The Optimist kit from CKD Boats cc

These have been good sellers,they cost more than say a Dixi Dinghy due to the strict class rules but at least you have the fun in building your own race boat and its still less expensive than buying a GRP option .

 

Dry assembly and in the builders jig,that can be used a number of times if your a club,saving cost on the rest of the fleet.

 Note the two temporary bulkheads,they need to stay in place untill you have fitted the inner and outer side rails.Removal now will mean the boat will close up and not measure correctly.The bulkheads are part of the kit we supply,as is the rudder and dagger board.

Hi Roy,

Good progress so far and quite pleasing to see it out of the jig. Please see attached photographs.

I have almost completed the teak/epoxy fillets.  Not the prettiest of jobs but I hope that I can neaten this up with a more appropriate filler before painting.

 As always, I welcome your comments.

Best regards,

Stuart.

The graded teak wood dust is now kept for none slip deck finishes and

we now supply 3M micro balloons and fused silica to use as a fillet and filler paste.Being white and very light they are easier to handle and also to sand smooth.

R McB

Douglas Fir clears

Also known by the name of Oregon Pine,it has become scarce over the past decade,the last stock we had sold out and we were not able to replace the same close grained quality.We decided to take it from our stock offering but today its back and we can offer decent quality,suitable for mast making,even for domestic floors,we can supply it cut to size and T&G machined.

Here Mike is packing the last load of stock,it went out with one of our boat kits.

Note the stacked packs,that is Superform bending plys,in stock today!

R McB

Alloy Lavranos design used in the Survivor series

With our move to include alloy CNC kit packs,one designer tells me his alloy design was used in a Survivor TV series.The Lavranos design office has plans for alloy craft as large as 20 meters,others can be drawn to special order.

The nesting unsinkable dory was also used for the TV Survivor program, as a passenger boat, Camera platform, transporter workboat etc.  The 11m 

38 kt rescue boat was launched last year.

Regards,

Angelo

Superform Bending ply ex stock

Available in mixed pack lots,trade or retail,trade buyers will be expected to have commitment and buy in bulk.A Retail guide price is an indication only,prices are bound to change with the built in cost factors such as transports to your point of sales outlets.

Think quality,not down to how low a price you can buy,genuine Superform is made in a CE controled factory,so you can use it for exports with confidence,not so other boards.

How to use Superform bending plys is open to the designer and individual craftsman.

It can be bent in more than one plane when your using a mould,its also water proof!

Contact me for prices,retail or trade.

South Africa and surounding countries.

R McB

An alloy yacht kit by Angelo Lavranos

We have had a look at the fact that kit sets as a sheet alloy CNC pack is possible,its not a move away from ply and epoxy but an additional material that should find its own attractions. Angelo has many alloy boats on his files,power and sail,so give us a call if there is another type of alloy craft your looking for.

9.9 METER “KITSET” ALUMINIUM  OCEAN CRUISER                         DESIGNED BY ANGELO LAVRANOS

 This little boat has evolved from our smallest  metal  cruiser “Seashirl”, in which she shares the same overall size and arrangement but  differs in that she is hard chine, and as such fully a “kitset” CNC cut boat. This includes all stringers and frames, so no extrusions are needed.   Any professional fabricator can assemble this boat quickly and easily.  It is the low cost way into a fully  capable  metal  ocean cruising boat. She has the displacement and  volume to be as comfortable as  a “production”  36 or 38.

 LOA                               9.990  meters

DWL                             9.240  meters
BEAM                           3.24   meters
DRAFT                        1.72  meters
DISPL                          6000  Kg
FRESH  WATER          240 lit
DIESEL                        200 lit
ENGINE                      27 HP Yanmar

Dixi Dinghy stuff

Its a nice size to build for an adult or two children,more than that and the larger Argie 10 comes in to focus

Jim who built his Dixi Dinghy from one of our kits,added the frames with holes,this is normally a closed box and floatation area.

A Dixi Dinghy tows really well,is that sun rise or sun set?

R McB

Wharram Tiki 30 and its Dixi Dinghy tender

The Tiki 30 is a kit of materials this far,we have yet to CNC cut the bulkhead frames but can offer that on request.The Wharram Tiki 38 is CNC ready,it includes much of the hull panels too.

Picture supplied by Jim,who owns the Tiki 30,he used our Dixi Dinghy kit as a training exercise for the pupils he works with in Mozambique.

The Dixi Dinghy is of course one of our regular dinghy kits,its the smaller version of the Argie 10 and Argie 15.

The Dixi Dinghy is as much boat as we can get from just two sheets of 6mm ply,thats a clever use of materials,there is just about no waste at all.The 6mm ply is a five veneer construction,so very strong.

Kommetjie Optimist build is fun

A kit we supplied to an Optimist dinghy kit is now under construction in Kommetjie,a suburb of Cape Town.

Hi Roy,

Thanks for the supply of AR-600 epoxy.

I have just glued the mast thwart pieces together and also glued the bow and stern doublers into place.

Temporary and centre bulkheads have been dry fitted and once the resin has dried, I will bevel and dry fit mast bulkhead and mast thwart into position.

So far all is going well, and lots of fun!

Note the ply floor stringers,you need to fix them in before the bulkheads,this info is all in our detailed 14 page builders guide we supply with each Optimist kit we sell.

Please see photos attached.

Regards,

Stuart

Note,this is not Stuarts build,its our own,I have included the picture so that the builders jig required can be fully viewed.

Roy

Dixi dinghy kit to Maputo

One of the many countries we have exported to is Mozambique,Jim wanted a small tender so suit the Wharram Tiki 30 catamaran they already had.The idea in the kit was education,a hands on lesson for pupils while Jim did the build.

Check the assembled Dixi dinghy shell at the back of the room.

Hi Roy,


I'm sorry for the long delay in communications with you, but I still enjoy reading your blog from time to time. I haven't been back to Cape Town since buying the Dixy dingy from you, but I thought I should at least send you a report and some photos. I am very pleased with our new tender! The construction went well with our 3 teen campers learning by my side. The usufulness of the dixy dingy design has exceeded my expectations. I feel fortunate I made the right choice. We don't plan to build another one right away but I think I will it will be the same design when we decide to do another boat-building project with our youth.

Lots of joy in this picture!

The Dixi Dinghy looks to be a right sized boat to the Wharram 30,we have supplied materials to the Wharram Tiki 30 builds a number of times,we also have the Wharram Tiki 38 on file as just about a fully cut kit set.

Our camps continue well, providing an effective tool for working with the Maputo youth, specifically the "priviledged" class who we have targeted. We plan to add to our (not-for-profit) youth program this year. We are researching the viability of starting a business to offer corporate team-building programs to Maputo larger companies.

Cruising along behind the Wharram Tiki 30,our now built up Dixi Dinghy kit looks just fine.

Attached are some recent photos of our trusty tender serving her yacht Wharram 30 Sonho.

Jim