We are asked now and again what the largest size boat is we can handle,the correct reply is probably any size you can afford? Our smallest boat will be the Optimist or the Dixi Dinghy at http://www.dixdesign.com/ ,the largest boat we have on file is also by Dix Design and is a really great looking boat called a DH55,a co design with Dudley Dix and Phil Harvey,the boats builder in Trinidad.The Dix 43 we built was result of a need to build a 43ft yacht as fast and cost effective as possible,so wood/epoxy was the chosen route.Untill 'Flying Cloud' was built,all similar boats were built in steel,we took the steel boat plans and built a wooden boat instead! This was not from one of our kits,we only moved into CNC work later on but it gave us a clear insight into the ease of radius chine construction,as the hull was built by one person in a build time of six weeks only.
A design bonus:
Being wood/epoxy,the boat was around two tons light over its heavier steel sister,this then meant we had to add one ton of extra lead ballast to the steel keel shoe,that would normally hold four tons of ballast,as the steel shoe weighs one ton its selff we now have a total ballast weight of six tons and the boat is still one ton light over its steel versions,the result is a very comfortable and fast cruising boat,a truly wonderfull boat to sail.
Roy
No comments:
Post a Comment