It’s All About Attitude


trailersailer design series, from the Didi 23 through to the Didi 29 Retro, have two options for aſt berths. One is a trans- verse double berth under a broad bridge- deck between the companionway and the front of the cockpit well. Te other is a pair of single quarterberths under the cockpit seats. Both options sleep two people, so what difference does it make? The transverse double is good for


We all have attitude—it is part of our makeup and defines how we interact with the world and how others see us. We all sometimes interact with people who have “attitude,” generally something about their behavior that rubs us the wrong way. Another meaning for attitude is how


something is physically positioned with reference to something else close by, or to the rest of the world. It can be how a boat floats or the stance of a car relative to the surface on which it stands. A boat can have a bow-down attitude, meaning that it floats deeper in the bow than the designer intended. Physical position relative to surround-


ings has importance in some decisions taken by a designer when drawing a new boat. It can also affect the appeal of the design to potential buyers or boats built to it. We all have preferences, primar- ily based on our own experiences and the type of boating we have previously done. If your preferences are based not on experience but rather on what has been expressed by others in your circle of friends or reading list, then you need to understand the implications of your preferences. I say this because those who have been there don’t always agree on what is best. Most of this has more to do with


bigger boats than sailing dinghies, but it does impact on trailersailers and other small cruisers. Most of what I discuss here is about monohulls and not applicable to multihull sailing. Much of it has to do with being comfortable in whatever activity we are involved in at the time. And what one person feels is comfortable may not be comfortable to someone else. I will start with berth orientation


because it was a brief discussion on this subject with a potential builder that prompted me to write on this topic. Most of the boats in my radius-chine plywood


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weekending and coastal cruising that allows anchoring at night, so that you can sleep horizontal. If used under sail, you need to decide whether to sail with your head above your feet or vice-versa. If the boat has more than a few degrees of heel, you will be fighting against sliding down- hill, which would be less uncomfortable if you are feet-downward. When sailing downwind in big seas, the boat will roll considerably and you will alternate be- tween head-up and head-down attitudes, which can be very uncomfortable. The two single quarterberths are


better for racing and for ocean voyaging. When sleeping on the leeward side, you can lie against the hull side or lockers to keep you in place. When sleeping in the windward berth, a strong lee-cloth will serve the same purpose. Rolling downwind in big seas is not a problem because your entire body goes up and down together. Tis is a very comfortable sea-berth. Orientation of the toilet is another


example. A boatbuilder friend and I discussed this years ago. Both of us have thousands of miles of ocean sailing but we differ in our preferences. The toilet is going to face fore/aſt or athwartships (sidewards). Occasionally it may be at an angle, but that is uncommon. At anchor, moored or in smooth-water conditions, it really makes no difference which way the toilet faces. Far from land in rough seas it’s totally different. My own preference is for it to face


fore/aft between two vertical surfaces about 600mm (24") apart. This allows one to sit on the toilet and lean against the leeward surface, which is about as comfortable as it can be when doing business in a bouncing boat. If the boat lurches or falls heavily off a wave, you are securely in your position and able to brace with your feet to be very stable. Te lid will be up and it will stay up. I find that the alternative of the toilet facing across the boat makes it more


Another meaning for attitude is how something is physically positioned...


challenging to use. If seated and facing downhill you have to brace strongly with your feet and you may need a bungee or other physical restraint to stop the lid from hitting you in the back. Facing uphill is no less uncomfortable and poses different challenges to keep yourself in place on the seat and from being thrown backwards if the boat lurches heavily. Te lid won’t be an issue, it will stay in place leaning away from your back. Galley configuration also has differ-


ences of opinion. Cooking on an almost static and level boat at anchor is easy and can be done in almost any galley. Take that boat onto a lumpy ocean in strong breeze and the configuration of the galley becomes very important. If it is arranged linearly along one side of the cabin then it becomes difficult to stay in place for food preparation and cooking, whether on the windward or leeward side. A strap around the cook can hold them in place but makes it difficult to get out of the way of a cooking spill. Tis arrangement places the sink close to the side of the boat, where draining will be a problem when on the leeward side and without a holding tank, because the sink may be below the heeled waterline. The next option is a U-shape galley


with the opening facing inboard. The stove is normally placed at the base of the U, where it can swing on its gimbals. When on the leeward side, the cook can brace to stay in place with a foot against the locker below the stove, so no restraint is needed. When on the windward side the cook will have no way to stay in place unless a strap is used, once again preventing the cook from escaping a cooking spill. Te sink will be far enough from the hull side for draining to not be an issue. My favorite is a U-shape with the


opening facing either forward or aft. This allows the cook to brace between the arms of the U on either tack and to escape rapidly in the event of a spill. Tis arrangement also allows the sink to be close to centerline of the hull, for easy draining on either tack. I will continue with other design fea- tures in a future column. •SCA•


SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR


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