Hillman Imp dry sump motor,a picture of Johns engine

Left click the picture to see the full details!

This ties in with our regular exports of the full race inlet and exhaust manifolds we are exporting,the car is a Beach formula single seater,it won its class in the USA last year,at this time the manifold we have supplied is not fitted to the engine,just check out Johns preperation!

Christmas on Hout Bays YC marina

This picture is titled 'Christmas at Home',thats a very small Janet McBride in the cockpit and her mother Jean, standing on the dock,the boat is our first 'Endurance 37',named Ocean Planet,we had just sailed around from our RCYC marina in Cape Town.Left click the picture to view full screen size.



Ok,its some time back but this picture taken by me with my trusty Canon FT SLR camera, is just as valid now as then,its that cruising family life many aspire to,some never make it,some just for a short time but its the adventure that keeps the dream going!

June too Soon,October its over

Left click to view full size and read it.


This is a reminder of what the hurricane season is all about,while we were in Trinidad at the TTYA (Trinidad and Tobago Yachting Association) we were handed this A4sheet as a reminder as to where we were in the world.

Motor boat design by Justin

This idea may soon be our next ply/epoxy kit offering,we will do the boats interior too,a very simple construction method prooven by all the boat kits we have produced to date.




This continues on the idea of the Commuter power boat,this design is not complete,its a proposal for a craft sized forty feet long and ten feet wide,with nothing cast in concrete as fas as the sizes are concerned,we know this type of craft has a future as a weekender but also as a retirement home.

Justin comments:

Hi Roy - been entertaining myself with this concept of a 40ft powercruiser.

Long and thin - I think she will be quite agile and easy to build in hard chines, with a box keel.

Selling points would be:

Economical to build and operate
Offers a lot of accommodation for her size. Two versions are shown - one has an extra aft cabin for guests/chartering.
Traditional looks
Ideal for Med, European rivers, and Intra-coastal waterway.
Long range - about 2-4 k n.m depending on tankage.
Quite comfortable for a motor cruiser - limited rolling.
Light and airy saloons
Very quiet underway It wouldn't be hard to make this boat unsinkable and fully self-righting. Need to do the tricky work on hulls etc before I can prove this though
I also suspect she would sail suprisingly well off the wind with the features of a sharpie (allowing for limited reserve stability, small rudder and large fixed prop). Though this is not the design objective at all . . .


Cheers The "40' Light Cruiser" was conceived as a yachtsman's alternative to a sailboat for cruising grounds in the Med, Baltic, perhaps the West Coast of Scotland -alternatively the Intra Coastal Water way, the Caribbean or similar. She is intended as a very economical displacement boat, capable of 6-7 kts on a single economical 50Hp engine. Sketches shown are concept drawings for a a simple and easily constructed hull. The hull form is not finalised yet, but will be based on an advanced sharpie concept, with a box-keel, and moderate deadrise. This will keep the weights very low, for good reserve stability and reduced rolling, while allowing the engine to be sunk low into the keel, with a near-horizontal shaft angle. The keel itself will be metal-plated below allowing grounding and shoal draft cruising. While most economical at hull speeds, this type of hull-form can easily be moved at semi-displacement speeds of up to about 20 kts without much bother, but initial design intention is purely for economy, safety, ease of construction, and low cost.

Normally, this design brief results in a light trawler boat concept. However, it is intended the sharpie hull will offer simpler construction, lower cost, better looks, less windage etc. Possibly less rolling too but this needs to be assessed once a design is available.

Compared with a sailboat, the advantages of this kind of vessel include:
- ideal for rivers, bridges, canals, and shoal-draft estuaries etc
- allows voyaging in ideal weather conditions (don't have to wait for the wind)
- easy short-handed cruising (retired couple)
- easily beached or grounded on box-keel for maintenance
- ability to see out through cabin windows at eye-level
- low cost of construction (no rig or keel required)
- easily stored on land in hurricane season (low and flat)
- easily constructed in marine ply with no complex curves

Sharpies of this nature start to make sense at 40' LOA. Due to their flat underbodies, sufficient headroom is not easily achieved on shorter vessels, unless they become very high and slab-sided. At 40' (perhaps 39' for licensing reasons and mooring costs) - they start to offer generous accommodations, excellent cruising range, and ride comfort.

Principle dimensions:
LOA 40'
Beam 10'
Fuel Tankage - 1000 litres
Power - 50Hp diesel inboard driving a single slow turning 18' prop
Cruising speed 6-7 kts
Range - 2k n.m. with some reserve.
Displacement (loaded) est. 6000 Kg




Justin

The calm of Hout Bay

Well if this is winter in Hout Bay,I am staying put! This picture of Hout Bay YCs marina,shows what a wonderfull place we have here at the end of Africa,the marina is well serviced and has both water and electricity,we also have dustbins which are emptied on a regular basis.Of course its not calm like this all the time,but often enough to make is a worth while visit if your passing by.
Converions to U$ Dollers as of todays exchange rate of R8 to U$1.00
R 750 = U$ 94
R 850 = U$106
R 950 = U$119
R1150 = U$144

The above is as posted and subject to change and the marina rules which every visitor must sign his or her acceptance to.For specific information contact the Marina Manager,Peter Godley at peter@hbyc.co.za or phone on 021 790-7095 (marina office line,fax and phone)

Rates? if your using external currency its probable that these prices will look very good to you and if you pre pay BEFORE October,you may just get our old rates by way of a discount,its worth asking when you lay your cash on the table!

Liverpool to Cape Town,the race begins!

Liverpool is of course my original home town but so now is Cape Town,so its a delight to publish this picture of the race fleet starting in 2002 on the River Mersy,next stop is of course Cape Town.
picture is by the Liverpool Daily Post & Echo ltd,my folks bought this copy.

USS 67 JFK air craft carrier docking in Malta

Left click to view full size!

This is in Malta,I would like to thank a customer for bringing this great picture to my attention,thanks Andrew!

Star Wars,Norfolk,Virginia,USA

Left click on the picture to view full size and see all the detail!

Seen by me on a power boat trip around the harbour,Charlie was the boats skipper,he knew where to go,this was an eye opener to myself,these war ships were put into mothballs pending a required use in times of later conflict?
Picture is copyright to Roy McBride,the camera was a Canon FT with a 1.4 50mm lens,the film was Kodaks Ektachrome pro slide 35mm.

Voyager batteries from AC Delco

Left click on each page to enlarge so you can read the information.




I have long used AC Delco sealed batteries,there are a number of reasons,size being one,the ability to hold a full charge for a very long time is another,its no bad idea to keep one unused and not connected on your yacht against the day when you have a battery failure and need to crank your engine over.