Dix 43 Pilot Plywood Custom Build 25th Birthday

 Roy McBride, experienced builder of wooden boats, had watched my 30-57ft steel designs being built by Brian Alcock and Hout Bay Yachts on the mountain above Hout Bay. He was particularly taken by the Dix 43 Pilot but didn't want to build in metal. He also watched my Didi 38 prototype build of "Black Cat" happening at my home across the Hout Bay valley from his home. He also helped with turning my hull and was at the launch of my boat.

Roy proposed to me that he would like to build the Dix 43 Pilot but using the construction method that he had watched me using for my project. I agreed on the basis that I would provide some basic drawings to guide him with the wood construction. He bought plans for the steel 43 just a few days before I set off to race across the Atlantic in the 1996 Cape to Rio Race. After my double-handed return voyage, I drew the first details for him, covering hull construction. Later in his build I provided additional drawings for the steel keel construction and the skeg-mounted semi-balanced rudder. Roy did all other deck, accommodation and superstructure styling detailing himself. He fitted a used rig that came off another boat of similar size but smaller than the rig for my design.

He emailed me today to say that it is 25 years today since he launched his boat, named "Flying Cloud". Roy sailed her for many years before selling in 2016. I guess that she is now cruising somewhere on the oceans of the world, I know not where. Roy sent me these photos from her launch day and first birthday.

Ready for first experience of floating on water.

Rounded bilge hull shape on a plywood hull.

Roy with family and helpers.
Roy at the ladder and wife jean in the light blue T-shirt.

First birthday celebration on Hout Bay Yacht Club marina.
I am sitting on the starboard cockpit coaming.

And here are some additional photos of "Flying Cloud" from my files, all supplied by Roy over the years that he owned her.

Beautiful interior joinery built by Roy.

Roy did a nice job of the superstructure styling.

"Flying Cloud" under sail.

For more on the designs mentioned here or our many other designs for amateur and professional builders, go to our main website or our mobile website. Our Flickr albums, accessed via the link on our main website home page, has thousands of construction and sailing photos of boats to our designs.

Opportunity to Take Over Aluminium Dix 43 Pilot Project

Jacobs Brothers in Cape Town, South Africa, are building a Dix 43 Pilot for a local customer, who is having to halt the project for financial reasons. This is a well-proven cruising design, with a record of multiple passages to both the Arctic and Antarctic in addition to more normal cruising grounds. 

All metalwork has been completed to a very high standard by these expert builders. Only winch pads, sheet car tracks and through hull spigots remain to do of the hot work but those are included in the price required by the seller.

Dix 43 Pilot in Jacobs brothers Workshop

Pilothouse & dodger details.

Cockpit & stern details.

Bow details.

Steering gear installation.

Engine on beds.

If interested in taking over this project, please contact me by email and I will put you in contact with the seller to discuss with him.

The following is directly from the seller, describing the state of the project and what additional items are included.

The ideal scenario is that someone takeover and complete with the Jacobs. They are ready and willing to crack on asap.

The lead is in, sealed and pressure tested as are the water and diesel tanks. The new Yanmar 57hp engine is also in the boat along with stern tube and P bracket.

 These are the engine specs.

 1X 4JH57 ENGINE

1X KM35P 2.36 GEARBOX

1x ENGINE MONITORING SYSTEM 

1X U-TYPE MIXING ELBOW 

1X HOT WATER KIT 1X SECOND ALTERNATOR 125AMP 

1X 10M EXTENSION HARNESS 

1X YD42 X A15 PANEL

 The spade rudder is installed with Jefa bearings as is the Jefa Type 2 rotary autopilot.

 I have bought the following  steering gear which is included.

 Jefa Pedestal, fiberglass three spoke wheel and rod/pinion linkage.

 These are the Jefa equipment specs:

 RP150 Pedestal, rack and pinion, height 710mm with guardrail and binnacle.

Pedestal HEAD150-3-R9010 GRP head for RP150 pedestal.

EC150 Engine control.

Compass, Plastimo Olympic 135 with Black card.

Draglink 700 to 800mm centres.

TLJ100 Tiller lever L=250 mm c/c , max.Ø100 mm  incl. bore and keyway TLJLEVER Extra lever for autopilot .

TLJPIN16 Pin for 16mm Draglink / lever 2 Pcs

DU-DD2-12 Direct Drive 375Kgm 12V with extended output lever 130-165-200mm DU-TS-RFB2 Rudder feed-back integrated for Raymarine.

DL040050-25 Draglink 400 to 500mm centres.

WHCG1000B Fiberglass wheel 1000mm black.

Brake spinner 120mm for GRP wheel.

I have also bought the following material that will be included.

 SPX33 60mm insulation.

Aerozip hot water pipe insulation

Soundseal sound proofing

Mascoat DTM insulation paint

Marine plywood

 The sugar scoop has been extended as per the cutting files from Robert Christinger and we added a radar arch with davits, a bowsprit anchor roller for a Rocna 33. Anchor included.

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What's New at dixdesign.com?

I have added a few designs to our website https://dixdesign.com, some as designs that haven't been seen there before and others as new variations on existing designs.

The Cape Charles 32TC is a new variation on the original Cape Charles 32 design, which has the same deck configuration as the smaller sisters in our Cape design range for lapstrake plywood traditional cruisers. The Cape Charles 32TC has a trunk cabin deck, which is a more seaworthy configuration for open ocean use. The reason is that the trunk cabin gives secure footing when working on the weather deck in rough conditions, also placing handrails close at hand when working on the leeward deck. It also makes it easier to fit a folding dodger over the front of the cockpit than fitting a dodger onto a flush deck. Other aspects of the design remain unchanged.

Cape Charles 32 TC cross-section.

The Didi 28 is a small cruiser with good performance, built using our radius chine plywood method. It was commissioned as a more spacious sister to the Didi 26 and kept the same basic accommodation layout. I have added a new accommodation layout to this design, designated Accommodation B, which is more suited to cruising for a couple or small family. It is a more conventional cruising layout, with forward V-berths, midship galley and dinette, with aft quarter berth and heads. It also gains cockpit access to the large lazarette, which can be isolated with watertight bulkheads for emergency flotation. The client who commissioned this variation also wanted a fixed keel to replace the lifting keel, so this has also been added to the drawings. The most often requested feature on the smaller Didi designs is a sugar scoop stern, so I have added that option to the drawings while working on them, adding approximately 450mm (18") to hull length and a small increase in top-end speed.

Didi 28 Accommodation B, a better cruising layout.

The DH550 plywood catamarans have proven themselves with multiple crossings of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, including surviving an attack by orcas off Gibraltar with minimal damage. We also have a composite version of this design that has not been on our website until now. The Acquinus c57 is based on the DH550 but can be built from foam/glass or foam/carbon materials. Other changes are  flatter side decks and the sterns extended by approximately 750mm (30") to take it to 57ft LOA. Detailing included on the drawings covers both cruising keel and daggerboard options.

Acquinus c57 profile.

More than 20 years ago I drew a pair of advanced single rowing shells for Slade Rowing in South Africa. The boats proved to be very competitive but the company failed from lack of funding and damage sustained in transport to the main market in Europe. Since then various enquiries for wooden versions eventually resulted in my drawing basic detailing for amateurs or professionals to build from wood strip over formers. The Slade Rowing moulds were for Light and Heavy versions and recent additions, commissioned by two builders in Australia, have added a Medium version, as well as one targeted at a 72kg rower. They are now on our website as Vision Rowing Shells, with basic wood construction plans available for all 4 versions.

Vision Light Single rowing shell, one of four weight options.

All of these designs are now on our website and ready for new builders.

Visit our main website or our mobile site for more information. The mobile site has basic information, with links to the main site for more information.