Saturday 24 December 2016

Best Seasonal Wishes

To all of my friends and customers around the world,  may I wish you the very best of what is left of the year 2016 and even better  for the year 2017.


Many of you will know by now that I have been working with the Hillman Imp for some time now.



Regards,

Roy

Tuesday 13 December 2016

Wilhelm's Argie 15 build

We supplied the Argie 15 kit to start with.



Wilhelm has now built the boat and we are about to supply the North Sails and Rontan deck pack.

Roy

Friday 9 December 2016

Hillman Imp windscreens in South Africa

The new ones we have just imported have the required markings to ensure they will be acceptable in any country.


 They can also be supply as a heated element screen.


They are laminated for maximum protection to the cars occupants.



Clear or with a top tint as required.

The unsold saloon screen we have is clear.

Roy

Thursday 8 December 2016

Hillman Imp windscreens now in stock

Arrived this week, four in stock and three sold, just one left!

All are laminated.


Marked to ensure they are CE approved.



Tuesday 22 November 2016

Sarita, the Proteus 106 seen inside

The pictures say more than I can?


The boat will float to its marks when the mast is fitted.


The design calls for a light ship approach.

This boat has been fitted with twin engines, the original design works well with just the one.


Good storage and counter space for working on.


This makes for a very workable galley.

The internal parts of the yacht are not included in the base kit


Roy

Proteus 106 - Sarita is afloat!

This is the first Proteus 106 to have been built as the designer wanted, the K.I.S.S rule applies to this boat.

My thanks to Barry, the boats owner / builder for supplying the pictures.


The boat is named Sarita.


She was launched recently and in South Africa.


A basic roof over your build is great idea.


My thanks to Justin of the SA Yacht Blog for resizing the images.

http://sayachts.blogspot.co.za/2013/09/proteus-106.html

Please copy and paste, open and read more about this very affordable design.

The builder reported that the kit worked and that the panels fitted.

How hard can this be?

Try one and see for yourself?

Prices, basic CNC cut okoume marine ply and removable staions, allow R180,000 which is around U$13,000 ( prices to material and rate of exchange pending)

The plans are NZ$4500 and supplied direct from Lavranos Design.

All prices subject to change without notice, please make contact for an up to date quotation.

Roy


Monday 7 November 2016

Building our kits in Zurich, Switzerland.

We have sent many of our boat kits to Switzerland, recently to Basil in Zurich.

http://www.optimisten-werkstatt.ch/partner/

Basil is now running his own web site to promote his builds.

The kit that Basil is building in these pictures is the Argie 15

http://www.dixdesign.com/argie15.htm



The site can be viewed in a number of languages, just click on the Google link on the top left hand of the page when your on his web site.

How hard can this be?

Not at all as I have just tried it and it works!




This Argie 15 has the optional side seats fitted.



This is another one of our Argie 15 kits, built in South Africa by Nick Fairly who is sailing it.

http://sayachts.blogspot.co.za/2014/06/argie-15.html


Roy


Wednesday 26 October 2016

Packing windscreens for classic cars

This is a subject that bears discussion, are they packed properly and well enough?


As we can see they are really very well packed and secure in a purpose made packing crate, the pallet is part of the package for ease of lifting.

They are and they also travel with marine insurance.

Orders are shipped in groups to make it more cost effective, An air freight service is also possible for faster service.



We can offer Aston Martin, Lancia, Lotus, Nissan and Talbot.

Standard and heated screens are possible.


Tuesday 25 October 2016

Windscreens and many kinds of glass for classic cars

We have a shipment of  motor glass being packed now, all are for the Hillman Imp range made by Rootes.


Now packing and will travel by sea to our address in South Africa.

We can offer other motor glass for such classics as Ford Escort, Cortina, Capri etc, also MG and Triumph, Rover, plus many other classic cars who have long since not had window glass available.



Contact me for the complete range and prices.

Roy

Saturday 22 October 2016

Basil will soon be painting his Argie 15 build

Hi Roy

I finished the SP320 epoxy coat outside the hull and is ready for painting in  marine blue.



Dagger board, rudder etc. got as well the coat and are ready now for clear vanish.


Have a nice day and regards from Switzerland,

Basil




Monday 17 October 2016

The R.C.O.D yacht as a kit?

Many years back, the Royal Cape Yacht Club wanted to create a one design suitable for sailing in Cape Towns waters, known for strong winds they developed what was later to become called the R.C.O.D.




http://sayachts.blogspot.co.za/2011/01/rcod.html

Read the full story in Justins blog on this South African yacht and many others.

Contact me for news on kits.

How hard can this be?

Roy

Saturday 1 October 2016

Basils Argie 15 progress

Basil sent me some news and pictures of his Argie 15 build in Switzerland, he will soon be painting the boat he tells me.


Note the optional side seats.


Hi Roy

I like working on the Argie 15. it makes me happy.

The hull is now ready for the sp 320 epoxy coat.
To cover the fillet and fiberglass i clued inside a 0,9 mm Syntetic resin plate. Space between the hull i put in epoxy filler.

Have s good time in beautiful South Africa,

Basil

News and pictures like Basil's are always welcome

Roy


Thursday 1 September 2016

The Argie 15

This is one of our more popular dinghy kits, you could say its a three in one dinghy?


Nick built this Argie 15 from one of our kits.


Sail, motor and camping?


A trailer is a good idea if you wish to move the boat, if your alongside a water way you can easily move the boat to the water with just two persons.

http://sayachts.blogspot.co.za/2014/06/argie-15.html


This boat is a very fine sailer.

My thanks to Justin for use of his SA Yacht Blog on the design.

Roy

Monday 22 August 2016

Winter weather scenes in the Cape Town area

More about the Hout Bay area really but as Hout Bay is at the rear of Table Mountain it can be said to be close enough?


This view was taken from the 1967 Hillman Imp Californian that has just been restored.

The Sentinel is the name of the peak that watches over the entry to Hout Bay.



This view is looking into Hout Bay.


The Californian with the Sentinel in the distance.



Fine winter weather !

Roy

Thursday 18 August 2016

Basils Argie 15 kit build

We supplied Basil with the Argie 15 kit earlier this year, that kit included the meranti wood, Ronstan deck package and also the North Sails.



In this picture we can see that twin pack white paint was applied before the side seats were fitted.

This really does make the end result tops and to my mind is well worth the effort.


Here the side and center seats are in place, what a nice set of lockers to store your equipment in.


These are the dagger board case and the mast step partners.

Roy


Wednesday 17 August 2016

Perkins 4108 marine diesel restoration machining

This is the kind of work we can put into our engine rebuilds.


The pictures will enlarge if you click on them.

The pulley is some thirty six years old, there was a wear groove where the lip seal fits, we had a sleeve fitted to give a perfect surface once more.


The pulley will now give perfect service for many more decades.

Roy


Tuesday 16 August 2016

The Perkins 4108 marine diesel rebuild

This engine was bought in as a project, there was no time frame and no end use for it, no customer either.

It was one of those things I had wanted to do, rebuild a diesel engine.


Check those timing marks.



The CAV diesel pump was fully rebuilt, the picture shows it full of clean diesel fuel I am in the process of setting the timing marks here.


The engine was started with the water cooling and heat exchanger removed, this gives much better access to the injectors and the pump.



Check the exhaust smoke, the engine is running!


Later and with the water cooling system fitted, check the flywheel, the engine has some speed on it here.


As the new piston rings bedded in the exhaust smoke stopped, check the flywheel, its spinning at about 2000 rpm, with the water cooling fitted the engine was run a good while.

Will I do another Perkins 4108 diesel ?

One, I have no second engine and two it will be to a customers order next time, this one has been sold.

Roy