B&G is now supported by Simrad!

Simrad had a very centra 2012 Cape Town Boat show stand, which opened today and I assume the service covers Southern Africa as a whole.

This was great news to myself as the old company selling B&G marine equipment just were not good enough at service, I have seen two 213 MHU (mast head units) fail in three years. Starting with a brand new one, that lasted 11 months, the next one was a factory replaced item, it lasted longer but not a whole lot more, I have tried since May this year to get it repaired with no joy at all.

Thats Steve on the left, a top service man who really can work on marine electronic gear. Next to him is Eddy, principal of B&G/Simrad and the importer, Eddy has a very nice technical workshop, so service should be done be in house from now on.

It was really nice to discuss the MHU with Steve, he has the parts and also servicable exchange parts in stock. I have also ordered a device to stop BEMF (back electromagnetic force) on my Lewmar to B&G direct drive unit. Steve will make this up for me and I will install it.

How nice is that!

Roy

Hout Bay Harbour today

Summer it appears has arrived! I was down in the harbour today to check progress on the Dragon class yacht we supplied materials to, progress is good and the paints will be applied next week.

Sea Hunter, one of the quality fishing boats that work out of Hout Bay Harbour.

We have lots of fishing boats in the harbour, most are on a constant maintainance program, well the ones with a fishing quota are!

All pictures by R Mcbride

Blue skies give us a blue sea and one German cruising yacht sails off today, conditions look good.

Roy

Building the St. Ayles skiff

Some months back we spoke about doing a kit based on a design that Jordan Boats in Scotland are busy with.We now have the basis that you can buy plans and a kit from CKD Boats cc if you are in our area of licence.
Some 93 sets of plans have now been sold, the class is growing world wide and looks like a great community type project, schools, villages, towns people are building them all over the place!

Hi Roy


Mail from Alec Jordan to this effect below.

Usually Alec@anything@jordanboats will get to me!
does the job just fine.

I will update my website - which is creaking badly - to the effect that you
can cut kits in SA. Please remember that Australia & NZ & Pacific and N
America are covered by the existing agents. That leaves you with Africa and
S America.

Best regards

Alec Jordan


Kits for Iain Oughtred Designs


http://jordanboats.co.uk/JB/iain_oughtred.htm

Picture by the Bayfront Maritime Center.

This is not one of our kits as yet but the design could well be added to our list of designs if anyone wants one.

http://bmcstaylesskiff.blogspot.com/

We did send a Didi Mini Transat kit to the BMC school some years back, they did a fine job of assembly too!

Roy

Seen in Hout Bay, a Leopard Seal!

I saw this on the Hout Bay marina myself, for sure I stayed away from the creature!

A Trevour Hardaker photo, many thanks for its use.

Quite unlike our local Cape Fur Seals which are a lot darker in colour. The seal was seen on both the ABC marina where it is in this photo but also on the HBYC marina where I saw it too.

http://www.zestforbirds.co.za/leopardseal01.html copy and paste this link to Google.

Africa's 5th Leopard Seal!
Text and photos by: Trevor Hardaker

On Wednesday, 17 August 2005, a Leopard Seal Hydrurga leptonyx was located in the Hout Bay harbour area near to Cape Town. Based on available information, there are 4 previous records of this species on the continent - one previously at Hout Bay (story continues,use the above link to read it)

Use the link for the full story and more pictures!

Roy

The Lawhill

I really know very little about this ship but will attempt to find out and post some info on it here as time allows.

Lawhill Under Full Sail Lawhill sv Lawhill in Duneden

www.generalbotha.co.za

My thanks for the use of these fine pictures.

Roy

Halloween, Pim Penso's old boat

Pim Penso was one of the last South African sailors to sail on a square rigger and do the Cape Horn run, one of his crew mates was the late Phil Nankin, who I had the great pleasure to know very well.
The ship they sailed was the Lawhill, taken as a prize in WW2 when it was docked in PE ( i think)
Pim Penso later became the commodore of the RCYC and was a well respected member.

Picture by R McBride and taken with a Canon FT film camera.

Halloween, an Arthur Rob design that was built here in Cape Town, this picture was taken at Grainger Bay and when the two Stremple brothers were busy doing a major restoration. They had bought the yacht from Pims wife after his death. It was from her we obtained a copy of Pims black and white video tape taken off a cine film Pim took high up in the rigging of Lawhill sailing down Cape Horn way.

Where is my copy now I wonder, its on a VHS format and was to be released with music and for sale?

Halloween was later gaff rigged and sailed to the West Indies, then on to Spain where she was then sold.

Roy