Hey everyone, new TI owner here! I've been reading up on the long list of projects/modifications for islands and have been coming up with some ideas of my own.
When I was deciding which boat to buy, what I really wanted was a sailing cruiser that did not have to worry about draft, had no maintenance or storage fees, and was affordable. In short, I had unrealistic expectations
. I live in Tokyo Japan where any kind of boat storage/berthing costs upwards of $500 USD/mo. The TI came closest to fitting the bill so I went ahead and ordered one, but the thing that is still missing, in my eyes, is some sort of weather protection (sun/rain). Also, I just like the feeling of being inside of a boat rather than sitting on top of it.This got the old engineering brain going. I've seen an example of an extended dodger for an AI, various spray skirt designs, a few bimini designs, etc. It seems that I might not be the only one with these sort of thoughts.
Included in my long list of past hobbies was recumbent cycling. In recumbent cycling, there is a sort of sub-circle of enthusiasts who build/use custom fiberglass enclosures. I'm wondering why I haven't seen such a thing for the AI/TI. Wouldn't it be possible to build a rigid one that maybe connected at the aka mounting point? I imagine such a thing would have much in common with the ones built for cycling, except it might need more emphasis on the ability to bail out in a capsize.
Am I totally crazy here? Should I consider doing such a project? I'm thinking a fiberglass dodger with a roof and a polycarbonate forward/side window, but with open sides and an open rear for bailing out or exiting to the trampolines. Maybe the sides or rear could have some sort of removable cloth cover.
