Didi 950 Projects

There appears to be considerable interest in my posts about the boats being built to our Didi 950 design. This is a radius chine plywood design with hard chine in the topsides, designed to fit into the Classe 950 box rule. In the past few days I have received a bunch of new photos that show the build process clearly, as well as some updated progress photos.

Before going into the new photos, you might like to read the article that I posted today on my Boatbuilder Tips for Amateurs blog about how to construct building stocks or beds, the foundation off which the skeleton of a wooden boat is built. It is illustrated with photos of the Didi 950 that is being built by Fred Grimminck in Australia. The photos below are mostly of that same project, being built from scratch without a kit.

The photo below shows the various backbone components, all of which slot eggcrate-fashion into the bulkheads. The slots help to locate the bulkheads and backbones correctly relative to each other. The bow and stern have single backbone on centreline and the mid-part of the hull as two backbones that run down each side of the keel support box. The two shorter pieces on the right are the paired double-backbone parts. Next toward the left is the aft backbone, which turns up at the far end to support the transom. Extreme left is the bow backbone, which turns up at the far end to form the stem and supports a bow bulkhead into which the forward ends of the stringers are located.

Didi 950 backbone components. Click on all photos to enlarge.

The photos below show a few of the forward bulkheads with the bow backbone dry-fitted in place. The backbone has doublers just below deck level for through-bolting the bow chainplate. The doublers can be seen at the forward lower end of the backbone.

Didi 950 bow backbone and forward bulkheads

Didi 950 bulkheads and backbones

In this next photo, the transom doubler has been set up as a doubler and the stringers etc run through, then are trimmed flush. When the transom is glued over the doubler the end-grain of the longitudinals will be covered and protected. Look through the 4th cutout from left through the doubler to see how the aft end of the aft backbone turns up against the inside face of the doubler. The backbone has locating tabs that slot through the doubler, seen as light-coloured marks on centreline of the doubler. In the lower photo the transom is being glued over the outside of the doubler.

Didi 950 transom doubler

Didi 950 transom being glued over doubler.

The sheer clamps on this design sit diagonally across the corner at the intersection between hull sides and decks. They are screwed and glued to cleats on the faces of all bulkheads. In this photo the sheer clamp is clamped to those cleats. You can also see how the stringers are slotted through the bulkheads. Once the hull skin has been glued on, these junctions become very strong and rigid

Didi 950 sheer clamp

Looking forward along the hull just prior to fitting the bottom skin. The wide stringers on both sides are the tangent stringers, with doublers to back up the joint between flat bottom panels and radius skin panels at the turn of the bilge.  The single aft backbone can be seen running through to the 3rd bulkhead from the bottom of the photo. The double backbone runs forward from the 2nd bulkhead from the bottom of the photo, then changes back to a single backbone further forward, also visible.

Didi 950 bottom stringers and backbones

Stringers in the forward part of the hull, mainly showing the radius area. The two broad stringers are at the tangents, joining the flat and radiused skins together. Between them are three radius stringers, over which the double-skin radius will be formed. Below the lower of the two tangent stringers are the stringers for the side skin panels.

Didi 950 stringers

This last photo shows Mike Vermeeschs boat, being built from a kit in Ohio. Mike has the side panels all dry-fitted to check for fit ahead of gluing in place. Looks like a nice fit. The bow will be capped with solid wood, which will cover and protect the end-grain of the stringers.

Didi 950 hull side panels

Thank you to both Fred Grimminck and Mike Vermeersch for taking the trouble to send me these photos and allowing their use.

To see our other designs, please visit http://dixdesign.com/ .

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Update on Didi Sport 15 and Didi 950

I have recently added two new radius chine plywood designs to our range and wrote about them on this blog. Here are updates on both boats.

Yesterday I visited the prototype of the Didi Sport 15 (DS15) that is being built by Hunter Gall in Virginia Beach. I hadnt seen it in the flesh for a few weeks and wanted to see how the deck is looking as it comes together. Hunter is doing a really nice job of his project, working slowly but meticulously.

His boat, "Scallywag", is looking very pretty. He stained the hull surfaces blue and the deck surfaces red before doing the epoxy coatings and these colours will be highlighted by areas of clear-finished timber. It all entailed a tremendous amount of extra work to get it right than if he had painted it in the normal way. The final result is very attractive and she will be an eye-catcher when complete. Hunter can be pleased with the overall results.

The deck configuration that I designed is unusual, with a raised mast deck and wave-breaker above a flat foredeck and the open self-draining cockpit. It gives a decidedly retro image to the deck, over the thoroughly modern hull. It reminds me somewhat of the Lightweight Australian Sharpies that my Dad sailed in South Africa when I was a child. That makes it  somehow fitting that Hunter Gall is Australian, I am South African and we have ended up working together on this project in USA.

Hunter Galls DS15 project nearing completion

Other news on the DS15 is that work will start in the next few weeks on moulds to build a composite version in Europe. I will release more information about it after I return from the Cape to Rio Race, by which time the builder may be ready to start receiving enquiries.

The other boat was the Didi 950, for which the prototype kit has been cut and will be delivered to the builder in the next week or two. It appears that this is going to be a popular design because we have sold plan packages for another three boats since announcing the design.

Didi 950, bigger sister to the DS15

 One of those boats will result in a variation on the design, with a lifting keel. A lifting keel was part of the original concept for the builder of the prototype but he decided in the end on the simplicity of a fixed keel. The lifting keel proved to be a very viable option, using the same basic keel support arrangement as the fixed keel with no structural redesign. The major difference will be moving the motor aft to a position under the companionway, driving a saildrive rather than a shaft. This is to make room for the lifting keel to rise through the galley central locker unit.

The prototype of this design is to be built in Ohio, USA. The others that have been ordered will be built in Australia, Latvia and Greece. There is interest from other countries as well.

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

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New Didi 26 in Germany

Ole Ehlert bought plans from us in 2006 to build a Didi 26 for himself in Kiel, Germany. It took Ole 6 years to build his boat because he lived 40 miles from the cow-shed building site, belonging to his in-laws. Two new kids and a house got in the way also but Ole kept going and launched his new boat last year.

Ole has sent me some photos of "Mary Jo", named after his daughters. It looks like he has made a beautiful job of building her. She looks very pretty on the water.

Oles new Didi 26 "Mary Jo".

 Ole says "I enjoyed building the boat from keel to mast top as well as sailing it now. It´s very fast and enters the waves as soft as cutting through butter with a hot knife!"

The Didi 26 is one of our most popular designs, a great option for those who want to compete round the buoys in a big sportboat that can also be used for weekending or short holidays. Added to that, it is of plywood construction that is within the abilities of most amateur builders, yet it looks like a round bilge GRP boat. With those benefits it is easy to understand its popularity with our builders.

Bow view of Didi 26 "Mary Jo".

 Congratulations to Ole on the beautiful conclusion to his project.

See our full range of designs at http://dixdesign.com/

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New rig for Didi 29 Retro

The Didi 29 Retro was commissioned by a client in Cape Town, to build for himself for competition in the classic yacht races in the Caribbean. He wanted a boat with modern underbody and appendages but with a large gaff rig of classic configuration, to race in the modern classic division.

Underbody of Didi 29 Retro

Last year I was asked to draw a more conservative cruising gaff rig for the design, to better suit those who have no aspirations to race with a big crew or simply want to cruise. That resulted in the cruising gaff rig with about 20% less sail area on the same foretriangle height.

Didi 29 Retro racing gaff rig at left, cruising rig at right

This year I was asked to draw a more modern rig for it, which developed into the squaretop Marconi rig. This one will better suit most sailors, being easier to handle and easier to understand for those who dont know gaff rigs. On sail area, it fits between the two gaff rigs and it will be interesting to see how the three compare on the water.

Didi 29 Retro with squaretop Marconi rig

The squaretop Marconi rig suits the aesthetics of this hull rather well. It would be my choice if I were building this boat for myself. Should be an exciting boat to sail too, able to take advantage of the power of modern stable sail fabrics.

To see more of this and our other designs, go to http://dixdesign.com/

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A Didi Mini Goes Cruising

The first boat to our Didi Mini design, drawn to the Mini 650 Rule, was built by CKD Boats of Cape Town for owner Mike ONeill. She was named "Warlock" and never raced in anger. Mike is a superyacht captain and seldom in the same location as his little boat. Eventually he sold her and the new owner commissioned Fluid Yachts, based in the gorgeous town of Knysna, to transform her into a little fast cruiser. The photos below show "Warlock" in her original form and the transformed "iCandy".

Changes include a reworked interior with as many comforts as could be fitted into such a small hull, extension of the deck to the transom, swept-spreader rig for easier handling and a retro-fitted lifting keel to replace the 2m deep fixed keel.

"Warlock" with 2m fixed keel

"Warlock" had the old style Mk1 aft deck.

"iCandy" with lifting keel to access shallower anchorages.

"iCandy" with extended aft deck for a bigger cockpit.

"iCandy" with tall swept-spreader rig for easier control.

"iCandy" now has a retro-fitted aluminium lifting keel.

Keel-lifting tackle of "iCandy".

Looking aft from the massive forward double berth into the saloon.

The new lifting keel of "iCandy" is to our design and can be retro-fitted to any of the Didi Mini or Didi Cruise-Mini series designs. Keel-down draft is 2m, the same as the fixed keel, but it can lift to reduce draft to 1m, for access to shallow moorings or anchorages.

For more about our Didi Mini design series or our other designs, please visit our main website at http://dixdesign.com/ .

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Didi 950 Progress Lifting Keel Option

Mike Vermeersch in Ravenna Ohio turned over his Didi 950 hull a couple of weeks ago and sent me a video of the process.  He turned the hull with the help of a few friends, using the spit roast method and a pair of engine hoists.

With the hull settled in her new cradle, Mike has settled into doing the epoxy fillets and coatings, ahead of starting on the interior joinery.

Epoxy coatings progressing on Mikes Didi 950

While builders have been making material progress with their builds, I have been doing the drawings that detail the lifting keel version for Fred Grimminck. Fred is building his Didi 950 in Queensland, Australia. He has also turned his hull in the past fortnight.

The lifting keel version uses a keel support box of identical footprint to that of the fixed keel version. The difference is that the keel has to slide through where the motor sits in the fixed keel boat, so the motor has relocated to below the front of the cockpit and has a saildrive. The keel support box for this version has the casing built into it, with a flange at the top edge for bolting the keel securely in the down position. In the raised position, the keel is at approximately the same level as the bottom of the rudders. Draft is 2.35m (79") with the keel down and 1.15m (39") with the keel up.

The keel is lifted by means of a tackle, with the tail led to a dedicated winch that is recessed into the galley counter. This is a simple system, without the waterproofing and complication issues of leading it to a cabin roof winch.

Accommodation of the lifting keel version of the Didi 950

This lifting keel offers Didi 950 owners the possibility of having a racer or a performance cruiser, with deep draft, that can live on much shallower moorings or can access shallow anchorages.

To see our full range of designs to a wide range of concepts and materials, please go to http://dixdesign.com/.

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Didi 950 Construction Starts

Michael Vermeersch has started building his Didi 950 prototype in Ravenna, Ohio. This is the prototype of a very new design. Micheal is building from a pre-cut kit that we supplied and reports that the quality and fit have been excellent thus far.

Didi 950 Kit, ready for unpacking

 Yesterday Michael and a friend set up the bulkheads on the building stocks and he is now preparing to fit the backbone components to tie the bulkheads together.

Didi 950 Bulkheads set up and waiting for backbone.

This design has been drawn to comply with the Class 950 Class Rules. Watch this space for progress reports on this boat and the other Didi 950s being built in Australia, Latvia and Greece.

Please note that precut kits for our plywood designs supplied in USA must be ordered from Dudley Dix Yacht Design and not from the company that cuts them, Chesapeake Light Craft. For more info and pricing go to our plywood kits page.

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

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Update on Didi 26 14

I designed the Didi 26 in 1997 and sold the first plans in 1998. I had drawn it as a speculative design, with no customer to commission it but a bunch of people asking about that concept. I went ahead and drew it to fill the needs that were most often requested. Along with that it also had to fit into an Australian trailer-sailer rule that existed at the time, did not gain a following and died a few years later.One of the first to be launched was "Butterfly", built by Ake Unander in Malbo, Sweden. Ake built her in a carport alongside his home.

The hull of "Butterfly", coming out into the snow to be turned upright.

"Butterfly" being towed to launch by a VW Golf

"Butterfly" on an early sail, in breezy conditions.

Last week I received an email from Ake. He still enjoys sailing "Butterfly", although he has toned her down somewhat by replacing her bright yellow livery with a more sedate white. He has also modified the cockpit and interior to better suit his advancing age and has replaced the retracting bowsprit with a shorter fixed sprit and furling headsail, making her easier to sail single-handed. I am very much in favour of these personal modifications because the whole point of a boat is to go sailing and you will do more sailing if you are comfortable with your boat.

A recent photo of "Butterfly" in relaxed mode on Lake Vättern

Thank you Ake, for building "Butterfly" and for using her as she was intended to be used.

To see more of this and our other designs, please visit http://dixdesign.com/

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Hull Turning of Didi 23

Steve Watson is building a Didi 23 in Hood River, Oregon. Last week he and a few friends pulled the hull out of his garage, rolled it over in the driveway then returned it to the garage for work to start on the interior. These photos show the process that they used.

Pulled out of the garage.

Half-way over. A hull is intimidating in this position and must be controlled. Gravity can quickly become the boss.

Safely over and resting on mattresses. Builder Steve Watson at right.

Lifted off the mattresses onto a wheeled cradle to keep her mobile.

Stern view. Steve has added a scoop stern to the transom.

Going back into the garage for work to continue.

A boat-under-construction takes on a whole new character when it is turned right-way up. This is the first time that the builder gets to see it right-way-up and the final shape of his creation.

Hull-turning is a memorable milestone in a big boatbuilding project. This is always a good time to have a party, to take your rewards and gather your thoughts, resources and energy for the next stage of the project.

The way that Steve and friends turned this hull worked for them. The bigger the boat, the more complex the turning process becomes and the more care that must be taken with preparations and equipment to keep this heavy structure under control. Carelessness with this phase of the project can injure or kill people and also damage the carefully-built boat.

To see more of this and our other designs, please go to http://dixdesign.com/.

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Didi 29 Retro Cruising Rig

In a post in May 2012 we announced the new Didi 29 Retro design. The first CNC plywood kit for this design was cut in South Africa by CKD Boats and construction will soon be started by the owner/builder.

This boat has a large gaff rig but it is very versatile, able to be reduced to much more compact proportions by sail selection and reefing. Still, it is an imposing rig that is aimed primarily at racing in the Caribbean classic style races. We are accustomed to seeing photos of gaff-riggers carrying very impressive clouds of sail but, for those who are more cruising-oriented, this big rig has way too much sail for comfort. One such builder approached me to ask if it is possible to use a smaller gaff rig on her. I have drawn a cruising gaff rig and that drawing is now included as part of the stock design.

Didi 29 Retro Cruising Gaff Rig

This one is more compact, with shorter spars all round. The inboard foretriangle and the deck hardware layout are the only parts of the rig that are unchanged. The shorter bowsprit and lower masthead have given smaller asymmetrical spinnaker and outboard headsails. These are balanced by a smaller mainsail with shorter foot and head on the same luff length.

Didi 29 Retro Gaff Rigs

For comparison, the racing rig has 24% more area in the main and Genoa, 17% more in the Yankee and 27% more in the asymmetrical. Overall, this will be an easier rig to handle and it will be able to carry each sail combination into stronger winds. That is without sacrificing any of the features and versatility of the bigger rig.

To see more of this design, watch the video of my PechaKucha presentation on how it was developed from the Didi 26 design.

For more info on this and our other designs, go to http://dixdesign.com/

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Didi Cruise Mini available in UK

The Sail 4 Cancer charity in UK has a Didi Cruise-Mini that has been donated to their cause and is available for sale. This is a cruising version of the Didi Mini Mk2, with a lifting keel and reduced rig, as well as more headroom. It is a small performance cruiser in the image of the Mini 650 trans-Atlantic racers.

Didi Cruise-Mini, a sleek little performance cruiser.

I sailed one of these boats recently on Puget Sound when I was there for the Wooden Boat Festival. She proved to be a speedy little cruiser with delightful manners. She handled beautifully, carries her rig very well and has comfortable accommodation for weekending or short holidays afloat. We sailed past everything under sail that we saw on the water, sailing higher and faster. This was despite towing a clinker dinghy that was almost as long as she was. We had no desire to tow the dinghy but it was also destined for the Wooden Boat Festival and dragging along behind us was the simplest way to get there.

Twin rudders and lifting keel give access to shallow anchorages.

This boat that is available is in the Hamble yard of Boatshed, in the charge of Peter Delbridge. Anyone interested in it can contact Peter at the email address (peter at boatshedhamble dot com). It was built as a rehabilitation project by a man who was recovering from a serious illness. He completed the boat, sailed it once then donated it to Sail 4 Cancer when he moved abroad and could not take the boat with him.

Lifting bulb keel, excellent stability with shallow draught.

It is a complete boat, with all hardware and sails, ready for coastal cruising. The lifting bulb keel and twin rudders will get her into shallow anchorages that are inaccessible to larger or deeper-draught boats.

Swept spreader rig for easy handling, less complication than a Mini 650 rig.

100% of the selling price will be donated to Sail 4 Cancer (less yard fees etc), a UK charity that provides water based respite services for families affected by cancer. This is an excellent opportunity to buy a boat at a very affordable price and benefit a worthwhile charity at the same time.

Efficient cockpit with cuddy for shelter when on watch.

She is priced to sell, at £6,000 and well worth a look to see if she may suit you.

To see more of this and our other designs, visit http://dixdesign.com/.

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Didi 950 Build Started

Michael Vermeersch of Ohio commissioned the Didi 950 design and has now started construction of his boat. He is building from a pre-cut plywood kit that was supplied by Chesapeake Light Craft in Annapolis. The kit arrived as 61 sheets of plywood with all components accurately cut by CNC router and packed on 2 pallets.

Michael reports that he is progressing well with the assembly of the backbone and bulkheads and that everything is fitting together beautifully. A few more bulkheads to go, then he will be ready to start setting up on the building stocks.

Michael with wife Pat & daughter Catherine.

Since adding this design to our stock design list, another three boats have been started. They are in Australia, Greece and Latvia.

The Didi 950 is drawn to the Class 950 Rule and detailed for building by the radius chine plywood construction method. It can be built from plans only or from a kit. Kits are currently available in USA but can be supplied by most of our international kit suppliers as well. Enquire with the supplier in your area and I will send the files to them for pricing. Note that for USA you must order from us, you cannot order it directly from Chesapeake Light Craft.

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

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Didi 950 Build Stringers going on

Earlier this month I posted about the start of construction of the Didi 950 of Micheal Vermeersch in Ohio. Construction is progressing nicely.

The backbone components have all been fitted and glued. They have slotted connections, egg-crate fashion, with all of the bulkheads. Further into the project all of those junctions will be strengthened with structural epoxy fillets.

The sheer clamps have been scarphed into lengths sufficient to span the full length of the boat, from available shorter lengths. Before that they were also bevelled along both edges to remove excess material to save time later planing them to shape.  The sheer clamps are the major strength members along the deck edge. Normally they would sit flat against the inside of the hull skin but with these designs I turn them diagonally across the corner for a cleaner and lighter detail that also has a better balance of gluing area between the components that are being joined.

Now Michael is fitting the hull stringers. With this method of construction the stringers are arranged to suit the different regions of the hull skin. In the photo below you can see the sheer clamp, spanning the bottom corners of the bulkheads. Just above that is a topside stringer. There will be another similar stringer close to the chine that will accurately align the upper side panel.

The other full-length stringer that is in place is the tangent stringer that defines the edge of the curved portion of the hull that is laminated from thinner plywood. On top of the hull there is a stringer partially slotted in, defining the other edge of the curved panel.

Below the tangent stringer is a short stringer at the right in the photo. This is an additional stringer needed to fill in the space where the side panel increases in width due to the tightening of the radius toward the bow.

In the foreground are stringer lengths that will be scarphed together into the long lengths required. The angles have been planed and are ready for gluing.

 

 

 

 

 

Didi 950 with hull stringers being fitted.

To see more of this and our other designs, go to http://dixdesign.com/

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Didi Mini Mk3 in Vancouver BC

Mark Paterson lives in Burnaby, British Columbia, in Canada. In 2010 he was one of the first customers to buy plans for the Didi Mini Mk3. His boat is nearing completion and he expects to launch before the end of this year.

I met Mark in 2011 when I was a speaker at the Metal Boat Festival in Anacortes, WA. He drove down from Canada to meet, a pleasant surprise for me seeing as he was building a plywood boat and I was there to discuss steel and aluminium boats with people who work with cold and hard materials, grinders and sand-blasters.

A few weeks ago, when I was a presenter at the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, WA, Mark came down again. He caught up with me at the Didi Cruise-Mini that was being exhibited by David Blessing. Mark gave me a flash drive loaded with photos of his project, from start through to the present nearly complete stage. I will post photos of his project over the next few weeks.

Marks Didi Mini Mk 3 with hardware going on.

 Mark has done some exquisite work while building his boat, work of which any builder would be rightfully proud. Some of it is above the level of expertise that I would expect from an amateur builder and is to his own detailing, modified from my drawings and made from carbon/epoxy instead of aluminium or stainless steel. The lighter weight of these items will go some way to offset the comfortable interior that he has put into his boat. I can see the influence of a wife in the interior.

Nice galley to cook up a storm in a little boat.

I wont show the early construction photos. The construction method is much like her bigger sister, the Didi 950 that is shown in posts on this blog over the past few months and I dont want to bore you with repeated info. You can access the Didi 950 posts through the archive list at left. Instead I will focus on the more interesting aspects of Marks build. Watch for those posts over the next few weeks.

To see more of this design and others in our portfolio, please visit http://dixdesign.com/

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