David wrote:

A point about cockpit design comes to mind, Annie. Some boats tend to go nose-down a degree or two when under way. Weaverbird does this, and any water that splashes into the cockpit pools at the forward end until I stop sailing. Obviously there isn't any aftwards slope on the sole. Tystie is OK, so that amount of slope is about right. 

When we built Badger, Pete oh-so-carefully set the cockpit with a slope of about 2°  , so that it would drain aft.  Unfortunately, since the boat had been set up, she had settled a little and was a little over 2° down by the bow ...  With that thought in mind, I decided on a generous rake to the cockpit sole.

With the exception of some genuine "quality time" with junkie friends, I have been continuing with the cockpit.  Not much to see, really, but I updated my blog anyway.

I forgot to post here, but I updated my blog a couple of days ago, for those following.

What you should be aiming for here is to keep as much weight as possible out of the stern of the vessel, so heavier items should be stowed forward closer to the companionway, and fewer lighter items aft. Don't go looking for things to put in the lazarette, put as little as possible here, but I know that as a live-aboard yacht there are essentials that you need to cart around.

I have always been slightly shocked at what I have had to take off each of my yachts when I have sold them, despite the fact that I thought I was travelling light. So these days Purge, purge, purge, is my motto.

A large lazarette such as you will have seems a good place to carry spare lines and other items which are too bulky to fit in the accommodation interior and any deck lockers.

OK, fellow junkies.  Please help my memory.

I'm fitting out under the cockpit and am thinking that a good way to do this will be with shelves and plastic boxes.  This should produce a (relatively) speedy solution and be lightweight.  The boxes, by definition, don't conform very well to a boat's shape, so should also be instrumental in ensuring that the stern doesn't get overloaded.

The boxes that seem most suitable are 220 x 430 x 310H (internal dimensions).  I shall probably buy one taller one for a 4l container of WEST epoxy with its pump in place.  Now, apart from various pieces of wood and spare oars, can anyone think of something I am likely to require, that essentially comes under the heading of 'ships's equipment' and probably won't fit in one of these boxes?  I was going to go through Hiscock's Commissioning List for inspiration (hardback copy of Cruising Under Sail), but the lady I lent the book to, has gone walkabout.

I have two tool chests, larger than the abovementioned boxes, which will probably hold my hand tools, both power and manual, with the possible exception of my long handsaw.

I'm sure you all have favourite things you can't do without, but what I'm asking for is a more general inventory, which contains something pretty hefty that I've completely forgotten about.  Or never even thought of!

Anyway, it will be interesting to hear what everyone else stuffs into their lazarette!

Peter wrote:

JRA dinghy????  I must have missed that.  Can someone point me in the right direction, a search brings up lots of dinghy stuff... but nothing about a JRA dinghy :-(

Annie

Progress looks fantastic, hopefully I'll get to see it in person before much longer :-)

Pete

If you go to this page you will see something about the dinghy.  John reckons it will be very stiff - you should just about be able to stand on the gunwale, although when he said this, I'm not sure if he was referring to my 55kg or his 95kg!  The design has the capacity to be made unsinkable, for those who like that idea and it is first and foremost a decent, good capacity tender, but being able to pop in a junk rig and go sailing is very high up on the list of things it must do and do well.

Anyone who is interested in the design should email John and tell him to get it finished!!!