Hey Dave,

...the inability to poke your head out above it all, and have a look around...

The only type of enclosure that is at all functional is the two-tiered type, with the bimini higher than the dodger... These usually feature a strip between the two levels that can be removed, affording a narrow slit to peer through forward... The Tayana I delivered back in December had this arrangement, better than nothing, but still a very piss-poor arrangement at night, still very difficult to get your bearings around you... Even departing a port like Morehead City, which I've done scores of time in the dark, I found the absence of good 360 degree visibility to be very disconcerting... One of the keys to avoid grounding on the ICW is to look behind you routinely to establish a range, adn I'm positive the proliferation of full enclosures has aided many a straying from the channel, by their nature they appear to discourage this exercise, or make it more difficult... These things really do create a tunnel-vision forward on the part of the helmsman, never ceases to amaze me how often I'll come up upon a sailboat with an enclosure in a fast powerboat, and they don't have a clue that I'm back there... A full enclosure will also render the use of a hand-held searchlight all but impossible, only way to do it is to have a second person on deck with the light, and in my experience, that just NEVER works... (grin)

Would anyone drive ther cars at night, in the rain, with a windshield made of clear vinyl, no windshield wipers, placed 10 feet or more away from your position at the steering wheel? I'll never understand what the hell these people are thinking, it can only be that they will never find themselves in such a situation on their boat... (grin)

best regards,

Jon