Full Enclosures ? ? ? ?

[James V]

One of the last days that I went sailing it was about 60 degrees, raining and I had to go to windward. Call me spoiled but it was cold and wet even with foul weather gear. I was wanting to get a Full Enclosure to handle this problem.

A few questions for those of you who have them -

With the enclosure up, How do you get foward to the mast or bow?

Do you get any fumes from the gas tanks?

Do you get any bugs inside from the opening under the helm seat?
Anybody close this up?

Thanks, James

[Catigale]

I bought a full enclosure from Art at HAvencraft in 2002

1 Going forward is tough - getting a foot hold for the first step is the hard part - one of the few times I wish I had another foot of beam - in really rough weather I have zipped out the front window and crawled out the front of the cockpit

2 WIth vents closed, no gas tank fumes noticeable

3 I do two things on the rear - I put the companionway cover under the helm seat - the enclosure also has a skirt that drops down over the rear so you dont get bugs - I shoot all the small holes with DEET and plug with paper towels if its really buggy...this lets us sleep with the boat open to the cockpit which helps getting air in and all that.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

This is the Dowsar Full enclosure I have on my X, http://www.ddunn.org/ModsEnclosure.htm . It's different than most with features I suggest you look for. I bought it here, www.dowsar.com . It's not cheap (even more so with the US to Canadian exchange rate) but has been worth every penny.

Things of note:

• - The dodger extends further back into the cockpit than the old Havencraft / powersailing (both not available anymore) one or the Bluewater one. This gives better protection.
  - It is a wide dodger, yet not as wide as the havencraft/powersailing one. This allows easy access forward to the bow. You can step right next to it with out the need to unsnap or unzip anything. We just open the side door and walk right up onto the deck.
  - The bimini is taller and kept behind the boom. This allows 6'2" standing headroom at the helm where the others with the longer underboom bimini's give only 5'6" headroom. You can sail with the dodger and bimini up. All you have to do is remove the connector panel between them.
  - It is fully self supporting. The bimini has rear standups and a spreader bar up top. The dodger has internal stand ups. This means there are no straps at all needed to keep it up giving clear easy access in and out of the cockpit.
  - All windows are zip open with screens. All openings are sealed and bug free even wiunder the seat (we get a lot of bees up here in the San Juans). You can have full ventilation yet be bug free.
  - The side panels zip back to open like doors. They snap back inside the enclosure. It gives great access at the dock and forward. The rear panel rolls up out of the way with snaps for easy transom access.
  - There are interior pockets, top hand holds, special openings for dock lines at the cleats.
  - All hardware is stainless, not aluminum.
  - All deck fittings are stainless, not plastic.

[Night Sailor]

I've noted several articles on full enclosures on the X but have not heard any mention of the effect that all that added surface has on performance or handling while sailing in light, medium or heavy wind.
How does the boat handle while under power in medium or heavy wind? Heavy in each case means for me in an X to be 25 or more knots.

How much does it knock off of top end speed under power?

Is one required to take them down and stow them for heavy wind?

How much weight is added up above the deck for a full enclosure? Seems like the height above the CG and the large surfac area would make a significant change from normal characteristics.

[R Rae]

I have the same setup as Catigale, but have never sailed with the whole enclosure assembled. When the temperature drops below 60 degrees I will put up the dodger, the comfort level increases dramatically. Getting forward through the front window in weather isn't pleasant but does work.

When tied up for the night the full enclosure goes up. Then I hang a piece of fitted mesh over the rear opening, light an anti bug candle sit back and observe the light through a large glass of my favourite beverage.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

I can't say I noticed any big change when I installed the enclosure. We motor a lot and it did not have an impact on performance. We still tow the kids around on inner tubes at 16 knots with the enclosure up. ( I can't think of a time we haven't cruised with both the dodger and bimini up. On hot days we do remove the side curtains, but almost always have the dodger, bimini, and connector up.) This is the same top speed our heavily loaded cruising boat attained with our 50 hp 2 stroke Tohatsu before we got the enclosure.

When sailing we would have the connector and forward side panels removed to allow the mainsheet to pass to the boom on all points of sail. I also tend to roll up the back window to avoid any speed brake effect. The enclosure has not changed performance or heel angles. I find putting the back window down can help deep downwind speed (use all the surface area you can get).

We have never had to stow the enclosure due to heavy wind. When wind and rain come that's when we want it the most and usually we are fully zipped inside.

I have notices that having the surface area at the rear has helped reduce the wild swinging at anchor that can sometimes happen with a mac.

I would estimate the total enclosure weights somewhere around 80 to 100 lbs. Our stainless supports weigh more than the aluminum variety.

That much weight hasn't changed the boats roll behavior. 80+ percent of our boating is under power with no ballast and the full enclosure up. This may be a testament to how much stuff we have stored below. There might be more effect on a empty stock boat.

[Catigale]

I have motored and sailed with enclosure up in heavy rain on the Cape...I cant say I can attribute any different handling to the enclosure though

It is blue so the boat is faster with it up of course.

[Night Sailor]

Thanks for the good info guys. Much appreciated. When the time comes I will most likely make my own from scratch so it's good to know an investment of that size in time, energy and materials wouldn't have a deleterious effect on handling and performance.

[art]

James,
I installed a full enclosure I produced for my 2002X with sunbrella top and screens surrounding. Ventilation and bug-proofing are key, so I use 360 degree screens. I can replace the side screens with water repellant panels for marginal wx. You can produce this, using stainless versus aluminum for 2,500 - 3,000 depending on bells and whistles. I made the same design for my Rhodes 22 with necessary mods. Enclosures make this superb boat even more exceptional. I'll fill you in further if you want.
Art (404 295-7777)

[eric3a]

..

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

You have to at the very least remove the roof connector panel between the dodger and the bimini to sail. You can sail upwind with the boom sheeted amidships with this config where all the side panels are in place. For a reach or run you have to remove, or in my case with the Dowsar fold back the forward side panels (as seen in the third picture I posted above) to allow the mainsheet to pass outboard when the boom is at a wider sheeting angle.

Note that the Dowsar bimini config allows you to keep the mainsheet attached at the aft end of the boom. For the others with longer under boom bimini's you typically have to relocate the mainsheet further forward along the boom to clear the front edge of the bimini.

[Catigale]

On my 'stock' enclosure I added another boom bail forward to clear both the Bimini and the enclosure for sailing. I have a middle connector piece that zips out - you can also zip it back in if you are on a tack for a long time in wet weather, it goes in and out really easy.

I think I have to clear a side piece like Duanes to run, but cant recall exactly. Duanes enclosure workmanship looks a lot better than mine to be honest...not that mine is shabby but that Dowsar looks sharp. Long after his somewhat higher price (Im guessing) , quality remains...


We put up our enclosure in rain, of course, but also in good weather it keeps the condensate off the cockpit in the morning. It is also nice if it blows up overnight, you can anchor watch from the cockpit in comfort.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

With the heavy winds we get in FL at times, I don't know if I would want to leave any pieces of an enclosure up!

Nightsailor, if you have a plan of what you want to build, I'd be interested in seeing it. Down South, it is important to have a big bimini for those sunny and hot days. Seems like there could be some novel ways of getting as much bimini as possible and still being able to sail.

[Catigale]

Im guessing that white colour is nice in those sunnier and warmer climes too...the blue is fine up here in the Northeast though..

[James V]

A good enclosure shoud be able to withstand winds up to 30 mph and it should be able to be taken down quickly. I hope the Dowser will.

I nice big bimini is nice. I have a few months to work this out. I will let you know what I come up with.