That is why we keep them at home for the summer.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about this. Yes the CD22 is sensitive to crosswinds especially at low speeds in confined spaces. Having a camper back up will give more windage to blow the boat sideways. However, my CD22 wants to swing the cabin down wind as soon as the steerageway comes off if there is a crosswind. If I miss with the forward line, the boat can get crossways in the slip pretty quickly. Having the camperback up might just tend to blow the boat sideways rather than having it turn downwind. In some situations this might work out better.
 
Bob, you are correct. I have to cruise like a sailboat; watching wind and tide. BUT, I have been doing this for 27 years now in Puget Sound (all electric). This is a different kind of cruising than high speed planing, and I find there is increased interest in this kind of cruising. I do have solar panels on the cabin top that give me about 1hr of cruising for 5 hrs of sunlight. The 22' C-Dory is well suited for this low speed electric cruising if I work with its limitations. I have estimated that the absolute energy consumed per mile traveled (kWh) at 5mph is 10 times lower for electric (0.400 kWhr/mile vs. about 4.0 kWhr/mile) then for gasoline - also at 5mph (using the estimate of 33,000 kWhr stored in a gallon of gas).
 
I'm with Dr Bob on this - the camperback we had on Wild Blue greatly expanded our comfort. Ours was made by King canvas and had the eisenglass plastic panels on a section of the sides and back. Those panels would roll up with a screen underneath that allowed good air flow, even on hot days. In fact, we'd put a navy blue beach towel to cover the sunny side eisenglass, and that helped keep it cool, too. When in a marina, we'd sometimes put the towels up for the privacy.

Most of the time, we would have a Honda 2000 generator in a RubberMade bin, a large cooler with a pad on top that we used for extra seating (and storage inside, mostly for dry food and paper goods), and a couple comfortable chairs in the cockpit. Never had an issue with any of that stuff "walking away" - I credit the camperback/privacy thing for that.

That camperback provided more square footage for living when we were out cruising. Being on the boat for up to 6 months at a time was easier thanks to having that extra covered space in the cockpit.


CDNewANe.jpg
 
Back
Top