Table Mountain hiking

This was a good friend and not myself.

The view towards Hout Bay

He was up on Table Mountain just yesterday.

Looking the other direction, the view towards Camps Bay

Camps Bay and Lions Head peak.

For the first time in some ten years I spent yesterday hiking on Table Mountain. During my high-school years we used to do it quite often – usually camping out under the stars in sleeping bags and keeping warm around a fire. Sadly none of that is permitted today – probably just as well. Nevertheless, on the route we took yesterday, no evidence of litter or desecration of the natural vegetation was evident, and it seemed that the mountain remains well cared for by Cape Nature / Parks Board.

The route we took was from Kloof Nek along the pipe-track to the Diagonal Path above Camps Bay. This route is described as a “strenuous ramble” and ascends in a series of zig-zags steeply up to the rock face, then crosses the three Apostles’ buttresses of Porcupine, Jubille and Barrier, before making the final steep ascent up the well-vegetated Valken gorge onto the section of the plateau called “Valley of the Red Gods”. We swung left onto the path headed for the cable station. 

This traverses beautiful Ark and Echo valleys and steep buttresses at the heads of Blinkwater-, Grotto and Fountain ravines, where steel ladders are provided at the rock faces. The natural beauty up there is remarkable. The previous night’s good rainfall had resulted in us encountering many waterfalls, streams and generally dripping ferns and bushes. Lots of colourful natural plants were also in bloom including Protea and Watsonias. We descended by cableway.

My thanks to Rob for the pictures and words.

Ford Escort Mark 2 wanted

This is a car a customer has asked me to find.

A two door version will be prefered, so will an engine but we can haggle over that.

The car must be able to pass Police clearance, so valid ownership papers are required.

If the licence is not paid up to date we can discuss that.

Contact me to discuss what you have.

A finders fee may be acceptable?

Roy

Second generation (1974–1981)[edit]

Second generation
Ford Escort Mark II 4-Door Saloon
Overview
Production	1974–1981
Assembly	Halewood, England Saarlouis, Germany Cork, Ireland Homebush, Australia Wiri, New Zealand, Amsterdam Assembly, Amsterdam Netherlands 1975-1978 List of Ford factories
Body and chassis
Body style	2/4-door saloon 3-door estate 2-door van
Powertrain
Engine	1.1 L Crossflow I4 1.3 L Crossflow I4 1.6 L Crossflow I4 1.6 L Pinto TL16G I4 1.8 L Cosworth BDE I4 2.0 L Pinto TL20H I4 2.0 L Cosworth BDG I4
Dimensions
Wheelbase	94.5 in (2,400 mm)[16]
Length	156.5 in (3,975 mm) (saloon)[16] 163 in (4,140 mm) (estate)
Width	61.8 in (1,570 mm)
Height	55.65 in (1,414 mm)
Curb weight	1,940 lb (880 kg)

The squarer-styled Mark II version appeared in January 1975. The first production models had rolled off the production lines on 2 December 1974.

The Bombaloza scull kit internal parts

These rather substantial 18mm WBP Pine plywood panels support the rower and also the sides of the Bombaloza scull 4mm hull skin.

Click on the image to make it larger.

The design is becoming well known now and more plans have been sold.

Roy

British Seagull parts and restoration

This is done in Hout Bay near Cape town.

These parts are never cheap, just what is in the picture cost a net R2200 before shipping, duty and vat.

The parts do  fit and they are from the  British Seagull parts suppliers.

Parts are either in stock or imported for each new engine restoration.

A Forty Plus which is rated 2 to 3hp, it dates back to 1974?

Part of the stock motors I keep and will be sold as a restored motor only.

As it is now it has many new parts on it.

This engine was a virtual wreck when it arrived, the work took a year, even the replacement petrol tank was in the post from my UK suppliers for over a month.

The motor in the picture above cost around R12,000 to restore, materials and labour. The cost always depends on do you have your own British Seagull that needs restoration or do I supply you one?

There are only two motors available right now,both are sort shafts, I can make them longer?

One is a 3.5hp and the other the 2hp Forty Plus.

Roy

Cape Towns TBA, the way it was

This was all of twenty plus years back, the Traditional Boat Association was very much alive and well.

The place is the V&A Waterfront and we were hosted there for Easter.
 That is Lynn and Larry Pardey's  boat next to Sonnet.

The heart of the TBA was very much the members, the boats helped too of course.

This was after Notty had sold his Thirty Square, Sonnet to Mike Daly, Sonnet was on the RCYC slip and Mike asked was the boat for sale?

The deal was done there and then, later Tommy Walker restored Sonnet in a dry shed next to the RCYC main club house.

Mike Daly on what was by then his very nice restored thirty square. The boat was locally built and was said not to quite measure to the class rules?

These were the people and times of the TBA.

Roy

Looking back on Table Mountain

Or should I be saying looking at the back of Table Mountain?

That it it in the center of the picture and with the cloud cover.

This was a Friday and with a weekend of rain expected as good a time as any to take the 1967 Hillman Imp Californian for a drive.

The car has had around eighteen months of restoration, it not finished but can be driven, its licenced and safe to drive again.

Roy