Mariquita is being restored again.

It was myself that was first invited to restore this boat by Mike Daly, I had the premises and right in town too.

I did a written breakdown of what such work would entail, Mike gave the job to Eric Bongers and as you know it was he who did that restoration.

The boat was taken to Europe a few years back, a second and more complete restoration was discussed and from what the image shows it is happening.

Nice story or what!

Roy

Boat window cover trims

This job has been on the things to do list some time, when it started the idea was to do them in alloy and then have anodised?

The alloy would require a CNC shop, plus the high cost to materials and out works, then a workshop drawing or template?

Click on the picture to enlarge it.

The setting out takes three times longer than the actual cutting out, as once the bench jig is set up the Makita router soon cuts the shapes quickly.

The 6mm okoume plywood is a five ply, so its quite strong and once it has the special and very thin epoxy saturation applied it will gain in strength.

With Intergard epoxy primer then Interthane 990 white PU top coats sprayed on the epoxy, the trims will last at least as long as the boat they will be fitted to.

How easy was this? well a whole lot easier than I expected (smiles)

The day went well and final sizing, radius of the edges and corners, plus drilling the screw holes went ahead much to my joy.

The picture shows the starboard window trims dry fitted with just two screws each, the idea being to see how they fitted and of course how they look (more smiles)

A week later and we had perfect fitting weather and fitted the first four of six today.

We can make to your size given the dimensions or the correct templates, we supply the screws and the right fastening sealant also if required.

Roy

Hillman Imp Californian seen at the Bay Harbour Market

The car is now part restored and very driveable.

Click on the image to enlarge it.

The car dates back to February 3rd 1967 when it came off the Rootes Scotland Car Co assembly line.

It is thought that as few as 55 to 60 are left world wide?

My Sunday driver and a lot of fun, the car attracts favourable comments where ever I take it.

Roy

Hard dodger to suit a medium sized boat

In this case the boat is a Dix 43 and as the center cockpit version.

The kit evolved and we have now sent at least two offshore.

Click on the images to view full size.

We supply just about everything, even the special glass and the correct silicone glazing sealant.

The best way to stay dry and wind free is with the best protection that the hard dodger can give.

Roy

Maxprop two blade classic for sale

Now on the market and in the Cape Town, South Africa area, we can ship world wide.

The 24" maxprop has had very low hours on it and is in fine condition.

The price is only R20,000 which is around U$1575.

Suitable for a larger yacht and gives you great control in both forwards and reverse.

The original Max-Prop was designed in the early 70’s for the high tech race boat market. Since proving itself in the racing arena, the Classic Max-Prop has earned its way into the mainstream market as the leader in low drag propellers. Today you will find the Classic Max-Prop on a wide range of vessels from 25 foot daysailer to 100 foot race boat. With over 30 years of proven performance and unequalled reliability the two blade Classic is a great choice for a lighter vessels.

Simply the best and I know this has my own yacht has the Maxprop 18 " classic and it works equally well in forwards and reverse.

Roy

A lazy day in the Hout Bay Harbour

I was called to the Hout Bay Boat Yard to discuss a 24" twin blade Maxprop on a classic yacht.

While I was there I took this picture of the yacht She, its a classic in its own right.

The design is ( i think) by Buchanan and was built in the far east in solid teak, even the plywood on the decks is teak.

The boat is featured in the book Cape Town's Traditional Boat Association, which was compiled and published by TBA member Colin Davies, pages 22 & 23 and with pictures of the previous owner the late Brian Bradfield.

Brian sold the boat to a guy who then had it fully rebuilt, it was re launched in October 2010 at the RCYC.

http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2015/02/tba-history-book-back-in-stock.html

There are two more copies of that book for sale, R135 each and as a donation to the NSRI and Hout Bays Station 8.

Check the seals having a rest!

Nice winter weather.

Roy

Winter boat projects in Hout Bay

As long as you can accept that any deck related projects may take weeks rather than days due to the cold and often wet weather, winter is in many ways a nicer time to work outside on your boat?

Click on the image to enlarge it, the camera was Canon's G1X digital

After some fifteen years since this Dix 43' was launched, the bare teak cover planks that fitted onto the Genoa and Staysail sheet winch base was removed and a new 12mm okoume marine ply cover board fitted ready to accept a clean painted surface when applied.

This saves trying to clean the old teak, varnishing around winches was never wanted, as its a hard job to do. The application of the Intergard epoxy primer was done in two stages and with an epoxy spot filler in between coats.

Six coats were applied in total, the use of a small foam roller works well in these smaller areas. You will still need to hand sand with wet and dry paper and clean water prior to the spray application of Interthane 990 white top coats.

This was a three week job.

The the three Interthane 990 finish coats were applied after a session with 180 grit water paper.
Masking the work takes time, as any over spray will damage the exposed areas.

With paints being mixed the chance to paint some head liner trim was in effect for free.

With the masked areas being free of the paper protection, the job is done and in a few days the Interhane 990 PU top coat will be ready to accept the Lewmar 58 & 44 sheet winches.

This is what they will look like when fitted as the starboard side of the boat has had the same upgrade.

Easy, sometimes, this is of course if you can find a supplier of the International Paints now?

Roy

A Bombaloza Scull on the Berg River?

News is in that they have been discussing the Bombaloza Scull at a Berg River meeting?

This lad may just be in training for the day he is big enough to have a go himself!

With the very detailed plans (44 pages?)  cost starting at just R500 you can start easy enough by cutting it out yourself, CKD Boats cc can supply the CNC kit which does get you on the water that much faster.

The kit is three sheets of okoume marine play for the hull and one sheet of pine ply for the builders jig (re usable) we offer the epoxy, glass tape , fumed silica and micro balloons to make the fillers and epoxy fillets too.

Roy

Cape Henry 21 building in Seattle, USA.

Its always nice to receive news and pictures from our customers, they give a good feedback on what our kit has become and how well it assembles.

We shipped the Cape Henry 21 plywood kit to Fred, then later we also sent him the 1" thick profiled drop steel keel, made here in Cape Town, even with shipping it was seen to be good value.

Fred in Seattle is building a Cape Henry 21 by Dudley Dix.

Words below by Fred,

Scheduled to exhibit 'Evangelina' at Port Townsend's Wooden Boat Festival; 2nd wknd. in Sept. She might float in as a 'convertible', ha ha.

Your cnc cutting is very precise. I determined scarf overlaps and skin panel sections via Dudley's Mylars.

Fred just happens to have a very complete wood working shop, in his case that is what he does but most work with just the basic tools many of which are to be found in the average home.

Roy

Progress report on wooden boat repairs

A week and a bit more I posted that a fishing boat was under repair.

Today we can see the excellence of the new structure, all built either off the boats own decks or the floating punt along side.

The wood used in Keruing, either that or Balau, the Keruing steams well but the Balau does not.

A class repair and on a boat that will by now be at least sixty years young.

Side planks next week and they will require a steam tube session to make the required bends.

Roy

Sunshine break in Hout Bay's winter

Today we have rain, lots of it and up to 50mm predicted?

Click on the image to enlarge it.

The yacht is a Dix 43 in a wood/epoxy build, some upgrades were done to the primary winches in the cockpit, the mainsail cover also.

The helmsman with suitable experience can sail this yacht by himself (or her) ,  the mainsail will need a man forward to reef it but with that done, the yacht has all the sail controls in the spacious cockpit.

The as new Lewmar sheet winches are sized 58:1  and 44:1 ratio, giving  an easy job when handling the headsails. They are both alloy and self tailing, the forward winch controls either the Staysail or the Harken series three head sail furler, a jamber backs up the black Sampson braid control line when the Staysail is in use.

The rig is a Cutter but the inner forestay can be unhooked and lashed down to one side, meaning that even in lighter airs the Genoa will tack easily.

The break in the winter rains allowed a little sun tanning but not today as its pouring with rain!

Roy.

Hout Bay Sunday classic car driving

Why not, it was really nice weather on Sunday morning, so a drive around our side of Hout Bay and a visit to the award winning Engen garage for some petrol was a good idea.

Collen is the supervisor there, he is in the car in this picture.

Collen knows quite a bit about the Hillman Imp, as a friend in Johannesburg was doing the over head camshaft  on his car and Colin was there watching.

What a nice mornings drive!

How hard can this be?

The car is a 1967 Hillman Imp Californian Coupe, an export model sent to Mozambique.

How I ended up with it and dating back twenty years is another story.

Roy

Hout Bay Yacht Club marina in winter

This is a very typical winters day scene in Hout Bay, given that winter here is often wet and stormy, we do got some really nice spells of calm weather and with warm sunshine and blue skies.

John is reading his book and seated on a bench off yacht Gambula, the bench was fastened down on the aft deck at one time but was donated to the marina.

Sailors walk to their yacht and to be honest this really is winter at its best, the air was a warm 24c (smile)

How nice can this get!

The camera is a Canon G1X digital as my Canon G11 died with its lens extended................

Roy

Working with International Paints

The boat in the picture was painted from new with International Paints, its a system which has proved its worth many times over in the sixteen years since the boat was painted.

The boat is being given a service and the sheet winch pods are having the original teak cover board removed. The teak was the cause of a leak and really the Lewmar STA 58 and 44 winches, which are only a few years old will look a lot nicer on the clean white Interthane 990 polyurethane gloss top coat than on the un varnished teak.

This pod was refurbished and then coated with our 816 epoxy and 205 cure agent, some glass cloth went into the assembly to add strength as well.

The paint system is Intergard 276 white epoxy primer, six coats with a small foam roller due to wet sanding between the layers, then Interthane 990 top coat, which was three coats applied with a spray gun.

The winches will be refitted next.

With the job done its time to remove the teak cover board on the Port side of the boat and refurbish that side so things look the same.

The idea is to have a cleaner looking cockpit area!

Roy

The Cape Charles 32 revisited

January 2016, the plans are still not finished, please contact me to be placed on the update list on the Cape Charles 32 design.

News in from the boats designer looks good.

I have two firm orders for the Cape Charles 32 and others champing at the bit. The design is progressing and should be ready for builders to start within a few more weeks.

Regards,

Dudley Dix
Dudley Dix Yacht Design

This boat is a size we can relate to when we need a boat that will be home to a couple or even a small family,its large enough to sail most places and being traditional in its rig,as low cost as its possible to find,you can make your own mast from a kit we can supply or we can make one complete and ready to raise for you.

The interior layout would be flexible within the boundary of the bulkhead stations, I would think Dudley will supply more than one interior layout option?

Roy