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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Help sourcing a Pop-Top and Dodger maker

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ColinR
1st Mate

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Canada
28 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/19/2010 : 17:26:39

Hey everyone,

Looking to find the oem version for the year of our boat(see sig). Been looking around in the galleries and I'm just guessing, but it might be something like this, although I think that boat is newer than ours.

I've been looking around on the site and a few places are mentioned, but only for biminis...

Anyways, here is what I know of,

Genco Marine in ontario, canada
GMI in princeville, quebec
SailRite
Catalina Direct
West Marine
go2marine

Am I on the right track? Has anyone had a new pop top and dodger made? I just need the cloth crafted. The frame is still there.

Thanks everyone.

1981 Catalina 25
Midland, Ontario

Edited by - ColinR on 08/19/2010 17:29:07

mlg3733
Navigator

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118 Posts

Response Posted - 08/19/2010 : 18:08:12

Try Liberty Sails in Philadelphia, they'll make one for you.

http://www.canvasandsails.com/

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 08/19/2010 : 18:08:41

Unless you have the old cloth as a patern, you'll need a local marine canvas shop to measure your boat. Dodgers are not off-the-shelf commodities--they have to fit tightly to the cabin sides and top as well as the frame (especially when you already have one). I've watched canvas makers cut out paper patterns on boats...

I looked into doing a "dodger" attachment for my bimini, which would've been like a windshield and sides that zipped on. My plan was to have two vertical zippers positioned just wide of the pop-top, so I could unzip them to raise the top without removing the whole windshield.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 08/19/2010 18:12:30

glen
Captain

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359 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2010 : 05:54:57

For my 2 cents you need a local shop to come out to the boat. Old tops are stretched out of shape and don’t work well for accurate patterns. Our shop will not pattern off the old material, and believe it or not it is easier to pattern the new fabric on the boat rather then trying to get an old item to lay flat on the sewing table.

Edited by - on

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2010 : 06:04:57

I agree with Dave that the dodger (windshield) needs to be custom fitted, and if you have the frame, that should be considerably less costly.

If you already have a second folding frame for the bimini (sun/rain protection over the cockpit), the installation of a Sunbrella cover over that frame is simple for a maker, and the adjustable straps to hold the bimini in place can be installed by you in many ways.

To reduce the price more than half, you could even sew the bimini yourself, off the boat, with permanent or removeable attachments made in one of several ways, using Sunbrella cloth.

I don't understand what you're referring to with the pop-top, which is the heavy, fiberglass top of the cabin that some of us can raise on its folding metal struts on our C-25's for more ventilation and headroom inside the cabin.

Having both a bimini and a dodger, with a connecting flap between them, can make rainy weather or conditions with lots of spray much more tolerable. But I rarely want to go sailing in that weather, so I love my bimini as a sun shade but don't need a dodger.

Happy sailing!

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2010 : 06:05:39

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ColinR

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
If anyone knows the brand and/or source of the cockpit cushions in the above picture, I would appreciate you sharing it.

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2010 : 06:59:34

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OJ
 If anyone knows the brand and/or source of the cockpit cushions in the above picture, I would appreciate you sharing it.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">As usual, [url="http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?category=298"]CD[/url] is one...

Edited by - on

Even Chance
Captain

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USA
393 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2010 : 08:05:17

Cushions: Catalina Direct, C-Cushions, or Bottom Siders. OR, your local upholstery shop.

"Pop-top" makers? Ummm . . . Catalina Yachts? I thought that came on the boat.

Unless you mean "bimini."

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2010 : 08:41:55

For the canvas work, you might want to give the Rigging Shoppe in Toronto a call. The owner keeps her boat up on G-Bay, possibly quite close to you and she likely has contacts for quality work.

There are at least a half dozen canvas guys at the Toronto boat show each year that would have no trouble fabbing up what you are looking for.

Are you looking for a new Pop-top, or a cover for it that's integrated with the Dodger? Or a Dodger that allows the pop-top to be opened? Your title is a little confusing.

BTW - if you want to come to Barrie to Race, I need crew for teh Labour Day weekend...

Edited by - on

glen
Captain

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359 Posts

Response Posted - 08/20/2010 : 12:30:57

Another option for the cushions is to have them made from closed cell foam. I believe the product mentioned by Brooke “Bottom Siders” may be made from a closed cell. Although you may not find this produce quite as cushy as some other foams it has two advantages. One is that it will not absorb or sponge up water. So if it gets caught out in the rain you can just wipe it dry. We have made covers out of a mesh material called Phifertex which dresses up the cushions with out taking away from the quick drying properties. The other thing I like is there buoyant and if I ever need to deploy a floatable object quickly, I’m sitting on one (OK I have to give a disclaimer now. Even though they are made of the same material as some Coast Guard approved throwable devices, these are not Coast Guard approved) But they float very well period.

Edited by - on

ColinR
1st Mate

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Canada
28 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2010 : 16:50:41

Thanks for the replies everyone, my apologies for the pop-top confusion. I now know what a pop-top is by checking out the galleries! I've been hard pressed to find a set-up on this site where the 'bimini' frame is set forward in the cockpit (like on ours and the boat in that picture), rather than covering the aft portion. I suppose that is because of different years, or your own modifications.

Appears by your suggestions that I should look for someone who can come out to the boat, so I will start tracking someone down.

Can anyone throw out a price range from experience?

Thanks for the point in the right direction on a local shop, Prospector. I will look them up.

And thanks for the offer! I'll keep it in mind.

Edited by - ColinR on 08/24/2010 17:00:44

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 08/24/2010 : 20:50:34

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ColinR
 I've been hard pressed to find a set-up on this site where the 'bimini' frame is set forward in the cockpit (like on ours and the boat in that picture), rather than covering the aft portion.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Terminology check: The picture above is of a "dodger", not a "bimini". If you click the C-25 in my signature below, the enlarged picture shows a bimini--a sun-shade mounted to the side-decks and covering the forward half of the cockpit (because of the mainsheet). It also covers the companionway, but just from sun and light rain. A dodger is for protection from spray and heavy weather while under sail.

The C-25's pop-top is the (optional) fiberglass section of the cabintop that can be raised on four arms, and leaned against the mast to increase the headroom in that area to something like 6'9". Another option was a snap-on vinyl enclosure to make that expanded cabin space weather-proof.

Biminis are simple, and can be bought off-the-shelf or customized at a shop on the other side of the world for height and width. Dodgers are different--they must conform to the cabin top and sides and cockpit coamings as shown above, and should fit tightly on its frame to stand up to the adverse conditions for which it is intended, and to keep its clear plastic windshield flat for minimum distortion. That's where the local canvas shop is necessary.

I recall getting a rough estimate maybe 10 years ago of US$1200 including the frame. I paid something under US$500 around six years ago for my Bimini, custom-made in Canada. You might find entirely different numbers.

Edited by - on

ColinR
1st Mate

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Canada
28 Posts

Response Posted - 11/06/2010 : 15:46:23

Thanks for throwing out a number stinkpotter. We have the frame from the previous dodger. Would $800 be a conservative number for getting a dodger made? Am I in the ball park?

Appreciate price estimates from others as well.

Thank you!

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 11/06/2010 : 18:47:15

FYI:

#5984 - Selah, 1989 standard rig, wing keel
Bruce and Ronda Ebling, Eugene OR

Paul

Edited by - on

Deejavue
Deckhand

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USA
11 Posts

Response Posted - 11/21/2010 : 23:02:33

FYI

Selah was bought by me approximately five years ago and is now known as Wing'n It! Love the boat and spend many nights and weekends on her here on Folsom Lake!

Dee Reed
Sacramento, CA

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 11/22/2010 : 18:17:08

I used go2marine and bought a Westland with chrome fittings. I was very pleased.

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 11/22/2010 : 20:19:16

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ColinR
 We have the frame from the previous dodger. Would $800 be a conservative number for getting a dodger made?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Can't say... I'm on the Connecticut Gold Coast, and that was 6-8 years ago (in US$). I'll venture it won't be less. It'll have to be totally custom-fitted, not off-the-shelf. But let's face it, when it's done and done right, you'll think you would have spent three times the price!

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 11/23/2010 : 07:51:43

BTW, it looks like Selah has what I was planning to do (using my bimini as the basis)--she apparently has a zippered panel on the front that can be folded back. (Notice that it's folded up on the top.) My plan was to have the zippers just outside of the pop-top so the top could be raised without affecting the dodger/bimini. The sides would also zip off to leave me with an open bimini (what I started with). I could further imagine a custom piece to surround the raised pop-top, connected to the dodger sides, creating a two-level enclosed area. One could then add a back-curtain (like I have on Sarge) so the companionway could be completely open when anchored in weather.

That, or you could save the money for a bigger boat...

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