Gulliver of Knysna

Note: This tale had a happy ending thanks to those who serve Hout Bays Station 8 NSRI,they are still doing this on a daily basis,24/7 and 365 days of the year,my thanks to you all.

Gulliver of Knysna lived on to sail once more,I launched her again fifty one (51) weeks later and in our own Hout Bay Harbour,her new name is Ocean Cloud,she is in False Bay at FBYC last I saw.(december 2010)

With friends I took her to Salvador,Bahia, Brasil,thats Notty,Sam his daughter and a mutual friend of us all,John Holmes,that was a brilliant cruise,highly memorable and we still have the VHS tape to proove it.

Later and with my family aboard,we cruised north as far as Tobago,then on to Venezuela,finally leaving the boat in Trinidads TTYA for some eight months. After which Sam (simone) and Nigel, sailed back to Cape Town with the boat.


The decision to buy a wreck of a yacht on the rocks at Slangkop was a decision made on the spot, when I took a gamble I could save the boat if a crane could be found,it started with me paying for the boat where she lay,which was far out in the surf,then looking for my friend Ronnie,who ran a crane hire company,I found him at the 19th hole at Green Points Metropolitan Golf Club,with help from Ronnie finding Dennis Gentry and Tandem Rigging,the rest just happened but it was never easy.

Party time!


With a ladder set up it was great to be able to walk around Gullivers teak decks,it had been a long week but success was ours.


Now in Hout Bay and after the crane had off loaded Gulliver,the crew came too by our request,while we were working Jean my wife had prepared some party food and drinks as a way of saying thank you.

Left click any picture to view full screen size.

Loaded,its time to head home for Hout Bay and across Chapmans Peak Drive coastal road,that was an adventure all of its own,with cars coming from the city and our rig needing the full width of the road most of the time.

Gulliver goes skywards to be loaded on to a low bed trailer which had already been loaded with an Endurance 37 cradle I knew about in Cape Town harbour.

The crew,what a great bunch of guys,they worked around the clock to save what was now my boat.

Dennis Gentry,CEO of Tandem Rigging facing the camera.

The view of the scene from a road high up on the hill.

The first Endurance 37 we had built and owned,sailed back from Brasil, had been sold some months before this event took place,it was a very bad north wester, when one dark night, Gulliver of Knysna on passage from Knysna to Cape Town, got too close to the shore and was turned over by a breaking wave,the story of an amazing NSRI Station 8 rescue of the yachts four crew, is well documented in a story I wrote and had published in Duckworths Magazine (on line),the pictures are scanned from by now old prints and negs, were taken with a Canon FT 35mm camera and a 1.4 x 50mm lens
R McBride pics.





A few days after she went aground,we got a rough terrain crane large enough to haul her free of the rocks,then it was another but larger crane to load her with a boom long enough to lift her off the same rocks,it took the best part of a working week,Dennis from Tandem Rigging told me later,it was the only job he made any money on that year,I have say he and his crew who camped on site to work with the tides, sure earned their pay!The boat was by this stage a bare hull and deck unit,the boat had been stripped by Charles, who had bought her in the surf from the insurance company,I in turn bought the wreck from Charles.

Bendable Plywoods

With new stocks arriving this weekend,now is a good time to place your order,new distrbutors in other areas are still being accepted.

We have spare stocks in 3mm,5mm and 8mm with the grain runing in either direction.Pack lots at trade prices or retail at smaller orders.

021-790-3859 phone and fax line.

R McB

Gulliver of Knysna sea rescue by station 8 of Hout Bay

NSRI Station 8 in Hout Bay Harbour, South Africa




Front page news, the day after the storm and the loss of Gulliver of Knysna, the newspaper is the local language Die Burger.



Gulliver is washed up the rocky shore,a total wreck, to be sold as she was to Charles Copping, who stripped her with friends between the tides over the next few days, all that was then left was the boats hull and deck structure, she was then sold on and later removed with some difficulty by a team of proffesional riggers Tandem Rigging, they camped for the best part of a week to work between the tides, eventually they had the hulk close enough to the mainland to lift her clear with a large crane.



The front cover and the rescue is the main topic, the orginal painting hangs behind the NSRI refreshments bar at station 8,Hout Bay.


This story is largely unknown, excepting by the local community, plus the men and families involved,its worth a reminder that we are lucky, seriously lucky to have a sea rescue service in place in South Africa, the local station in Hout Bay, is named Station 8, here is one of their stories:


Gulliver of Knysna, a Ibold designed Endurance 37 in GRP.

A wild northwester was sending mountainous swells crashing shorewards off the southwestern Cape coast on 15 May 1986. The yacht Gulliver, en route from Knysna to Cape Town for a round-the-world trip, was making heavy weather as she headed towards Slangkop light near Kommetjie. With four persons aboard, Gulliver was heading for the sanctuary of Hout Bay when she was caught by a massive breaking wave some two nautical miles off shore.

The wave pitched and rolled the yacht, hurling the skipper overboard. Fortunately he was wearing a harness.The lighthouse keeper had picked up a distress call from the yacht and the Port Captain sent out an urgent call to the duty crew of Station 8.

Within 10 minutes, Coxwain Peter Braham and his crew were launching the eight-metre rescue boat, Spirit of Mobil, and heading for the stricken vessel.With Station Commander Ken Brady assisting from a mobile vehicle ashore, the lighthouse keeper was asked to illuminate the area where the boat had gone over by keeping the Slangkop light trained on the vessel.

Spirit of Mobil could not approach the casualty directly because of rocks between them and the yacht, so they instructed the crew to get into their liferaft and bear away from the yacht. The rescue boat came in between the breaking swells and pulled the crew aboard.

While Spirit of Mobil was heading out to sea with the casualties aboard, a massive wave broke over her. Some of the crew were knocked back against the transom. The coxwain fractured two ribs and his deputy a severe cut on the head.But the crew of Gulliver were safe and Spirit of Mobil entered Hout Bay Harbour with all lives intact.

Later the coxwain and crew were awarded the NSRI Director's Letter of Thanks for their bravery.

Jaguars and an Endurance 37

You may well wonder why this guy has an Endurance 37 sitting in his front garden,its a tale thats way overdue for the telling,shall I start soon I wonder?

How hard could that be.

R McB

Hout Bays winds

We seem to have our own weather in Hout Bay,it can really (really) blow big time and only in our area.

This is the normal other side of the weather,perfect!

My thanks to Justin Phillips who took the above picture.

This was two days back and after the dramatic rescue of Bob,a single handed yachtsman from the USA.

This is a little article on the Nsri website. Winds were 40-50 kts in the evening. I think the locals would have coped (although when you see the pic he doesn’t have an upwind yacht!). At worst he could have run for CT . . . . ah well.  http://www.nsri.org.za/2012/01/solo-yachtsman-rescued-off-hout-bay/

                               Bob Loana, aboard his yacht AKUIDO. Picture by Rob Fine.

I spoke to Bob on his boat tied up on the HBYC marina late yesterday afternoon,his praise for the assistance and skill of the people from Station 8 NSRI could not be over stated,he was he says in extreme danger given the head of his main sail had blown out.

Prior to the arrival of the gale force winds,he was having a nice sail in about 18 knots of breeze he told me,then it arrived and the trouble started.

Well done Station 8 Hout Bays NSRI!

R Mc B

KD 860 catamaran made larger,is for sale

The KD 860 in feet will be about 26.5 feet only,thats not a large boat,space wise,even if it will do what you need.

A customer bought a set of kit materials from us some while back,then a second set of  9mm marine plys,I wondered why? He took the design to 32 feet,thats much nicer.

Note,the grahics and photo are from the builders web site,he is building to re sell,please contact me for details.

 Top quality materials have been used,we know this as CKD Boats cc have supplied them.

The new boat building yard is in Pretoria,South Africa,road delivery inland or to a port can be arranged.

The boat can be bought as is for owner completion.

R Mc B

Lavranos 10.5 meter power cat,in alloy

We have changed the build materials we offer to an existing design in alloy,the idea was to
offer it in ply,the cost to re draw the plans was just too large an item,so now we will offer the boat as a CNC cut kit and in alloy.

10.5 METER POWERCAT

This Wright & Lavranos 11 powercat design is developed as a "cut file" kitset, so that the hull is CNC cut and delivered to the builder precut & labelled. She was built for a Motueka based client who uses her for a taxi service in the Marlborough Sounds, carrying twenty passengers as well as for charter fishing, with 8 passengers.

The boat has a top speed of 22 knots fully laden, and comfortably cruises at 20, with a pair of Volvo TAMD41P engines (147 KW each @ 3800 RPM), driving 560mm x 4 blade Henley’s Tiger props through a ZF 2.56 reduction gearboxes. She is an outstanding sea boat, soft-riding and with excellent wing deck clearance, and with good spray damping she is very dry.

The very large self draining cockpit provides excellent access to the motors and is equipped with a bait tank, pot hauler, bait table, rod holders, fish box, and lots of storage and seating. The shower and toilet compartment is accessed from the forward end of the cockpit. The saloon and galley area is around the helm station, and there are a pair of double cabins with berths for 6 down below. The saloon settee and table is also convertible to a double.

LENGTH OVERALL 10.500 METERS

BEAM MAXIMUM 4.550 METERS

DRAFT 1.100 METERS

There are a number of proffesional alloy boat builders in Cape Town,so pre built hull and decks may also be an option?

R McB

Large and small,wood does them all

Seen here the boat on the left,its a South African built1934 Vertue which was carvel planked,then many years later moulded over with epoxy and Kauri pine in New Zealand.

That larger boat was launched in the year 2000,its also wood and was moulded from ockume marine ply and epoxy to a Dudley Dix design,he calls it a Dix 43.We can supply a bulkhead set to the Dix 43,plus the rest of the materials to build the hull and decks.That boat hull was built by one man in six weeks working time,not actual weeks but the times added up.

How hard can that be,why not try it?

R McB

A new fitting to an Imps engine block

Its not that often that I can record a new fitting to suit the Hillman Imp engine block,well next year that engine will be all of fifty years old!

A day or so back I was fitting a new copper cylinder head gasket on the 998cc engine,when the first bolt I torqued down striped in the all alloy block,so whats new?

The best line of action was to call a specialist out who would do a repair,that was done on the same day and I was impressed (pun?)

A standard Rootes 3/8" hi tensile head bolt,marked Auto and really the best of the best quality,seen here its at least 45 years old. The thread insert is the wrong way around in this picture.

I contacted Nic the installation technical man and was given a fee for the call out and fitting fee,Nic was there the same day and did the thread insert.

The system is fast,not clean as much metal from the thread tap is ejected.

The new thread was more or less inserted by hand,then bonded with Loctite.

To be continued

How hard can this be!

New arrival in Hout Bay

This was the following evening,seems we see some fantastic and varied vessels here in our Hout Bay,this ship is local and built by the guys at Far Ocean over the way in  Cape Town Harbour.

Ventana motors into Hout Bay

There were no sails and no flags,so an unanounced arrival into the Hout Bay Harbour.
On the marina she shows no flag either,so where she came from I have no idea?

She has a full set of furling sails,so all of those may have been rolled away out in the bay?

Ventana looks like she may be from the USA,possibly a Philip Rhodes or a Sparkman and Stevens design,does anyone know?

R McB

Masts to order

Some like them the way they used to be,there is normaly no weight penalty and rarely a cost increase over alloy or carbon.This one is hollow,we can add cable conduits in the center too.

Finished here in clear twin pack polyurethane varnish from International Paints,it was spray gun applied. The construction is the Birdsmouth eight segment,done here in selected  clear american oregon (douglas fir)

Nice!

That was posted just yesterday,a mail which is below, came in that same day,I replied within the hour it arrived.

hi Roy , i have read your page on mast building with interest. We have tried to research for our project but have only found yourself, the ‘pardeys’, a local ship wright and collars in england who seem to discuss the subject much. We are about to embark on building a 60’ mast for our alajuela 38, a colin archer inspired hull.


We are building it in the states and have been able to source sitka spruce.........


R McB

The Argie 15 sailing dinghy

Seen as a crossover to a boat that is probably at the larger end of being a dinghy,its a great do it all boat you can build yourself from one of ours kits.

We can supply the plans only,or the kit in stages.

DUDLEY DIX YACHT DESIGN

Argie 15
Plywood Sailing Dinghy

A nice example of the Argie 15, built by Louis de Lassus in his basement in Paris

~ Attractive & versatile , Argie 15 offers fun for the whole family. ~ Multi-purpose, can be rowed, motored or sailed, space for camp-cruising on lakes and rivers. ~ Simple stitch and glue method, build with minimum of tools, no previous boatbuilding experience & little space. ~ Step-by-step instructions included in plans. ~ Ideal quality time project for Dad with Junior's help or practical winter project to fight off cabin fever. ~ Build as a school project then use for training young sailors in the school sailing club. ~ Built-in flotation compartments & simple sail plan make her great for learning to sail at any age. ~ Drawings now include optional full-length side seats. ~ Optional full size paper patterns available. ~ See Argie 15 amateur project photos ~ Sailing videos

MENU Home Overview Email Designs Materials Articles Testimonials Bookstore PRICES ORDERS Fax/Mail Credit Card LINKS Boat Sites Communities General TRANSLATE

The ARGIE 15 was designed to be a versatile family fun boat. Essentially a 3 in 1 dinghy, she can be rowed, sailed or powered by an outboard motor of up to 7,5kw output. She is more than the normal 3 in 1 dinghy in that it was considered from the start that she may be used as a camp cruiser. Most dinghies have no areas long enough for an adult to stretch out full length for sleeping but the ARGIE 15 has 1,9m of clear length, sufficient for most people. The addition of removable slatted floorboards to your boat will lift you out of any water lying in the bottom while sleeping. A canvas or plastic sheet over the boom and tied to eyes along the gunwhales will give protection from the elements. The result is a minimum cruiser for use on protected waters. She has also been designed to make maximum use of the advantages of plywood to give a light and easily managed boat which is well within the capabilities of the average DIY enthusiast. The construction method used is stitch and glue which eliminates most of the framing normally used in boat construction and results in very light structural weight. The weight of a completed hull is approximately 60kg, making her suitable for car topping on extended roof racks. She will, however be more easily handled with a trailer.

By normal dinghy standards, the mast is robust and fairly heavy. This is because the sailing rig has been designed to be uncomplicated to set up and easy to control, using a minimum of fittings. The mast tube comes from one extrusion, cut in half so as to fit inside the hull for storage. The whole concept of the ARGIE 15 is simplicity, both in construction and use. For those wanting to customise their boats to suit their own use, there are numerous possibilities. These include floor boards, customised tent, foot straps and extending the side seats right round the hull (these are not covered in the drawings). As drawn, she is about as much boat as can come from six sheets of plywood. The extension of the side seats will need an additional sheet and will limit the sleeping width a bit. However, the extra bouyancy which results will make for easier righting in the event of a capsize and make her more comfortable for sailing. The ARGIE 15 is a good family construction project, with surprisingly good sailing performance and the ability to take a lumpy sea. It has also been built with thicker plywood to produce a robust little boat for small scale commercial fishing or working lobster traps

Jaguar 3.8 liter cylinder head for sale

We have a solid and good condition Jaguar 3.8 ltr cylinder head in the  workshop,it will be fully set up and ready to fit,with correct colour blue paint in the spark plug valley.New camshaft bearings will be fitted, the shims to tappets will be set and all that will be required is fitting of the head to your motor.

Gaskets to the head,cam covers, breather,inlet and exhaust can also be supplied if required.

 Left click the picture for a larger view.

A 3.8 ltr motor with the correct polished tappet covers,in this case the engine is a 1966 model with twin inch and a half SU carburetors,said to give some 220 bhp,while the E type with three carburetors gives 260 bhp?

There is also a complete Jaguar 420 G (Jaguar E Type) 4.2 ltr motor for sale,this has its tripple carbs and is a runner,its condition is not known but we can offer that engine as a complete re built unit if required,costs on application.

Note,the 420 G has a lower compression than the genuine E Type,we can supply and fit new higher compression pistons if required?

A really fine example of a US plated 1962  Jaguar 3.8 ltr car,the cylinder head we have will fit this model and also the later  Jaguar 3.8 S types.

R McB

The Argie 10 and Dixi dinghy kits

Always popular,we have started the year by selling plans and kits to these boats,a local yacht club may also use the Dixi Dinghy as a build and sail training program.
With an auction to close the event,buyer takes all and the boat home!

Two great dinghies, these little boats offer lots of fun for the whole family.

Multi-purpose, they can be rowed, motored or sailed and are light enough for one person to lift on and off the family car or yacht.

 The Dixi Dinghy is on the left,made from just two sheets of 6mm (five ply) Ockume marine ply its a much boat as can be built for the money.

We supply as much or as little of the materials you require,or you can buy the plans only from us and source your own materials where you live.

Simple stitch and glue construction, they can be built with the minimum of tools, no previous boatbuilding experience and in very little space.

Step-by-step instructions included in plywood plans.

Either one can be the ideal quality time project for a youngster with Dad's assistance or Dad with Junior's help.

Build as a school project which actually has some use after achieving your passing grade.

Practical winter project, build one for fishing on your local pond, as junior's "my boat" or as a tender to your big boat.

An Argie 10,it will take four persons with ease.

Built-in flotation compartments and a simple sail plan make them great for learning to sail, whatever your age.

Plans by email or regular post.