Saturday 5 November 2011

About time,ours is increasing!

With Britains clocks all going back last week one hour its lighter for them in the morning now but quite dark by 4.30pm,here we just get more and more day light time,its about fourteen hours now?


The sun rise and sunset care of Garmins GPS 192c chart plotter and on a boat in Hout Bay Harbour,South Africa.

R McB

Friday 4 November 2011

Mark three wheel bearing sets to the Toylander

Development has not been as easy as I hoped,the main issue being to make the parts as drawn,that was the easy part but then sourcing the other bits was the main issue.Its all coming together now though and stocks to the mark three ball bearing axles are now in stock.


Bumpers,front and rear axles,wind screen brackets and steering columns.


The new axles,this is a front stub axle,have ball bearings on a specially machined solid bar,use Fluid Film to prevent rust at a later stage.


A rear axle tube,again specially machined to take a sealed ball bearing set.

R McB

Thursday 3 November 2011

Nandi wins!

I am back from my various trips down memory lane and a part survey of a classic motor launch said to belong to the King of Denmark,plus  sanding a set of mast and spars to a Stornaway 14 for a customer.
I find that one of our customers who built himself a Dix 34 from one of our kits is out there mixing it with the HBYC race fleet  and winning too.


The Dix 34,Nandi,at launch time is now winning races.

Wednesday Night Sailing results

1 Nandi (Dix 34, Nick Fairley)
2 Megafreight (S imonis 35, J Ocenasek)
3 Aquamaniac (Pacer 27 CR, J Roux)

Cool weather and a bit of a chop on the water, and a mild Westerly, enabled the fleet to manage a traingle and a sausage in the bay, followed by usual bar and galley fare. Another good mid-week break!

Its nice to see genuine competition for the podium from all boats, using pure club handicap ratings.

R McB

Sunday 30 October 2011

Scenic Hout Bay from above

Not the worst place to arrive at by yacht and it gets better when you dock at the friendly HBYC marina.Vulcan Rock is probably just out of view on the extreme left hand side of the picture,its position has been added next to its picture below.

Pictures by R McBride

The harbour is to Port,the port entrance lights can only be seen once past the entry,as long as you stay clear of the drying reef just past the Sentinal and before the start of the harbour wall,there are no sunken dangers in the bay but off the large peak named The Sentinal lies Vulcan Rock.That breaks in most weather and is best left well alone.


A crusing guide gives the rocks poistion as 34 03,9s and 18 18,6e,its best you check your own chart to ensure this is in fact correct?
An unusual calm day,In Chapmans Bay and looking towards The Sentinal rock and with Vulcan Rock in the foreground,normally this rock is awash,so easy to spot.It is not marked except on the chart.



The main area of Hout Bay and looking towards the harbour entrance,left click to enlarge pictures and see more detail.

R McB