Topic: Bilge pump and dodger

Here is a wiring diagram for a bilge pump ON / OFF/ AUTO switch. Picture is attached. I did not understand what you meant by "alarm switch". A few notes....  If the pump runs, but does not pump water, it may be running backwards. Just reverse the wires to the pump. The power for the circuit should be hooked up at the battery, rather than at the master switch or fuse panel. That way you can turn off the master switch and still have the bilge pump run it AUTO when you leave the boat. I forgot to show a fuse in the diagram. You can use a in-line fuse holder with a fuse to match your pumps current rating. The switch is a standard SPDT from radio shack or look at pg 504 in the Westmarine catalog. The switch must be 3 position. Meaning it will stay in the center position.
There is a canvas/sail maker in Toronto called Genco Marine (spelling?) that makes dodgers for the Contessa.

OK I just learned that the "insert image" icon only links to pics stored on the web, so I will email it to you

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Hi Kristin!
My old owner had a custom dodger made and installed by A&B Boat Tops in Sidney, BC (Vancouver Island).  Phone: 250-656-6213.
It's a foldable frame, and I easily took it off for stitching, etc.
I have measurements and pictures if you'd like. 
So far mine has kept the cabin top under it dry in wind and seas to 30 knots...I was going to take it off as I like her lines without it, but realize, she would be a very wet ride if I did so - and I love having the underneath area dry to tie down waterproof chart envelope, keep an extra, 6th layer of clothing ;-)  and other items.

“You get a boat for only one reason, because you want one.  If you’re worried about being practical, forget boats.”

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Hey Mark!
Thanks for the great dodger info too, as well as the Folkboat tip!

“You get a boat for only one reason, because you want one.  If you’re worried about being practical, forget boats.”

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

I don't have a dodger on #322, and one of the questions I've had is how effective a dodger would be on a boat with no sliding companionway. Have you guys noticed and sizable difference with the dodger up or down?

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Hey Adrian!

I believe just from the standpoint of comfort and protection from wind and spray alone, a dodger is valuable piece of equipment to have...sliding companionway or not.  And I only do coastal stuff on San Francisco Bay. 

I agree with Shannon that a dodger doesn’t do much to enhance the beauty of the boat, but I view it as a necessary evil...sort of like my computer...I wonder how I ever got along without it?

I am 6’2” and although my Genco dodger is a tad low, I’m aware it’s there mnost of the time and I don’t seem to bang my head on it anymore than I do on all the stuff belowdecks.  I am also on the pudgy side and wear size 13’s.  Words like “gliding” and “slipping” past the dodger to get to the foredeck just don’t describe what it’s like for me.  Adrian, you and most others are probably able to lilt across the deck and dance lightly in the rigging with grace and style, but for me every move is a planned affair.  I’ll admit that my boat and I are a bit of a mismatched couple, but I love Caprice anyway and couldn’t imagine life without she and her dodger.

Although I do collapse my sprayhood forward sometimes, I absolutely couldn’t imagine not having a dodger up at all times during offshore passages, whether in the throes of a storm or in the pounding heat of a dead calm.  Perhaps folks like Allan, Tirtirau, Ross and others who have done ocean voyages in the recent past can tell us what they think of their dodgers…where they got them and what they like or dislike about them.  I am certain some of our brothers and sisters in the UK have some opinions about their spray hoods.  And, no doubt, Nina and Henrik on Bika can tell us a think or two as they get ready to head west across the pond from the Cape Verdes.  I hope they all weigh in.

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

I find the dodger a definite asset. It does reduce the visibility forward, but it provides a good place to throw stuff out of the way temporarily without it rolling off the deck. Many of the lines that lead aft, but are not used often can be tucked away up there and out of the cockpit. It keeps a lot of spray out of the cockpit and provides complete protection from spray, wind and rain if you are seated up against the back of the cabin. Maybe Francis Chichester or Chay Blyth would not have had one, but then they sailed in the days before stupid things like seat belts, air conditioning or GPS. I enjoy reading their books, but will take a dodger any day and consider it uncivilized to go without. Maybe if I was young and foolish.

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

I think mine is a Genco as well...anyway, I agree with Mark, the dodger is a lifesaver out there. It's great comfort to hide under it in a blow, when wet and miserable, or when it's hot. Also, I kept my speakers there, Ipod, snacks, headlamps, cigarettes, cameras, gloves, caps, you name it, it becomes an excellent shelf for things you use every day and night on your watches.
The weather cloths are just as important. Not only they protect you from spray but they make the cockpit feel bigger, more protected, safer. It's interesting to see how a piece of cloth can give you a boost psychologically, because it separates you from the crazy world out there. That mental curtain separates order from chaos, although at times you wonder on which side you're sitting.
I would definitely go without a dodger for a harbour race, and yes, boats look more beautiful without dodgers, but I'd never leave for an ocean passage without one.
I once raced on one of Chay Bligh's 67 footers across the North Atlantic in February and one of the things I learned was the importance of protection from the weather, proper foul weather clothing, staying dry, eating properly, sleeping and resting whenever I had the chance, etc. Well, those guys cut their toothbrushes short to save weight, so comfort takes a whole new meaning in an ocean race. My boots went wet outside Miami and dried up in Plymouth, England a week after our arrival. That's when I realized I'd rather cruise in my own little boat then race big races across oceans (it was fun though:-)).
This goes beyond the dodger discussion, but it shows that each detail contributes to the overall success of a voyage and the dodger can make the difference between a pleasant passage and a miserable one.

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Hey Adrian, if you need a bigger boat but like the lines of the CO26, and of course you do...you could always look at a Contessa 32...it's eerie how similar the lines and cockpit are...yet it is roomier than you can imagine down below...especially compared to our little ships...and again, the CO26 is a small 26...you could effectively move up to a 27 (if budget is an issue) and look at the Vancouver 27, or Alberg 29...

“You get a boat for only one reason, because you want one.  If you’re worried about being practical, forget boats.”

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

twofootitis should really be cured with at least five feet.  overmedication will most likely prevent a relapse in this conditon for a few more years.....

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Oops, back to the dodger: it's definitely a personal, Human issue, not a boat performance one...so for the comfort of the skipper and his/her "stuff" a dodger is a must, but for sailing performance, don't need one.  I was looking at doing a "pram hood" hard-style over the hump, but decided against it, mostly due to windage and also want to be able to remove it if I have to, quickly, in crapola weather.
Bilge pump: I don't have electric one, as if you are away from boat and have a big enough leak that demands a bilge pump full time, your batteries will run out before you ever beat the leak. 
If your boat has enough of a leak that you need auto bilge pump...fix the leak.  And if it just has an annoying "rainwater into the bilge", or "water everywhere while underway" "leak", then the boat will take ages to fill up to sinking point, and you can manually pump out as you go along, and if boat is at a marina, hopefully you would be down there checking on her once a month.   Also, keep thru-hulls closed at all times, unless actually using them, oil/grease them regularly.

Adrian..Stefan is right, if you need more room, you need MORE room, and you won't find a whole lot more in a Contessa 32, especially with three kids! ;-)  I was suggesting smaller boats if budget was an issue, and budget is never just the purchase price alone, but of course the moorage, winches, and other stuff you need for her...having a Co26 is better for the budget than having a Co32!  But to keep with the full keel and go with a larger boat...Alberg 30 or larger (Albergs are good value for $$), but for price of a Contessa 32, you could move into Pacific Seacraft range, or Bristol Channel Cutter...now there's a beauty of a boat!  But, again, I am very fond of the full keels...if you are coastal cruising...you are unlimited in your choice, but for offshore, I'm a hopeless romantic and will stick with the full keels...plus they take care of a dope like me out there!

“You get a boat for only one reason, because you want one.  If you’re worried about being practical, forget boats.”

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Shannon,

Is there any chance you could email some pictures of the canopy you have attached to the aft end of your dodger? I was looking at the pictures of Rhiannon and am curious about the structure.

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Yes, I am also interested in that set up and would also like a better photo of it.

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Hey Peter!

The $1195 CDN ($1030 US) is line with what I paid last year for my Genco dodger.  By the time I added the grab rail and side rails to the dodger frame and had the zip-on bimini awning made (just like Shannon's) with zip-on side flaps that hang down about a foot on each side, and a zip-on windshield cover, the whole rig came to about $1900 US.  By the way, Shannon was a great resource for me when I was looking to buy a dodger.  The measurements she took for me were almost identical to the ones Genco used for the frame.  Before I ordered from Genco I attended a couple boat shows and talked with several canvas people around the SF Bay Area.  Even accounting for the currency difference, they were all higher and none of them had ever done a Contessa 26.  The favorable exchange and the fact that Genco has done a ton of Contessa 26 dodgers over the years is what led me to place my order with them.  In retrospect, I probably could have done without those bimini side flaps.  And, of course, I didn’t have to have that grab rail or those side handles.  But I reasoned that since I plan to keep Caprice till death do us part and I was only gonna do this dodger-thang once, I figured what the heck...I might as well go for it and get all the meaningful options I could.  Besides, I had to keep my reputation as one of the world’s greatest impulse buyers.  Now that the pain of paying for it all has long subsided, I am pleased to have everything I ordered and I am finding it all most useful.  Anyway, good luck with wherever your dodger search takes you.  I am sure you will end up with a great piece of quality equipment.

By the way...has anybody seen Merrill?  His last post was December 2.  Did he sell Lucy Ann and just drop off the planet...or what?

Mark Smith

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Thanks Mark, that's probably what's going to happen. Did anyone ever think of a hard dodger? Maybe we can make a mold and make 10 of those?

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Shannon- your dodger looks good...can you send me the info so I can look into it?  Thanks!

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Talked to Nat (of "Natty Dodgers') today at the boat show and he quoted me the same, $1195. He did, however, note that if my father was also going to purchase a dodger for his Hughes 31, he would be willing to cut us a package deal.

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Sent you guys a surprisingly good picture of my canopy!
It zips to aft of dodger and clips to aft of boom.  It is great in sun or rain, and of course gives me another "room" in the boat!  And it's great for the "wet coast" - head down to the boat and I can unload everything into the cockpit and it stays dry enough so I can bring it in slowly and not have wet piles and a million bags at once in boat.

“You get a boat for only one reason, because you want one.  If you’re worried about being practical, forget boats.”

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Oh, right...the middle zippers on each side,  nicely covered with white binding are for zipping open so you can get in and out of cockpit easily if you have a big bag on your back, or are a big person, or want to leave lifelines up (like I always do) when you get on and off boat, so you aren't scrunching between the one foot between lifelines and canopy edge.
$1,000 sounds ok!

“You get a boat for only one reason, because you want one.  If you’re worried about being practical, forget boats.”

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

Oh, there is a guy in Prince Rupert, Don, who has a hard dodger on his, and it really doesn't look bad, just different than we are used to!  I have a picture of it too!
Hmm, what DON'T I have a picture of, hee hee!

“You get a boat for only one reason, because you want one.  If you’re worried about being practical, forget boats.”

Re: Bilge pump and dodger

I could use some help on exactly how to wire the auto bilge pump to the panel or directly to the battery, through a new alarm switch that could be mounted outside of the engine access under the seat (inside the cabin).  I have NO idea..start from scratch, please, if anyone can take the time...no-one here to help!  Also, anyone know where to order a dodger for the Contessa?  No one here to make one, either!!