acrylic dome over the companionway hatch

[deniseO30]

sailing gun boats would be great to have for beer can racing nights.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by peterchech

I was wondering if others have used these to actually steer from and how well they work in a heeled monohull...

I've never seen a sailboat that you could steer from inside one of those. Maybe if you had a remote control for an autopilot. Otherwise, you're going to have to go out to do any steering, and then you're going to want a dodger.

It's an interesting idea, but I suspect that in practical use it would not work out as well as the theory might predict.

[PalmettoSailor]

For a long distance solo/shorthand sail with a windvane autopilot it might be pretty useful.

[flyingwelshman]

[overbored]

Search "acrylic dome" there are may made for sky lights, camera domes and display domes.
many plastic suppliers sell them

[miatapaul]

I don't know just looking at that makes me feel sea sick, thinking of the distortion it must have.

[Brent Swain]

I had one on my first boat. The shape makes for a huge amount of glare, they are easily scratched, and make it hard to seal a sliding hatch.
If I were to make another , I'd weld up a metal frame, to take four flat panels of laminated glass, so they wouldn't scratch up, and could be easily and cheaply replaced. The metal frame would also make it harder for a thief to break in.

[Geoff54]

Originally Posted by tdw

Weren't those things a bit popular with the early crop of single handers ? If memory serves Moitessier had one on Joshua and Blondie Hassler on Jester also.

Hasler used a canvass on frame device he call a "pram hood" because it unfolded like the hood of a pram. It was round and could be rotated. The idea was that you opened the hatch, unfolded the hood and rotated it to protect you from whatever direction needed, while you peaked out from behind it.

There is a description on how to build one in Practical Junk Rig.

[tdw]

Geoff, thanks for correcting me on that. I did have look at the current Jester site and couldn't see any plastic domes so it was up in the air. I'd like to find a pic of the pram hood. I don't have a copy of Hassler's book to hand.

Andrew B

ps - found this ....

[Geoff54]

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