Optimist building progress.

Its good to see the boat in construction, having made them myself I know whats involved,so some back up is possible. We supply a 14 page builders book, plus around 10 pages on the dimensions from the Optimist Association, we have their permission to do this.

Looks great,the lad will soon be sailing!

Hi Roy,

Attached photo reflects a cheesy grin from William as the construction begins to look like the real thing.

Next, the corner knees and dagger board. 

Regards,

Stuart.

Bio-Magic UK posting

We have close connections with a company in Great Britain, Bio-Magic UK.
They have a links page and have posted CKD Boats on that link.

If you are a trade and are looking for discounts, please contact us via our Contact us page at bottom of page.

http://biomagic-uk.hostedbyamazon.co.uk/

CKD Boats cc can import their goods for you when the orders make a
bulk purchase.

For UK customers just phone direct and speak to Alex or Sonia,they will
offer you a good deal and sparkling service.

Phone on  Tel: 01530-249253
 Roy

This next blog is number 2001

This is of course the start of the next 1000 blogs and on to the next mile stone of 3000 postings,when we will arrive there I have no idea?

I wish to use this blog to say thanks to all of our customers where ever you may be. That's a large area, with some thirty two (32) countries we have now shipped kits or materials to, its a lot of places and world wide. Even Antartica,which I had not included in my list.

Many thanks!

Roy McBride

A 16 foot long dinghy build continues story, is our blog number 2000!

A Stornaway 16 in ply/epoxy.

This was not one of our kits, we did not even supply the materials, then a request for a mast and spars came in. With that as an order we also supplied the International Paints required to spray the boat, that and the  advice he was asking for about the paint process and what type of spray gun to use.

Thats a nice looking hull shape, its a multi panel build, the drawing has been CNC prepared and I think we can now offer it as a kit. You will need to buy the plans from Selway Fisher first though.

This is the best gun to use, its a high volume low pressure gun, gravity feeds the paint and you need no more than 2 bars of air pressure to feed it with (28 pounds) with an even lower pressure  you will find there is very little over spray.

Sign making in wood

we have done a bit of sign work in the past but I have never thought of it as
a regular Item, then word gets around and now and again we get the special orders.

A sign made from teak becomes two things, interesting and of course, expensive but check the result, a sign is supposed to say something, I think this one does.

This is what all the work was about, there are so many stages in the work.

Dudley's old wooden jack plane,it must be around eighty (80) years old, maybe older? I call it the Whistler, as that's the sound it makes as it shave's off wood, the blade is a forged steel bi-metal construction, made in Scotland.

Application of the phenolic glue, it is important to do both sides and do them well.

 This special glue is a stock item for us.

The two teak planks are now jointed,glued and clamped,it will be a day or two before the clamps are removed.

Joint and join the wood, its near invisible, I did that with Dudley Middletons old wood jack plane.

 The joint line has a 6mm marine ply strip in it, the glue of choice is phenolic, the same glue used on the marine ply.

The CNC work was done by Nigel, he really does do a great job.

Twin pack primer, sprayed on with a low pressure gun.

The paint process takes a number of hours and many stages. First is to fill any small holes,then a light sanding. The primer is next and at least four coats were applied, just like the finish coats, the primer is a twin pack paint.

It sanded up well but teaks nice to work with.

The finished sign, ready to hang and display today! I will add a picture of the sign mounted when I have it.

I hope this series of pictures explains the method and allows you to understand what the long process is.

R McB

A vessel securely moored in Hout Bay Harbour

There are many, is it six? sunken fishing boats sunk on the slip side of the harbour.
Due to the  theft of sea cocks and metal hull fittings, this is in full view of the
Harbour Masters office. There is of course no harbour master employed in our harbour
these days.

High Tide

Note the mooring line, thats just in case she floats herself and trys to leave port?

Low Tide,its not very deep here? pictures by Roy McBride using a Ganon G11 digital camera.

This old boat was not vandlised ,she sank in an easterly gale tied where she lays ,in this case a hull  plank sprung and the one crew member aboard that night, could not contain the in rush of water. I suspect that this and the other six are available for free, if you raise them yourself?

Lavranos 56 monohull

We have no stock monhull of this size, a USA enquiry to a 55ft yacht kit got me thinking of this boat.


Sea Angel 56

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Kevin Johnson Boatbuilders in Devonport is built this under contract from Sea Angel Yachts, the first Sea Angel 56, a fast offshore cruiser for a local yachtsman. Built in wood, grp/epoxy sheathed, the boat has been designed so that it will look after the crew when the elements are at their toughest.

The boat is being built to survey and certification by New Zealand, and European authorities. Hull plating on the Sea Angel 56 is four diagonally laid skins of mahogany ply, glassed over for ease of maintenance. Internal finishes will match those of similar sized yachts at the top of the market.

The Sea Angel 56 incorporates all the equipment for safe and comfortable gulf cruising and ocean passages, including: genset, dive compressor, air conditioning, washing machine, watermaker, airconditioning, and all those other things that make a modern yacht a pleasure to spend a lot of time on. It also carries all the survival equipment necessary for safety when in places where assistance cannot be expected. The large cockpit has been designed so that it can be a preferred sleeping area when the yacht is in the Hauraki Gulf, Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the Caribbean or the Mediterranean.

LENGTH OVERALL 17.00 Meters
LENGTH DWL 14.92 Meters
BEAM 4.66 Meters
DRAUGHT 2.25 Meters
DISPLACEMENT 20,000 Kilograms
FUEL CAPACITY 1100 Liters
FRESH WATER 1000 Liters
POWER VOLVO TAMD 31M 80 KW
MAINSAIL 68 Sq Meters
ROLLER FURL HEADS'L 80 Sq Meters
CODE 0 100 Sq Meters
GENNEKER 140 Sq Meters

Note: This boat is a large project,its not your normal amature build kit set,rather a team job that will require a trained boat builder/manager. Having said this,in many respects, building can become easier as the size gets larger.

How hard can that be!

Roy

New mast kit build to the Optimist

Tommorrow we start a new mast set to the Optimist kit we sell.You can buy in alloy at more than twice the price and six times the hype but which mast will be better on the day? We weighed the mast kit,it came out to 3.66 kgs wrapped,so an acceptable weight.

Our Optimist kit,its dry assembled and as you can see at someones garage driveway.Its quite an easy job.

Optimist dinghy mast kits

Packed and showing an optional plastic mast ring we import direct from the manufacturers in Europe.


Goose neck halves CNC cut from 15mm ockume marine plywood.


The crate closed and lid screwed down,note the steel band strapping,the carton contains epoxies.


Contents of a crate with two Optimist kits inside.

We have just exported two sets of Optimist kits,they fit easiliy into a crate we made,plus a carton to pack the required epoxies in.As often happens the base order for two Optimists and a builders jig became more when we were asked to supply the required inflatable floats and sets of masts too.The mast sets were priced from the Optiparts agent and in Silver alloy,we placed the order for two sets at a rather high price per set,only to find they are not stock items.

We then looked at what was required and costed the same in wood and for R2000 a set,complete with small parts such as stainless saddles,plastic cleat and plastic jammer,to this we added a set of CNC cut boom goose necks and then wrapped the whole lot as a kit.We weighed the mast kit,it came out to 3.66 kgs wrapped,so an acceptable weight,we can offer selected timbers that will save more weight so I would think around 3 kgs a set?

The Optimist wood mast and spars kit

We normally ask buyers of the Optimist boat kit to either make their own mast set or buy the quite expensive alloy options.

There is another option,we can make it the way the design was intended,in wood,why not!


How hard can this be!

The moulded black plastic mast support ring is a stock Item.We can also supply a Harken deck package with your kit.

That really hard to find Harken part 387R 16mm block that fits at the mast and sprit joint is also ex stock.

R McB

The hard dodger or spray cover.

This idea has been a huge success,the relief from both wind,sun and spray while still having a full view of whats happening around us is just perfect.

Seen here on a Dix 43,we can re size some to fit smaller and larger boats.

 Lots of comfort and space and no worry about polycarbonate windows fading from the suns UV either. Do you know that tempered glass is made locally for far less than polycarbonates of a similar thickness.

Locally we supply in parts,which are the CNC panels to form the front and sides with.The glass is clear tempered,we can do a tint also,Dow Corning 813 silicone is supplied to glue the glass in,you will require no fastners with this product.

 Granny takes full advantage of the comfort and space inside the dodger.

The curved roof panel has a special egg crate type plug or mould to form the playwood lamination over. All epoxies,glass tapes and cloth come with the kit.We can ship as a flat pack world wide.

Hout Bay looking from the Chapmans Peak Drive side.

Superform Bending ply ex stock

This was posted last week? We now have trade size packs,for normal retail please contact our outlets at either Citywoods in Parrow,or Davidson Boards,who have a number of outlets.

For any technical back up please contact myself.

Superform is CE approved,important to know on any job,vital on exports.

Roy

Roys Hillman Imp Years,now at http://royckdboats.blogspot.com/

Some of you may know my interest in a car named a Hillman Imp? The saga starts in Liverpool when I was seventeen,I bought a one owner light grey (Rootes balmoral grey) Hillman Imp and it started from then on. All sorts have been said about how good and how bad this car was,it must have had its faults but post WW2 this was fully accepted.

My first ever car,it was super reliable too,I did a couple of trips to the continent with it and took my mates,check the roof carrier,that car was loaded!

I have recently joined a WPMC forum and posted around 380 items on my Imp experiances,its been a fun trip and I am not anywhere near finished but there is a problem. To access the forum we need to sign up and if after a few months,we add nothing into it,we are removed.

http://www.classiccarracers.co.za/forum/

So I have started a new blog thats dedicated to the Hillman Imp,it will also have our other cars,friends cars too but the main thread will always by the Imp.

You can view it at the link below,its titled Roys Hillman Imp Years.

http://royckdboats.blogspot.com/

Killarney Cape South Easter event,4th to 5th February 2012

Seen here in what are named New Pits is my good pal Eric Wells,a competant sailor and fellow Hillman Imp owner.We had a great day at the races!

Thats a reproduction Lola T70 in the background,the MGA has had just three owners.One was Spike Milligan,he was there yesterday and told us the engine has not been opened for about 25 years!

Two very nice classics,they both look new,one is and it has an air conditioner.

The names and my unintended self portrait (look into the paint)

A Lola T70,not a Hillman Imp to be seen.

Eric and Spike,thats the Lola T70 behind them.

Spikes drive,he is over here from the UK specially to drive to drive in this event series.

The car is a Camero V8

All pictures by Roy McBride,the camera was Canons G11 on auto setting,som tele lens was used on a few shots.The glorious Cape Town weather and sunshine helps this kind of work! We arrived before 8am to take full advantage of the light from the morning sun.