Updating the Dodger - Material Review

Material Review

I will have to update the 1st post in this series as I have updated the materials list significantly.

Having gone around this buoy, I would recommend making the templates before ordering the materials as some of the requirements were not realized until I started cutting the Canvas.

So, the changes:

1. My original guestimate of the amount of Binding required was much less that reality. The Front and Side windows will have their top and side edges made out of binding, so I added another 40' of Bias Cut Binding.
2. Initial plan was to use Vinyl for the anti chafe strip along the aft edge of the Dodger, my original order included 1 yd of Blue Vinyl, but reviewing the Sailrite Chafe protection video, it should have been Naugahide. Added 1 yd of Navy Blue Naugahide
3. The front window will use nearly all of the panel of Stataglass #40 gauge window material, so I need to add 2 more panels, one for each side. Sadly the side windows take up just over half of the height of a panel, so no choice but to add a whole panel for each side. So Add 2 Strataglass #40 gauge window panels ($440 )
4. My original Zipper size calculations were a little off, so added 4 new zippers.

All this came to over $600 Wow!!!

Working on the Aft end of the Dodger Top.
Trying to wrap my head around the aft edge.
Currently, I'm considering the layers as shown below.
Practically, the first stitch would be through the aft most edge of the Chafe Protection Strip, through the hemmed aft edge of the Sunbrella top, the two layers of the 'Tail'and the seam mark on the Pocket (Red)

That is:

1. Chafe Protection Strip
2. Top hemmed edge
3. Seam mark of the two layers of the tail
4. Seam mark of the Pocket

Then a second stitch about 3/8" up from the first

The final stitch would be at the front edge of the Chafe Protection Strip

Material Layers of Aft Edge of Dodger Top around the Aft Dodger Frame Tube.

I have already applied the Zipper to the Aft tube Pocket, but I'll take advantage of the Sailrite Support before I proceed.

Brian from Sailrite responded first thing this morning. My guess was good. So I can start sewing the back end of the Dodger on Friday, after Thanksgiving.

But today, I was able to construct the forward window support panel all except the 96" zippers that should arrive Monday.

I also finished the Aft end of the dodger components. The Pocket is complete with it's zipper, the Tail is complete except for the binding - I'll hold off doing that until the sides panels are ready and I can run the tail binding all the way forwards.

So far:

• Top Panel is cut out
• Front Panel is cut out
• Front Panel inner binding is complete
• Aft of Top Panel Tail is compete bar binding
• Aft Top Pocket is complete
• Forward Top Pocket is complete

Friday I'll start on the side panels.

Feel good about progress today. Understand, that between sessions of sewing I go back to the videos to make sure that my progress is heading in the right direction. I screwed up twice today making the tail, it was easy once I reviewed the video.

Moving on. At the end of the day, I cleaned up my workshop (garage) and Peggy asked that I finish the cover for our casual seat under the front window, where our adopted cat likes to loaf. It only took 12 minutes to cut a piece of fabric to size and sew the corners. Stretchy fabric is awesome! Indoors at least.

Hope the Cat likes it!

More Friday. Hope you guys have a great Thanksgiving.

Paul