A note from founder/owner and dodger design guru, Jason Iverson.

"Product Strength"

See awesome footage of Iverson's product strength! Jason Iverson puts his products to the extreme test.

At Iverson's our philosophy is simple - a dodger should be a solid piece of equipment that adds safety and style to your sailboat. It should reflect your sailboats lines and character through use of color and form. A good dodger is one that has been designed with consideration to all forces that may be inflicted on it and constructed to counteract these forces.

I am always dumbfounded when walking the docks by the number of sailboats with poor quality dodgers. It amazes me that people are willing to build dodgers that seriously have no reflection of the sailboats style and are loose fitting, wrinkly, have no structure, and distract from the overall appearance of the sailboat! It makes me wonder.... Has the dodger industry succumbed to this level of design? The idea of purchasing a beautiful sailboat that has been well designed with clean sleek lines; then go out and add a dodger that has no relevance to the boats styling and looks like a cracker jack box, a fish bowl, a phone booth or something that my next door neighbor made... seriously? (My apologies if you are my neighbor.) What has been conceivably the norm in dodger design standards over the years has made the sailboat owner reluctant with the thought of adding a dodger to their sailboat for fear of what it will look like. Lets face it, a dodger can truly make or break a sailboats appearance and for those who care about their boats appearance this can be an uneasy venture.

The decision of adding a dodger, bimini top or enclosure to your sailboat is a substantial investment and one that should be thoroughly thought through. Ultimately, the company you decide to work with will have a dramatic effect on how good or bad you feel about the investment you have made. Unfortunately, the marine canvas industry can be extremely unprofessional and is inundated with an overwhelming number of, flakes, con artists, "fly by nighters", etc. Most of these people have no design skills to speak of. The number of horror stories I have heard over the years is truly appalling to me. Here are some helpful hints and things to consider when choosing a canvas company to work with:

1. Ask around about canvas companies. Usually you can learn a lot from your boat neighbors at the marina. However, don't take one person's recommendation, ask several people.
2. Once you find a company, ask to see physical examples of their work, not just photos.
3. Ask for references.
4. Do they have a website? If not, why?
5. How did your initial conversation go with the representative of the company? Remember you are going to be building a relationship with who ever you decide to work with. It is important to feel as though you can work together.
6. Most importantly, do you think this company will be around if an issue arises? Will they help you out or will they leave you hanging if you have issues with workmanship.
7. If the quote or estimate you get seems low, beware!

At Iverson's Design our reputation is synonymous with trust, honesty, reliability, quality, and integrity. Read our "Customer Feedback" page or watch our Testimonial Videos. Contact any sailboat related company in the Seattle area and ask if they would recommend Iverson's Design. We specialize in dodger design/enclosure systems for sailboats and have developed a dodger that has proven its self time and time again. We are not a general custom canvas shop that will make you anything canvas. We stick to what we know so we can be the best at what we do. If you are someone who cares about quality, good design, style, and great service then you have found the right company.