Wooden Boat Show at Mystic Seaport

The Wooden Boat Show happens the last weekend of June, at Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut. This has been the venue for the past decade, all of which we have participated in the show. This started with us exhibiting the prototype Paper Jet at the 2007 show, where she won the Innovation Award on the Concourse D'elegance. She was a lonely modern trapeze skiff in a sea of traditional boats.

This year the show will be 30th June through to 2nd July. We will have the Paper Jet there again but she will be accompanied by two of our other designs, both exhibited by their builders in the "I Built it Myself" part of the show.

The Argie 15 that Kevin Agee has been building the past few months will be there. I built the striped spars using birdsmouth details, from alternating strakes of poplar and cedar. I also completed the daggerboard and keel using the striped blanks that were laminated from the same two species by Kevin. We launched her on Sunday and I will be sailing her on the North Carolina Sounds at Cape Hatteras for the next few days. For the moment she has some rig pieces filched from the Paper Jet due to lack of time to make new but she will have all her own parts for the show.

"Argie" gets wet for the first time. Me at the stern, builder Kevin Agee at the bow.

The first sail, in very light breeze.

The Argie 15 is our most popular design but we haven't seen one on the Wooden Boat Show before. If you are in New England and have built an Argie 15, here is an opportunity to show your boat along with our new one.

The other new boat is the prototype of the Didi Sport 15 (DS15) design, which was commissioned by Hunter Gall. Hunter has built her over a long period and has produced a very interesting boat in a red, white and blue colour theme. Hunter is Australian but now Naturalized American. The red/white/blue is a patriotic choice of colours and his hull has a small US flag laminated into the epoxy under the stern.

Red deck, blue hull and white trim

The DS15 has a very modern hull with a bit of retro-styling in the deck details.

The colours aren't sprayed paint, as most would expect, which would give opaque finishes. Instead, Hunter dyed the plywood surfaces to allow the grain to show through, then coated with clear epoxy finished with clearcote to add depth and UV protection. This is a radius chine plywood boat, so the rounded part of the hull is laminated from two layers of plywood strips. The strips of the outer layer were edge-matched so that the grain runs through, with very tight joints that are almost invisible The result is a very interesting boat. Come to the show to see her, inspiration from an amateur builder who has never built a boat before.

To see more of these and our other designs, visit our main website or our mobile website.

DS15 "Bateleur"

Jim Foot is the owner and builder of the Didi Sport 15 (DS15) "Bateleur". He made a beautiful job of the build, as an amateur builder. Jim has sent me some new photos of his boat and new impressions of her sailing characteristics.

"Bateleur" relaxing on Island Lake in South Africa, waiting to sail in the George Lakes Yacht Club New Year Regatta.

Here are some of Jim's comments.

"I finally had the Genoa ........ have tried the sail.   For the first time I now feel that Bateleur is performing to her abilities. In dinghy config, at 8-10 kts its full trapeze single handed. More than 12 kts single handed its asking for trouble. Acceleration is up, planing in 7 kts upwind, and I'm absolutely delighted." Here he is talking of sailing her without the ballast bulb.

When you read this comment think about what it means to actually sail a dinghy in this much wind, not just survive being caught out there.  Most people will not venture out in 40 knots of wind, Jim does so intentionally in his DS15 with the ballast bulb on the board. The capitals are his, not mine. There is a link on my YouTube channel to a video of them sailing in 35 knots. "ABOVE 40 KTS, AND I MEAN 40 KTS, , THE JIB FURLER IS A MUST OTHERWISE BALANCE OF THE BOAT BECOMES A BIG PROBLEM.  HANDLEABLE BUT ONLY JUST."  Correction, Jim says that he didn't intentionally go sailing in 40 knots but was caught out there by the gale. He did intentionally go sailing in 35 knots, so what is another 5 knots between friends?

"Basically I remain delighted with the boat and would not swap her for anything.   As time has proceeded, the little tweaks have just increased my delight and made things a bit easier.   Fast, quick to plane, stable, and absolutely no tendancy to nose dive, makes her a proper little delight.   Next step is a code 1 rather than a reaching kite.   I think this will be a better option than a reaching kite."

Closer view at the same venue.

As you can see, Jim is very happy with this boat. We also have a modified and de-powered version of it for disabled sailing.

See more about our designs on our main website or our mobile website.

Update on DS15A Project

The DS15A (Didi Sport 15 Adaptive) is the same hull as the DS15, modified to accommodate the needs of handicapped sailors. The prototype is being built in Santa Cruz, California. This plywood prototype will be used as the plug to make moulds to produce composite boats to order.

The hull has progressed to the stage that it is stable enough to be removed from the building stocks. It has been turned over so that work can be done on the deck along with completion of the hull.

Hull lifted off building stocks. The upper side panels haven't been fitted yet.

The hull is suspended on ropes while the support cradle is slid in under it.

Settled in her cradle and ready for work to continue.

3D rendering of the DS15A, a modern sportboat for sailors with special needs.

Hardware layout for the DS15A , with most controls operable from either seat.

To see our full range of designs, go to our main website or our mobile website.

Update on DS15 "Bateleur"

Jim Foot launched his Didi Sport 15 (DS15) a few months ago. After initial photos and reports Jim went quiet. I suspect that he busied himself with regular sailing to learn the characteristics of his new boat, to understand how she likes to be handled in a range of conditions.

Today Jim has sent another report, detailing his sailing this past weekend. He sailed on Algoa Bay, off Port Elizabeth, sailing in sportboat mode with the lead bulb on the keel. Starting with light breezes, it rapidly changed to 35-40 knots, as happens pretty regularly in this part of the world. Unperturbed by the gale force conditions, Jim and his crew Thomas Ochabski put in a reef, left the big asymmetrical stowed in its bag and carried on sailing. Jim says that there was a keelboat in attendance in case of mishap, which gave him the bravado to carry on sailing.

DS15 "Bateleur" about to get wet for the first time.

 Here are extracts from Jim's own words about his experience with "Bateleur" in these conditions.

Beat back to harbour (from about 2 nm offshore) and then had a blast reaching around for about an hour or more.   Great fun.   Naah, understatement, awesome, awesome fun!

For the first time really felt that things were a step up on the speed stakes.   When I was building the boat I imagined a mini Volvo 60 with associated responsiveness and upwind speed. And this is what I felt the boat was achieving.

He promises some GoPro video by the end of the week.

And what about light wind speed? More words from Jim.

The other thing, the boat is incredibly fast in very light winds with weight forward. Everyone who has sailed her in light conditions (<6 kts) has remarked about this characteristic.  Thanks Dudley for a great design.

To see more of this and our other designs, visit our main website or  mobile website

Didi Sport 15 (DS15) Launch

The long-awaited day arrived this weekend. Jim Foot, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, launched his self-built DS15 at Algoa Bay Yacht Club. He started with a pre-cut plywood kit supplied by CKD Boats in Cape Town and took approximately 6 months of his spare time from start to launch.

DS15 "Bateleur" about to get wet for the first time.

 Despite the very light wind, they had good sailing and were impressed by performance. Jim's first comments are:-

She sails beautifully and she is fast. Beating into a chop in light wind this am going at about 3,7 kts felt happy. Then was told wind spd 4 kts by passing boat quite amazing.

Very well behaved. No balance issues. Save a bit of lee helm with the kite up. Loads of compliments from older sailors. Hunter Gall get on the water you dont know what you are missing. This is one good boat. Ps only sailed in bulb config at this stage.
A few changes to make. But not many. Congrats Dudley on a fantastic hull. Its a beaut.

Ready for sails and rarin' to go.

Rigging the sails. Clean deck layout and large cockpit.

Jim's friend Mark Dawson was with him for the first sail and passed these comments:-

Lucky enough to be the first to sail this boat with James Norman Foot. What a beaut! After a hairy moment of rocking the boat to moorings, which became a desperate paddle when we started drifting towards the rocks, we rigged the sails and immediately accelerated away. Bateleur likes to sit flat and notably accelerate in the lightest of wind puffs. A forced capsized showed how stable she is and how literally effortless to bring her back. Sailing the Didi 15, I just want to go again. Can't wait to see her in stronger breeze. In summary...I need one.

"Bateleur" returning to ABYC with a very happy crew.

Jim will keep us up to date with his testing and fine-tuning over the next few weeks. I hope that we will also get to see some photos and videos in stronger winds as Jim and "Bateleur" grow to know each other.

The top photo of this post shows the hull shape very nicely. For those who have not followed my posts about the build, this is a plywood boat although it doesn't look like one. It is the smallest in our radius chine plywood Didi design range. The hull is the same family as the Didi Mini Mk3 and Didi 950, with topside chine above a radius chine underbody.

It can be built from plans only, plans and patterns or plans and a CNC kit. See more info about all of our designs on our website at http://dixdesign.com/

Jim's Didi Sport 15 Nears Completion

Followers of this blog have read about the DS15 being built by Jim Foot in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. His project is nearly done and is looking great. He is into the rigging stages and should launch in a few weeks.

Foredeck and mast deck panels fitted.

Foredeck almost complete. Spinnaker chute on right of centreline.

Jim's DS15 tries her dolly for size, showing her clean, modern hull.

DS15 shows her bottom and her performance potential.

Clean lines and powerful stern.

Mast and standing rigging, waiting for her sails.

Next instalment should be launching and sea trials in a few weeks. Until then, see more at http://dixdesign.com.

More about Jim's DS15 Project

In a November post I wrote about the Didi Sport 15 that is being built in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, by Jim Foot. Jim has continued to build at a good pace and his boat is moving into the final stages of construction.

Jim has provided a steady stream of photos that document his project through all of its stages. He appears to be doing a very capable build and his boat should be sailing within months.

Jim bought a plywood kit from CKD Boats in Cape Town. It was cut by CNC router using cutting files that we prepared and supplied. Similar kits can also be cut by our other kit suppliers in other countries.

Beautiful standard of hull finish shows off the hull shape.

Internal framing of Jim's DS15 hull, CNC-cut by CKD Boats in Cape Town.

Spinnaker pole launch tube

Internal surfaces sealed with 3 coats epoxy

Adding doublers for mainsheet track and epoxy-coating underside of deck.

Jigsaw-jointed cockpit sole installed and cockpit sides being fitted.

Framing of foredeck and cambered mastdeck.

Mastdeck being fitted.

Cockpit and decks nearing completion.

Mound for rudder pintles.

Casting lead keel bulb.

Thanks Jim for your photos and for your enthusiasm. I look forward to the launch and sailing photos of your new boat.

To see our full range of designs, please visit http://dixdesign.com/.

DS15 (Didi Sport 15) Build in South Africa

Until now I have only shown the DS15 prototype, being built in Virginia Beach, USA, by Aussie Hunter Gall. Hunter's project is currently stalled due to circumstances but one of the the other builds is steaming ahead apace. This one is being built by Jim Foot in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. This weekend Jim applied the last coat of epoxy to the outside of his hull and is preparing to paint it.

This series of photos shows the basics of Jim's project up to this stage. This is a radius chine plywood design, with hard chine along the topsides. It is the same family of designs as the Didi Mini Mk3 and Didi 950.

Frames set up on building stocks, with stringers going on.

Stringers all done and bottom panels fitted.

Same stage, showing stringers running into forefoot.

Side panels fitted and first layer of radius progressing.

Stitch-&-glue detail of topside chine.

Second layer of radius going over first layer.

Completed radius chine, running smoothly into flat panels.

Glass taping centreline seam. Jigsaw joints of bottom panel can be seen.

Epoxy coatings started.

Nice finish starting to show.

Clean stern and nice finish.

Final coat of epoxy, ready for sanding and painting.

I will show more of Jim Foot's project as it progresses toward launch date. I tend to show the projects for which I receive the best photos, so please send me your best pics if you want to see your project on this blog or the Dudley Dix Yacht Design main website.