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.