Radford 415 Design—Continued 3 |
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Masala’s Additional Design Features Masala has been carefully constructed to the Radford 415 design specifications. However, in certain non-critical areas, Craig and Lisa made some wonderful improvements. Dodger The Radford hard dodger is too small to provide the cockpit with adequate shelter from bad weather and the sun. Masala’s hard dodger is longer and higher, but still works in beautifully with the boat’s lines. There is room for two to sit under it on each side. Another improvement to the dodger design is to eliminate the ingress of water and dirt under the dodger through the holes where the halyards from the mast enter, by routing them around the outside of the dodger. The two winches that would normally be located on the cabin top have been moved to the cockpit coaming to suit, where they are easier to use. The result is a large, dry area under the dodger and forward of the companionway, completely free of rope clutter, which is ideal for keeping safety gear, clothing, binoculars, and an assortment of small items like sunglasses, hats, sea-sickness pills, etc. handy when sailing. In harbour or at anchor it is an ideal place to store the cockpit seat cushions when not in use. The hard dodger regularly draws favourable comment from admirers of the boat, and envious comments from those sailors whose yachts only have small and/or soft dodgers. Bowsprit The bowsprit has been extended to reduce the risk of damaging the hull when raising and lowering the anchor. Lifelines The standard wire lifelines have been replaced with solid stainless steel rails. Netting is available to enclose the entire deck, if desired (essential if you have children or pets). Gunwales The gunwales have been raised towards the bow end of the yacht, ensuring a drier deck, more secure footing, and less likelihood of items going overboard. External Lockers and Lazarette The standard lazarette has been deleted to allow for a larger aft cabin with more internal cupboard space. To partially compensate, two storage lockers have been built into the steps of the sugar scoop. The sugar scoop also houses two 9kg gas bottles, located in lockers on each side. Targa Bar A very strong targa bar with removable davits has been welded over the sugar scoop. It carries the dinghy, solar panels, GPS antenna and stern light. Wear Points High wear areas where paint is likely to be chipped have been capped with stainless steel before painting. Examples are the gunwale tops, fairlead edges, sugar scoop step edges, and cockpit edges adjacent to sheet winches. Insulation The hull is insulated to below the waterline with blown foam, a critical design feature in a steel boat—it keeps the vessel warm in winter, cool in summer, and prevents internal condensation. Floorplan The interior floorplan is a mirror image of the standard design to allow easy access to critical engine parts such as the oil filter, fuel injection system, and salt water cooling pump. |
