A dodger is a canvas bonnet draped over a metal frame to cover the companionway of a sailboat and give some protection against spray that flys back when the bow punches through waves. Robin's dodger is a good one, giving lots of protection. But it is worn, and that's why we asked Skip Lippincott to make a new one.
Yesterday, John Morrison and I went to visit our boats in Maryland, and I removed the dodger canvas from Robin and brought it home. I though that's what Skip had asked me to do.
Turns out he meant the whole dodger, canvas and frame.
So I get to make another trip to Cambridge before the work starts. For a person who deals with words, I some times get confused by them!
It felt like early spring on the Choptank River, not like the winter I found on the last trip, when there were snow drifts on Robin's decks.
Next week, I'll be visiting daughter Nancy and her family in Hawaii. So the dodger business will be postponed until my return.
By then, perhaps the weather will have warmed enough that I can begin projects on the boat during the week.
One aspect of Robin's design that I thought of when I was there is the arrangement of settee cushions in the main cabin. There are three seat cushions and three back cushions on each settee. This makes access to the storage beneath and behind the settee quite easy. But sleeping might be more comfortable were there but one long seat cushion and one long back cushion. I'll have to see what other similar boats have and weigh the trade-offs.
When I was in Skip's shop, I was reminded of this issue. He does all sorts of canvas work, including upholstery. Maybe it is time for Monica's boat to have new cushions. One time several years ago, we indeed thought this would be a good upgrade for Robin, and we rushed out and bought a sewing machine.
I think we have used it about six times since then, but never for cushions.