TBA, dress right

Both the V&A Waterfront staff and TBA founder member Alan Craxton, were well dressed for the first morning of the Easter Regatta in Cape Town Harbour.

 Picture by R McBride and never published before.

The yacht next to them was Ocean Cloud, an Endurance 37, the yachts in the distance were part of a race fleet?

Roy

Optimist kit by CKD Boats

How to spot one of our kits?

Well we started with an order from the Knysna Yacht Club of five boats, that soon became eight boats, we did a special club deal with North Sails and a deck pack supplier. This works well when a club or group can do a bulk order, we pass on our discounts and the buyer scores. With an owner builder set up, the savings are large over a plastic made hull.

The CKD Boats hull number 14, we have done many more since then!

All of the original series of Optimist kits were marked as you can see in the photo, I note its dated 17th April 2005, so thats seven years back now. If you do not fancy the boat being marked with our logo and hull number, its easy to reverse the bulkhead and it will then be on the inside.

The wood/epoxy kit Optimist from CKD Boats cc weighs within the class requirement, its around 32kgs? weighed against some imported boats from China and using five of our boat builds, it worked out to be lighter on all of our boats.

How good is that!

Roy

Sonnet, a thirty square by Uffa Fox

A mail just in by way of Notty in the UK, he once owned Sonnet and is in touch with Gordon who used to sail on her with the original owner. Notty sold the boat to Mike Daly when the boat was on the slip at the RCYC. Yes, I was there and yes, I also have a picture! (where is it?)  Mike later had Sonnet restored by Tommy Walker, who did the job under cover, in what is refered to as Teddys Shed next to the main club house.

Roy

Picture by R McBride, the venue was the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, the event was the TBA Easter Regatta, around 1999.

Click on the picture, Sonnet is to the left and with the maroon sail cover carrying her name.

Well.  That's absolutely amazing after all those years.  I thought she had been broken up after Alan's death when she had been bought for her mooring.  You're quite right about her being built to an Uffa Fox take on the 30 square metre rule but her lines were taken from an article in a magazine or book, not from a genuine set of drawings.  She was built in someones back garden in Cape Town and Alan Duncan bought her without a keel, hatches, mast or sails when he returned to SA after the war.  He was taken prisoner while fighting with the South African army.  Alan cast the lead keel (with some help) by digging a hole in his garden and pouring the lead in.  As you probably remember it was as rough as the proverbial bear's bum but considering how it was done it was a pretty good effort.  I must have a few pictures somewhere and I'll have a root through my stuff and see what I can find.  Thanks anyway for the picture.  Sure brings back some good memories.

Gordon Smallhorn, Isle of Man, UK.

The Huco 443020 / FP2 fuel pump failure

My 1966 3.8S type Jaguar has two petrol tanks and two SU fuel pumps, after 46 years the one SU pump still works but the other one failed some years back.

I called at a well known motor factors in Paarden Eiland, told them the car and the  problem, they then sold me a Huco (german make) fuel pump, fitted it worked just fine.

Note: they supplied a Huco 443020 type FP2 pump, this was in fact the wrong pump for my application, the FP2 pump should be fitted at the engine end of the system, in my case the FP3 Huco pump should have been supplied.

File picture.

The Jaguar had just had a new cylinder head job done, at the best of times we use the car very little but over the next four years, I added about 1150 miles to the milage on the clock.

My Huco 443020 fuel pump as it looked this morning before I stripped it.

Then last November I noticed a smell of petrol from the rear of the car, I checked the old SU pump, fully expecting that to be the cause, it was not.

The new Huco pump was at fault, tested on the bench it was clear to see that petrol was coming out of the end where the red plastic cover is, the electrics are in that end.

The warranty was long gone, they offer one year only, mine was around four years old and had pumped some 575 miles of petrol, given the cars two tanks, we can split the use, so lets say all of 26 gallons, thats 123 litres only?

These pictures will open if you click on them.

Check the distortion from the LRP ( lead replacement petrol) the diaphragm has perished and allowed the petrol to go through it and out of the other end of the pump

The motor factors sent the Huco 443020 / FP2 back to the importers, after around three months it came back and with no warranty cover or offer of a new pump.

By mid May 2012 I have decided to contact Huco in Germany and I am pleased to report with excellent results.

Thursday and 24 hours later, I managed to email the CEO of Huco, Germany, he came right back and we have discussed the problem, I am told I will be contacted by his Johhannesburg office re a replacement pump? It does seem that my red capped Huco pump is old stock? more on this as and when it happens.

Friday, no contact and no offer of a new pump from the South African Huco pump agents as yet?
I think its clear to see that the pump I was sold was old stock and pre unleaded or LRP fuel, the pump was suitable for the old leaded petrol but not the new types?

Monday and the South African office for Huco have made contact with me by phone, they will re supply me with a replacement pump. My thanks to Christian in Germany and to Dirk in South Africa, for good service as it should be !

Tuesday, a new pump was delivered to me today, thanks for the great service Huco!

Roy

Hi Roy

Thanks for the link. I have clarity on the issue, and will be shipping a new replacement pump to our agent, Yunus, in Cape Town, who will deliver it to you. I have asked Yunus to contact you and make arrangements for delivery. He should have the replacement pump within two days.

Roy
From the web:

Applications for HÜCO fuel pumps Advantages of the HÜCO fuel pumps

To replace mechanical pumps in all vehicles (except for injection pumps, fitted near the engine)

To replace electrical pumps in all vehicles (except for injection pumps, fitted near the fuel tank)

In additional heater and cooling systems under certain environmental conditions a) when alcohol/ fuel compounds are utilized b) in hot regions where fuel easily evaporates c) in regions located above 1.000 m

For industrial applications whenever liquid has to be delivered

a) fuels: premium petrol, regular petrol

b) mixed-fuels: methanol, ethanol

c) Diesel fuel

The pump is self-priming and stops when no fuel is needed( energy saving)

Needs not necessarily be fitted below the tank (self-priming) ­ Extended working life since the pump is not affected by wear and tear

Perfect functioning over many years

Low operating noise ­ High performance

Low weight

The pump is corrosion- proof

The pump is resistant to methanol and ethanol

The pump is switched electronically and excludes any radio interference


( it does all that and leaks too)

How great is that.

Roy

A response from a friend in the USA who is rebuilding a Lotus.

Hi Roy,

That is a sad story, thanks for the warning.

My immediate thought was that the modern fuel with 10-15% ethanol might be the root of the problem but their text says that it is OK with ethanol. Maybe they source their diaphragms from China.

 Regards

A Bronze and Alloy sculpture by British Seagull

One famous boat designer has predicted that the outboards made by British Seagull, will probably become a cult status one day, maybe that day has arrived? Originally made in 1931,history wise they now date back some eighty one years (81) now out of production, they will become collectors items one day.

You soon realise that the product excells in its use of metals, these solid cast bronze (brass and copper) make for some good and very strong support brackets. The aluminium alloys used were termed Seagull Alloy, I wonder did they have their own patent on the alloy?

 This 4.5hp Seagull has been cleaned and serviced, it is now for sale.

The bronze brackets in use, the missing dished 316 stainless washers have since been refitted to the two stainless thumb screws.

Roy

The Traditional Boat Asscociation Easter gathering

This was one of those mornings when we had no wind in Cape Towns inner harbour, nice to wake up to and even nicer to be allowed to use what is normally a very busy dock.

With permission from the harbour master and a number of key players, the overnight stop was allowed, this happened just the once, it was far too disruptive for the charter boats who normally use the same dock space. In the following years we were given space in the inner harbour just around the corner and to the right of the picture.

Photo by R McBride, using a Canon FT film camera, about 1999.

Roy

Outboard oil, Venezuela style in 1989

Cruising in Venezuela was special at the time, unlike today,  theft was never an issue and with the countries low pricing on all goods related to oils and that covers paints as well, it was a great place to stock up.

Note: at the time places pumping out oil were quite happy to get U$14.00 per barrel for their crude oil, its now selling for around U$116.00 a barrel, thats waht I call greed and the cause of massive global inflation.

Two brands here, the orange cans are Corpoven Dos Tempos.

So much so that we still have stock! For the Maravan outboard two stroke oil this cost a massive 10 Bs, per 0.946 liter can, that is  about a doller fifty in U$ terms, it was a low (very) Bs 5.00 for the Corpoven brand. We took on 500 liters of diesel fuel and saw change from R12.00 worth of Bolivars. We used the engine often and rarely the sails in the four months we were in Venezuela.

Why a can size of 0.946 ltrs? The Corpoven grade is DT-2 de la norma Covenin 936, can anyone shed light on these grades?

Maravan Fuera de Borda outboard oil.

with the arrival of Justin Seagull, the 3.5hp marine outboard, I need some two stroke oil, this 1ltr can should do the trick. Its marked for use in a 50:1 mix with petrol, I guess it will be fine at the 10:1 mix a 1961 British Seagull requires.

The two other cans will be more suitable for a scooter?

Roy

TBA meeting at the V&A Waterfront

One of those years when the people and boats turned out in force, I normally found a boat to borrow for the Easter Weekend as my own boat was still being home built.

The boats at the back are She, Tara, Ocean Cloud, in the front is one on the left I can not name ? then the Dogger, Kestral, Brat of Dunkirk and Kalahari Sands with owner builder Don in the blue shirt and Captain Brian Greenwood in the yellow tee shirt.

Picture taken by R McBride, circa 1999? with a Canon FT film camera.

How good was this.

Note, we hope to re create some of this style and meeting of classic boats at the next Hout Bay Festival, December 2012, entries to the Hout Bay Yacht Club at http://www.hbyc.co.za/

Roy

British Seagull genuine plug cap pictures

Seen here its a really well made helmet type plug cap that really covers the plug, its branded British Seagull, so is the genuine part. New ones are still available.

Seen here on the Seagull 4.5 hp motor (for sale) note the rubber boot over the cable to cap end.

The spark comes from the flywheel, check the black plastic cap as it enters underneath, the cap is retained with a stainless plate and screw. The alloy handle with the knob is the clutch control, it works too!

Note how clean this engine is now, the alloy and bronze parts have been removed and stripped, bead blasted  clean before inspection and reassembly. New stainless large washers are being refitted to the thumb screw ends.

Roy

www.ckdboats.com 

A British Seagull on a British seagull

British Seagull on a British Seagull by Fran McCarthy, classic isn't it!! Well done Fran.

The words and picture are taken from SOS, which is short for Saving old Seagulls.

A great picture!

Roy

Hout Bay Harbour today

Really this was yesterday afternoon but today will be just the same? This is our typical winter weather in the cape when its not raining!

All picturse by R McBride using a Canon Gll digital camera on auto, this frame is a wide angle view.

Closer in with the tele lens function.

By now I had moved forwards about twenty paces but still on a tele lens setting.

The red boat is Royal Duke and  a steel built Van Der Stadt, one of two built in a factory at Woodstock, the original owner was Bill Cooper of Chicks Scrap Metal in Epping Two. The other boat was named Lilly Rose.

An interesting but true tale was told to me by Richard Peterson of Manex Marine, Dorsteshire Street, Paarden Eiland, Cape Town.

Bill, who was a larger than life Cockney, turns up to see Richard re the boats deck package gear, Bill had the drawing and indicated to Richard that on deck blocks needed to take a load around four tons, about 4000kgs.

Manex Marine were then the agents for such brands as Marlow Rope and Gibb Marine, Gibb had the right size block in a tufnol construction. Bill asked Richard could he please borrow a block to do some tests on?

Richard was ok with this and Bill took the Gibb tufnol block to his scrap yard, then asked his manager to load a drum with four tons of scrap and with the lift cable through the tufnol block, then do some lift and drop exercises with the yard crane.

The block passed the test and Royal Duke was fitted out with Gibb Marine tufnol blocks!

How hard is that.

Roy

Roy