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Wheelhouse
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The Wheelhouse on the 44 is really the heart of the boat. When the going gets rough this is “the place to be”!, and we have spent a lot of time making “Unda’s” safe and comfortable.
A dedicated Plotter with intergrated Colour Radar, and a massive Chart Table makes navigation a pleasure. Warm and dry, we even come on watch on night passages in our “carpet slippers”!
A substantial wheel puts you in command, and with the feel of a “Little Ship” you are really in control.
So let’s look at the navigational stuff first:-
The Radar/Plotter uses C-Map cartridges which are easy to obtain and update.
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The Furuno Radar/Plotter is on a sliding platform that can be easily positioned and slid forward for entering data, then slid back to clear the chart table whilst underway.
Full colour radar can be used independently, or overlayed on top of the plotter, a real boon to coastal passagemaking.
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A large clear display makes it very easy use, and numerous data such as waypoints etc can be shown on the screen
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And it’s not just protection from bad weather that the wheelhouse provides.
Pleasant shade is most welcome when it is literally “too hot to walk on the deck”.
As the photo on the right shows, a large sliding hatch provides plenty of ventilation; and when we are in harbour or on an anchorage we have another small awning that goes over the main boom to give yet more shade from the sun.
The twin station DSC Radio also has an “Intercom” funtion for communicating with the outside helm
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For added safety we have constructed drop in “washboards” to fit the trademark “Nauticat” sliding doors each side.
Easily stowed, they are only deployed in very heavy weather, or put in as a matter of course when on night passages.
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However, the commodious wheel house doesn’t just provide a safe and cosy navigation station. Beautiful leather seating makes it he ideal place for entertaining.
In harbour or at anchorage you can sit in comfort, with a good view of what’s going on all around you.
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Main view looking aft, the door leads into the Owners suite. The highly flexible accomodation has been designed to give safe comfortable seating in a rolling, sea with substantial armrests a feature.
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Then in harbour, out comes the carpet and table, ideal for alfresco dining and entertaining.
It’s especially nice on a wet and miserable day not to be “stuck down below” as in a traditional yacht
And it’s not just a pretty face, hidden away are sorts of innovative stowage ideas.
The photo left shows the flag locker, that pulls out to give access to the washing machine.
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Need somewhere to keep all the tools ? Not a problem on “Unda”, these tool drawers are ONE METRE deep, and a multitude of sliding drawers means that tools are easily accessible and can be transported to any part of the yacht.
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The Teak and Holly flooring lifts is sections to give access to the engine, generator, batteries, calorifier and massive stowage space.
It’s so big we even manage to stow two folding bycycles, plus all our winter warps, more tools, battery charger and no amount of “stuff”.
The floor panels are soundproofed, and the engine itself is in another soundproofed box which makes for a beautifully silent engine when underway. Everything slides back to give easy access to the essential service points on the Ford 120hp engine.
The 6kva watercooled generator is also in its own soundproofed container (right)
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