Interthane 990 top coat polyurethane boat paints

International Paints 990 top coat is not seen as a paint suitable for a yacht? I say that as its really a super hard wearing (very) paint that has less than a high gloss.  This suits some applications as a high gloss paint shows any and all imperfections, not exactly what we need?

Fifteen years back, a deck and a hull on a Dix Design radius chine wood/epoxy built boat was painted with the 990 paint, a decade and a half later I have decided to repaint, which is not so bad a life span really.

It was the late Gerry Caine who told me one day that even GRP boats need a gel coat polish twice a year and that later the boat will require spray painting. The gel coats also eventually break down due to UV effects. So it seems GRP and gelcoats are not the answer, in fact some top companies always spray their GRP hulls befor delivery.

To paint a deck when its bare of all fittings is quite a straight forward event, less so when the fittings like genoa tracks and stantions are bolted in place, to remove them is a massive job!

So, starting at the back of the boat I am working my way forwards, the mission is to develop a painting system that gives as good a job as before and if so, even better!

Easy, ask me in a month or so!

Roy

We can supply you these paints and Intergard epoxy primer in 5ltr packs.

http://www.international-marine.com/products/info/interthane-990.aspx

Note, the mix ratio of Interthane 990 by weight is 100 grams of 990 base to 14 grams of curing agent.

Arusha, Tanzania, the JoLon Imp has arrived!

My mail to Grahame, editor of The Imp Club, reads below the picture of the JoLon Imp packed and ready to leave Johannesburg, South Africa, for London, England, overland.

Grahame,

Terence Tracey phoned me on his cell phone late afternoon yesterday, we are now in SMS contact and I have news that the Great North Road is a very hard one but they have made Arusha, which is the last large town in Tanzania and on the North East border to Kenya, Nairobi is to days target.

Terence and Geoff have possibly made this painting a reality!

Check your atlas to see just how far they have traveled!

Note, Zimbabwe was left out in favour of Botswana.

Distance4.COMJohannesburg and Arusha Location

Johannesburg is located in the South_Africa state of Gauteng at the longitude of 28 and latitude of -26.2. Arusha is located in the Tanzania state of Arusha at the longitude of 36.7 and latitude of -3.4.

Johannesburg To Arusha Distance

Distance between Johannesburg and Arusha is 2701 KM (kilometers) and 23.07 meters. Johannesburg is 1678.3 miles away from Arusha.

 

http://jolonimp.wordpress.com/

The cars engine is fine, some of the bothers are self inflicted, they had no time at all to test the car fully, they just had to leave when they did on the Easter

Thursday and into lots of traffic.

They want to go via Ethiopia, not sure why as its high up there and I see lots of mountains on my map, if they leave Nairobi and head North West to Sudan and Juba, it should be far flatter there. I spent a year in the Sudan and have been to Juba twice, flat and dusty is a good description!

Masai warriors with a Mk1 Hillman Imp, the picture is an archive one taken when the Rootes Car Co sent Imps to Kenya to do hot weather testing.

Anyway, they are probably more than half way up the African continent now, this is an amazing feat and I hope they can make Port Said, Egypt ok, the idea than is a ship to Italy?

I wonder can The Imp Club organize a support team as they pass through the various countries on the continent and heading West to London and Coventry, would this be an idea to post on the clubs forum, please advise.

Regards

Roy McBride

Cape Town

Weather report from Hout Bay

We have a three day weather break when the winds will be slack, its a bit cooler too but
not like Maseru where I hear they had snow yesterday?

Early evening and looking out over Hout Bay

It was so flat calm yesterday that Charles on his Lavranos Astove 30, motored back from the RCYC in a record 3 hours and 8 mins yesterday!

Roy
 

Painting your boat with a Jenny Brush in Cape Town

What on earth is a Jenny Brush?

Simply put, its a high grade foam pad on a wooden stick! beware locally available similar brush sets, I have tried them and the foam expands and falls off the stick.

Some years back I read a report of a fair sized GRP yacht in the UK that had been professionally re sprayed, the finish in a dark blue was ok but the owner thought he could do better?

Some time later he buys some Jenny Brushes and with his lady applying the twin pack top coats with a brush, he followed on behind her with a Jenny Brush and removed all the brush marks which make the surface look so poor.

He was so pleased with results that he said his finish was an improovemnt on the pro spray job. With this in mind I have just made an arrangement for some sample Jenny Brushes and will be testing then out quite soon.

If we find they work, they may just become a stock item.

More on this later!

Roy

The JoLon Imp, onto the Great North Road

The Great North Road, an understatement if ever there was.

The JoLon Imp is now well on its way to London.

News in from the guys as of yesterday.

Hi all

 Just some news on the grand adventure of the Jolon imp and two drivers. We are currently in Tanzania, and will be staying in Iringa tonight. Yesterday we were travelling through Zambia towards to the Zambia-Tanzania border at 1600m above sea level, very different climate to what we are used to in Johannesburg.

The Jolon Imp, it has a standaed engine but with a front mounted radiator and twin front fuel tanks.

 I have updated the blog site, with a description of the ordeals we encountered from the beginning of our trip. Please do go on line (http://jolonimp.wordpress.com/2013/01/) and have a quick read, it will shed some light on the battles at the South Africa-Botswana border, the utter exhaustion that we felt as well as the running condition of the car.

Zimbabwe was given a miss, they went via Botswana into Zambia instead.

 Both Geoff and myself are still in high spirits, enjoying every minute and every country we come across.

 Thanks for the interest you have shown, keep an eye out for further updates.

 Terence Tracey

Kenya, a pre release team and a Mk1 Imp being tested prior to the 1963 release of the Hillman Imp, which was My 3rd 1963, so nearly fifty years ago!

Porsche 910 race car at the Springbok Series

This was in February 4th & 5th 2012, for some reason, cost I assume, they declined to host the visiting drivers and cars this year at the Killarney Race Circuit, so Kyalami saw them once and Zwartzkop twice.

This car is an original Porshe 910 and dates back to 1967. It has the six cylinder Boxermotor and is a 2000 cc capacity. Its been to South Africa a number of times and has raced around the world.

Chassis # 910 013 and fitted with a five speed gearbox.

I have one of those those yellow flyers, all in German but the info is detailed, one name connected with the car is David Piper, who I spoke to at a previous revival event.

Rumour has it we may see the return of the Springbok Revival Series back at the Killarney Circuit in 2014, I hope so!

Check this link to see a lot more of the cars at the 2012 event.

http://www.classiccarracers.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=86&t=1204&p=26395#p26395

 

Roy

Petal Shelving using Superform bendable plywoods

Inga came in to see me some time back, part of a Cape Technikon design, which I believe won her a prize for the creative way she shaped the ply and made a shelf or display unit.

How else can you do this shape so easily!

petal shelving system


A fantastic storage solution for small spaces

Text Roberta Coci

With our Small Spaces issue on shelf now, we’re on the constant lookout for fantastic storage solutions. The Petal by local designer Inge Toerien is a perfect example. A beautifully sculpted plywood creation, its petal shape allows for substantial storage while creating a visually striking design feature of its own. ‘The Petal was conceived from the simple exploration of creating forms out of a single unit,’ Inge told HL. ‘The idea developed through the bending and manipulation of a strip of plastic, investigating what new shapes could be achieved. Bendable Ply is characteristically flexible, so it was the most suitable material choice for the desired Petal form.’

Inge finds herself drawn to collecting things of value or sentiment to her, rather than lots of the same thing, so it’s no surprise that she came up with an inventive way to display these cherished items. ‘I like to use decorative storage options, whether it’s an interesting wooden box for my toiletries, or filling the old trunk in the lounge with spare linen, I like to use what I already have on display,’ the ‘sentimental minimalist’ told us.

The Petal sells for R350 a piece, with free delivery within Cape Town. To order contact Amy Toerien on amytoerien@gmail.com.

Images by MIKU, courtesy of Inge.

There are three thicknesses of Superform bending plywoods, 3mm, 5mm and 8mm, you can have the option of the grain running across the panel or along it. Note, this ply is also waterproof!

With around seven outlets in the Western Cape, there sould be one near you. Contact me for the name of the store closest to you.

Roy

The Ocean Cruising Club

The OCC has no actual club house, rather a series of contacts world wide. Famous for gatherings in far flung places, there are OCC members sailing world wide.

Membership entry is quite simple, the applicant must have done 1000 sea mile voyage on a yacht of no more than 80 feet in length. I have membership forms, please contact me if you wish to apply.

Many coastal cities have OCC Port Officers, even the village of Hout Bay has one!


The Port Officers Map  http://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=527773

Roy

OCC Port Officer for Hout Bay.

Sailing, we have two choices

Seen on the Hout Bay blog site at  www.hbyc.co.za  its a good place to find links to other sites and weather all around South Africa.

I obviously chose the sailing option!

Roy

The rollers at Jamestown,St Helena Island

I subscribe to an on line news letter put out from St Helena Island, the pictures below are taken from one of those news letters, many thanks.

Having been there twice and also having had the pleasure of  having a Saint at home here in Hout Bay for tea, I am always keen to see and hear more about that island.

The first visit I made was in 1977 sailing on Brer Terrapin, an Atkin 38 Ingrid design. We stayed around ten days and saw no rollers but were advised they can happen at any time.

 

Seeing is believing and I now understand!

 

That's the Jamestown harbour stores and offices behind the wall.

 

While any at any time we are told to expect the rollers, I would assume the northern hemisphere winter months will cause the larger storms which generate the swells. This means that for South Africa, our summer months, November, December, January, February and when the SE trade winds are at their best we may arrive at the island and find the rollers?

 

I never did, how lucky was that!

 

There are now twenty pick up bouys laid for the use of yachts, laid by professionals, I read that

they used 500 meters of stud link chain to keep them secure. They are well to the left of the lower picture, I assume in a position not affected by the rollers?

 

Roy

Approaching St Helena from the sea

At the moment if you want to land that is the only way to do it, but from 2016 we can expect the new airport to be open.

In this picture we are heading for Ruperts Bay on the left center and where Jamestown is, this is basically on the north side of the island and open to the swells from storms generated in the North Atlantic.

Picture by Roy McBride standing on the deck of Brer Terrapin and 13 days out from Cape Town, South Africa. The camera was a Canon FT 35mm film type. I was to find out quite recently that this was Brer Terrapins third visit to the island.

Roy