LANDING in St Kitts after an Atlantic cross¬ing, I remember well how miserably my legs took up the business of walking again. Eighteen days at sea had reduced them to rubber and it was almost a week before I could stride out again.
Which goes to show that sail¬ing isn't a very perpendicular activity, being conducted for the most part parked in stately fash¬ion on one's stern. This makes the design of a cockpit a very important matter. If you're going to spend a lot of time there, you might as well make it as comfortable as possible.

When I came to design my own boat I remembered the slothful creed, 'don't stand when you can sit; don't sit when you can lie down,' so I thought the cockpit should offer all options within the same space ¬thus allowing transition between athletic vigour and blissful somnolence without any exhausting perambulations.

The seats should be both long enough (2m) and of a width that strikes a compromise between what might be ideal for a berth and ditto for a bench (say, O.5m). To save you from one of those restless 'princess and the pea' experiences, it should be clear of such things as locker hinges and other knobbly hard¬ware which can transform an otherwise comfortable surface into a bed of nails.
Then, apart from comfort, I listed the other qualities a good cockpit should have: security, which not only means protec¬tion but includes being able to brace yourself properly in heavy conditions; access to all con¬trols - and having those that take strength, like the winches, placed where you can work them efficiently; good all-round vision when seated - you shouldn't have to be springing up all the time; and, very impor¬tantly, excellent drainage. Delivering a Nicholson 32, I was once comprehensively pooped off Cape Trafalgar and was astonished how long the cockpit took to empty.

After theorycomes practice
It shows what I came up with in plan, section and eleva¬tion. Let's see how the various points are addressed.
The side benches and their backs are angled so they remain comfortable when heeled. Typically, a helmsman will brace himself with a foot on the lee¬ward seat, so the tapered width of the well has been designed to be comfortable (for myself and Chele, as we're nearly the same height) at the normal helming position. Because there are no side decks aft, the coaming tops are wide (and again angled), sufficient to provide a higher tier on which to perch. Although not shown on the drawing, four sheet winches reside here, at a good position for applying some real winding wellie. For its various advantages, I've enjoyed a very similar arrange¬ment on my previous boat Spook, so had absolutely no hesitation in retaining this fea¬ture on the newer design.
You'll notice I've resisted the temptation to have extravagant¬ly radiused edges on the seats. Yes, I know they're kinder on the back of the legs, but seats must also serve as walkways and, particularly in poor light, it's dangerous if you can't see exactly where it's safe to step.
Modern cockpits tend to be higher above the water than was once common, mainly to give headroom to accommodation or walk-through passageways beneath. At sea, this gives the impression of sitting on the boat rather than in it, and also greatly exaggerates the sensa¬tion of heel.
To some extent, I expect my cockpit is no exception to share this phenomenom, but it's not extreme and I think the depth of the well and the height of the coaming are sufficient. Anyway,
it's not all bad news. A higher cockpit means a better view for¬ward - never to be sniffed at in our crowded waters.
Drainage is about as unimped¬ed as you can get. It can be seen that the cockpit sole effectively extends to form the decking of the sugar scoop stern, with a transverse locker forming an after bridgedeck. The base and forward face of the locker will be perforated to give some air circulation. A separate compart¬ ment inside will contain a pair a gas bottles and will vent through its base to the open air outside.
Should a wave sweep through the cockpit, it will be gone in a matter of seconds - the water running through below the lazarette and out over the tran¬som. Small secondary drains (not shown) will take care of any stubborn pockets.
The blunted wedge shape of the cockpit is essential with this type of system. Modern hulls tend to be broad aft, and can lift their sterns when hard pressed. Widening the well towards the stern ensures that cockpit sur¬faces will remain 'downhill' ¬thereby draining in the right direction, when heeled.
Finally, shiny GRP seats are dangerous and should be cov¬ered with an unaggressive cork or rubber based coating.