After taking the grand children for a sail on the harbour I realised that there is more good ideas on our Didi 40 Cr, Passion X, that I should write about.
Cabin top hand hold and jack lines as well as conventional webbing deck level jack lines. Also a good view of the mainsheet bridle system and the narrow deck that needed the smaller diameter deck organizers.
While the hull was level on land I was skeptical about the angle of the cockpit coamings. On the level the body seemed to slide outwards to the safety lines and it seemed difficult to get back into the cockpit. In practice the angle is excellent as the yacht heels a little more than our previous craft and with the heel angle the coamings are ideal.
On the cabin top instead of timber handrails I have installed jacklines that double as hand holds. This is in addition to the traditional webbing jack lines that run from the stern to the bow and with a double harness the short line can be attached to the cabin top lines while the long tether is attached to the jack line on the deck. I gave the system a good try out on the trip back from Port Stephens in 35 knots and at all times I felt very secure. The shorter jack line on the cabin top does not deflect much and I felt particularly secure attached to this by the short tether.
The lighting has worked out well, especially the option for red or white light and the different lighting levels available for both colours. On the mooring I left one of the cabin lights on red at low level as a night light and that was particularly practical. I have already forgotten that these were very expensive and now just enjoy the style and functionality.
I did put lights inside the engine compartment and in the deck locker to save having to search for a torch any time I needed to look inside. These are LED lights and I tend to leave them on all the time for the convenience.
The cushions too have worked out well and the idea of side cushions in the V berth that I copied from MOJO has been very practical. I went one step further and hinged the V berth tops so that I can fold up the berth tops for better access to the large storage area underneath. This did require a lot of extra carpentry as there is a narrow section of the berth top bonded to the hull and stiffened with for and aft stringers but result was well worth the extra effort both in terms of a solid reinforcement for the hull and for access to the storage area.
Before I completed the engine compartment I did a trial alignment of the engine to ensure that All the mounts could be accessed. After much frustration I increased the size of the side access door to make the mounting bolts very easy to access and I appreciated this modification when doing the alignment. My electrician also suggested an access door to the solenoid in case the 12 volt cabling came loose and I did need to tighten the connection after or 14 hours of shaking in the ocean. I will modify this connection so that there is room on the stud for a nut and a nylock lock nut just to be sure.
I am learning every day to appreciate the thought that Dudley put into the yacht design and the extra time and attention to detail that we put into the construction.
Big engine access hatch with fixed LED light inside
Side cushions in the V berth copied from the Turkish built MOJO
Red or white LED options in the deck locker. Dudley’s detail for the locker has been outstanding.
Detail showing the fixed edges to the V berth tops so that the lids can be hinged to swing up.
The red glow from the cabin lights on the red setting is easy on the eyes. I have still to master the variable light level on the instruments and wish the manufacturers has a light level sensor to adjust the levels automatically.