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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Sewing a Dodger

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Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/22/2003 : 12:45:55

I have just removed my weather ravaged doger from the boat. Im going to replace it with one I make. Im just in the planing stages and looking for info.
1. I plan to take the old dodger apart and use it as a patern. Has anyone done this or do you have advice ?
2. Im planing to use Sunbrella and black dacron thread. Are there any better materials ?
3. What is used for the plastic windows and how thick should they be ?

Any help with the above will be apreciated. If you have ideas or recomendations feel free to let me know. Thanks in advance .

Doug&Ruth
Angelique Formosa 51
Tacoma Wa

Delin Docks slip A21

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2003 : 13:27:41

Although I have not made a Dodger, I've done a lot of canvas and upholstry sewing. Buy a copy of This Old Boat, by Don Casey. He covers sewing and making dodgers. Sunbrella and dacron thread is a good choice. By new sewing machine needles and change them often. Isinglass is the clear plastic. If you want to see through it, buy AT LEAST 40 mil plastic. The thinner stuff is easier to sew, rolls up easy, but it won't make a good window. You can buy all your materials on the web, or here in Southern CA we have a store called UFO (Upholstry Fabric Outlet) that has everything. Jo Ann Frabics also carries Sunbrella, marine vinyl, but no isinglass.

My stock sewing machine does fine, but also be prepared to sew some of the areas by hand. I use a needlenose plyers to get the needle through the thick stuff. Sewing shops don't carry thimbles for 6'1" 250 lbs men sized fingers.

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Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2003 : 14:47:52

http://www.sailrite.com

1-800-348-2769

Nice, helpful people geared towards the DIY canvasser...

Oscar

Lady Kay 250 WB #618

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John G-
Admiral

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793 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2003 : 19:03:41

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JimB517
 
My stock sewing machine does fine, but also be prepared to sew some of the areas by hand. I use a needlenose plyers to get the needle through the thick stuff. Sewing shops don't carry thimbles for 6'1" 250 lbs men sized fingers.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
 
I am looking to buy a sewing machine that can sew through four layers of “Sunbrella” what model are you using?

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Doug
Captain

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USA
457 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2003 : 20:37:27

Family used to be in the sewing machine biz. My two cents worth: The Sailrite machine is very similar to a machine called the Mini Thompson, or Thompson walker. The key isn't that it's that much stronger or has metal gears. The key is the walking foot. The walking foot moves and holds the fabric better, so you get less needle problems. Most Pfaff machines also have a built in walking foot, in fact, we used to sell ancient Pfaff 140s to cruisers a lot. Look for a Pfaff, Thompson, or anyhting with a built in walking foot.
Some ebay options:
Big machine:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2582826784&category=26256

Great little machine:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2367747945&category=41251

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2003 : 20:45:00

"Sewing shops don't carry thimbles for 6'1" 250 lbs men sized fingers"...

Preferred tool... a 'sailmakers palm'... it fits...(logically enough) in the palm of your hand and has a reinforced area for pushing the needle through the heavy fabric.

A "poor mans" sailmaker's palm is a quarter ductaped to your hand.
(Yet another use for ductape... you can't be too rich, too thin, or have too much ductape.)

Edited by - on

eric.werkowitz
Captain

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USA
283 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2003 : 21:19:22

Doug/Ruth,

I did what you are planning for my sailcover and bimini. Used the old ones for the templates. They both turned out well despite my having almost zero sewing experience when I started. I used Casey's "Canvaswork and Sail Repair" as a guide. You can get it from Amazon pretty cheap.

Try Sailmaker Supply for materials:

http://www.sailmakerssupply.com/Store_Pages/Store3.htm

They are cheaper on Sunbrella, but don't quite have the selection of Sailrite. I believe I ended up with about $250 invested in both the cover and the bimini including the hardware.

Eric Werkowitz
C25 #4969

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2003 : 22:55:18

Our sewing machine is an Amica Super Practical 2500. With a heavy duty foot and needles for canvas, this will sew 4 layers of canvas, isinglass, just this weekend I sewed new cockpit cushion covers using very heavy duty marine vinyl and also made bags from left over vinyl that snap on in the cockpit to hold all the lines that are led aft. The machine sewed through 4 layers of marine vinyl on these bags. This stuff is so tough you could make a dinghy out of it!

The bags came out great and I used them on my "first day of winter sail" this evening!

I've now recovered all interior cushions (except the V Berth) and the cockpit cushions. V-Berth cushions are still like new after 25 years.

Edited by - on

Carl B.
1st Mate

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USA
83 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2003 : 23:19:43

Jim, Can you post some photos of your work. I'm thinking of recovering my interior cushions, and would like some ideas.

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Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2003 : 13:41:56

I bought the Sailrite LSZ-1 (Blue Machine). I have the walking foot, and a left and right half foot for zippers. I have the Monster wheel, work light, foot pedal control and heavy duty motor. I have a box full of thimbals, needles and spools of thread with other accesories I haven't been through yet. The machine had maybe 3 or 4 hours on it. Bought it from what turned out to be someone I knew from work for $600. I found it through talking with new friends who belonged to a Dana owners club. Just a pun but this is a great thread LOL. Thanks for all the advise and help. I will post pic's as I go.

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lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 12/24/2003 : 08:42:55

Douglas - good luck on your dodger. I am also contemplating a sewing project on my boat this winter: making a pop-top tent. Boat didn't come with one and Catalina Direct wants more than I can afford for a factory-made one. I actually tried out my old pop-top tent, from #1205, on the new boat, but the Mk. I and Mk. IV pop-tops are quite a bit different in size and shape, and it didn't fit well, being very "loose". The corners in the fabric didn't match the corners in the fiberglass; looks like the Mk. IV pop-top is several inches smaller than the Mk. I in both Fore-Aft and transverse directions. I have almost enough white marine vinyl left over from other projects to make a pop-top tent, will have to buy 2 or 3 yards more fabric, and the snaps, but this will be a lot less expensive than $400 for a factory-made one.

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Doug
Captain

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USA
457 Posts

Response Posted - 12/24/2003 : 19:02:22

By the way- Where's your boat at these days Doug?

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Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2004 : 17:37:03

Triska is presently on the hard in Hylebos yard.

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John V.
Admiral

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USA
559 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2004 : 16:06:34

This may be a side topic, however I don't want to start a new thread.
I have not been entirely happy with my CD bimini and am planning to cut it down this winter. I plan on taking the bows apart and making them 6 inches narrower and two inches shorter. Once the cover has been re fitted I would like to add an isenglas screen around three sides. I know I can do the surgery on the bimini but measuring and fitting the windows is another matter. I believe it could be a do it yourself project but wonder where I can get a hold of Caseys book mentioned here. I can get to a heavy machine if needed. My cover is made of "sharkskin" not as tough as sunbrella but pretty good. do members feel that by taking apart the frame and re cutting the cover I should go ahead and make the new one out of sunbrella?

Once I start taking it apart and making a mess in the library (the room where I do progects like this I won't want to stop till it is done

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Ed Montague
Captain

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USA
499 Posts

Response Posted - 01/08/2004 : 01:02:30

John, Your plan is exactly what I plan to start in the next few weeks. First I need to get the boat home.

I have the Sunbrella material already and I believe the window material can be ordered from one of the major on-line suppliers. I will be replacing the Sharkskin fabric, it is 6 years old and faded although seems to be solid enough. Once I cut the bows to the desired width I will make templates from inexpensive cloth and make patterns. If you go to the Sail Rite web site they actually show how their kits are assembled. This might give you some hints. Keep us posted.

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