Inside our factory

An Argie 15 clear oregon pine boom kit,being hollowed with a 32mm diameter tungsten router bit.



Inside our factory,the 16mtrs long white mast is in for a service and repaint,it will be reassembled using Tef-Gel paste.

Many may wonder where we do the work,we have what I think is a nice factory,its about 275 square meters,plus the offices,part of the factory floor space is pure storage to our stocks of Superform bending and marine plys,the rest we use as work stations,which includes a rip saw,two band saws,radial arm cut off saw,spindle,thicknesser,two compressors,plus the usual hand and power tools,its a set up that is very flexible.At this time we have a set of Clear Oregon Pine stringers to machine for a Wharram Tiki 38 and today ran some timbers for an Argie 15 mast and boom,also in Oregon Pine,the picture on this blog shows the two halfs of the Argie 15 boom,hollowed out and ready to ship with the rest of the boats kit.

Roy

A series of information of specialist woods,Lignum Vitae

From a very soft wood like Kiri,to one of the worlds hardest woods 'Lignum Vitae',we are on a mailing list from a company who trades in such wood,what is it? hard for certain,it may be the worlds hardest species even.Used on ships in the past as propellor shaft bearings,when lubricated with sea water,it would take the strain from the turning shaft,hard wood indeed!
Commercial Lumber cc,our founder company ,specialised in sourcing timbers not normally found on a timber merchants shelf,Lignum Vitea,Greenhart,Purplehart,Spanish Cedar and Mahogany,African Balsa,we can still do the same now.

Roy

lignum-vitae.com

COMMON NAMES: Lignum vitae, Guayacan, Palo santo, ironwood

SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 1.05

DENSITY: 77 - 82 lbs./cu.ft.

TANGENTIAL MOVEMENT: 2.5%

RADIAL MOVEMENT: n/a%

VOLUMETRIC SHRINKAGE: n.a%

DURABILITY: Exceptional resistance to moisture and fungal attack

SOURCE: West Indes, Central America, northern South America

DESCRIPTION: One of the hardest and heaviest woods (three times as hard as oak), lignum vitae is most commonly used for mallet heads, bearings and rollers. Because of its durability and natural lubricants, it is the preferred wood for propeller bushings and other underwater applications. The lignum vitae tree generally grows to a diameter of about 12", although historically, trees in the 18" - 30" range have been known.

Lignum vitae is reddish brown when freshly cut, with pale yellow sapwood. As it oxidizes, the color turns to a deep green, often with black details. The grain is highly interlocked, making it difficult to work with edge tools, but it machines well and takes a high polish. It is a remarkably good wood for turning. A similar species, known as Maracaibo lignum vitae (Bulnesia arboria), which grows in Venezuela and northern South America, is similar in properties and appearance and is sometimes substituted for genuine lignum vitae.

ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT: being replanted by our known suppliers:

Boat Builders wood,a new species is available

CKD Boats cc grew out of an established timber import company called 'Commercial Lumber cc',we stopped trading in retail timbers as we moved across to a more exciting line and kit boats and related materials.Commercial Lumber was started on the discovery of a plantaion of Teak,the british had planted in many places,one of which I sort of stumbled upon,our import of Plantation Teak to South Africa was a first as far as I know,its was the same with Bending Plywoods and Flexible Veneers,which we still stock.

Finding new products has become a way of staying in front to some extent and we have just found a new timber called Kiri,its also a plantation grown species (good news) and comes from Western Austrailia.Kiri may be the wood to replace our last shipment of Clear Oregon Pine,which we sold out of yesterday,to a builder of a James Wharram Design 'Tikki 38',we supplied his Ockume Marine Ply and Epoxies too,we will also cut all of the boats bulkheads as well.

Kiri looks like it is very stable,it air dries well just like Spanish Cedar but will cost less,it is perfect for strip plank constuction and is nice and light,we have asked the suppliers for samples,when they arrive we will expand on this new timber species and look to place our first order,again another first for an import into South Africa.

Roy

Paper Jet U-Tube film clip

Dudley Dix has just released a video clip of him sailing his Paper Jet,remember the Dudley is not a youngster any more,so his performance shows even more how easy this new design is to sail.

Dudleys message to the trade,click on the web address:

Hi to all of our agents and kit suppliers,

I have uploaded video footage to YouTube of me sailing the Paper Jet 14 with Standard and Turbo rigs. I have embedded the video on my website at http://dixdesign.com/pjvideo.htm .

I am still learning to sail the big rig so it is not the best sailing that you will see. In a few weeks we will do some more video and get better results. In the meantime, this shows pretty well that the boat can be single-handed with the big rig and is quick.

We take two Paper Jest to the Wooden Boat Show in Mystic Seaport next week. While there, Wooden Boat Magazine will sail test the two boats with the three rigs for an article to appear later this year, I guess one of the last two of the year.

If you have not seen it yet, I have also added a photo of me on trapeze with Turbo rig and spinnaker to the Paper Jet page of our website.

Regards,

Dudley Dix

Weekly Currency Rates Chart

Continuing with our rates chart from last week,we post the latest currency rates from the First National Bank web site.

Forex Rates


All exchange rates are updated regularly. However, the rates that you receive in a FNB Branch may differ to these rates due to changing market conditions and the amount of your transaction. Please contact your nearest FNB branch if you wish to buy or sell foreign currency.


For your convenience, our Forex Calculator is available online.


Please note
Bank charges and commissions have been excluded

You can receive these rates by subscribing. These rates will be emailed to you at 09h00 and at 16h00 on valid business days.


The following European monetary area currencies have been incorporated into the Euro currency:

ATS, BEF, DEM, ESP, FIM, FRF, GRD, IEP, ITL, LUF, NLG, PTE, SIT, VAL.


Public Exchange Rates against the rand for amounts up to R50 000.


Published at 2008/06/20 08:32:00 AM


Rand per foreign currency unit

Description Code Bank Selling rate Bank buying TT Bank buying TC's Bank buying notes
EURO CURRENCY EUR 12.5964 12.0957 12.0644 12.0835
BRITISH STERLING GBP 16.0000 15.3636 15.3128 15.3481
US DOLLARS USD 8.0752 7.8253 7.7693 7.8174



Foreign currency unit per rand

AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS AUD 0.1289 0.1356 0.1361 0.1357
BOTSWANA PULA BWP 0.7898 0.8735 0.8844 0.8744
CANADIAN DOLLARS CAD 0.1239 0.1316 0.1323 0.1317
SWISS FRANCS CHF 0.1284 0.1339 0.1345 0.1340
DANISH KRONE DKK 0.5882 0.6204 0.6245 0.6211
HONG KONG DOLLARS HKD 0.9448 1.0123 1.0200 1.0133
INDIAN RUPEES INR 4.6422 5.5692 5.5692 5.5748
JAPANESE YEN JPY 13.2951 13.8614 13.8844 13.8754
KENYAN SCHILLINGS KES 7.6456 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
LESOTHO LOTI LSL 1.0000 1.0000 0.0000 1.0000
MAURITIUS RUPEES MUR 3.1553 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
MALAWI KWACHA MWK 16.3835 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
Not Available MZM Not Available Not Available Not Available Not Available
NAMIBIAN DOLLAR NAD 1.0000 1.0000 0.0000 1.0000
NORWEGIAN KRONER NOK 0.6350 0.6679 0.6748 0.6685
NEW ZEALAND DOLLARS NZD 0.1604 0.1700 0.1706 0.1701
PAKISTAN RUPEES PKR 6.6748 7.8208 0.0000 7.8287
SWEDISH KRONER SEK 0.7425 0.7810 0.7843 0.7817
SINGAPORE DOLLARS SGD 0.1669 0.1774 0.1787 0.1775
SWAZILAND LILANGENI SZL 1.0000 1.0000 0.0000 1.0000
UGANDAN SHILLINGS UGX 189.3204 211.1612 0.0000 211.3746
ZAMBIA KWACHA ZMK 339.8058 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
Not Available ZWD Not Available Not Available Not Available Not Available

Water Ballast but 40% heavier!

A discussion came up today when I was moving an order of Bio-Magic,which was packed to send to our agent in Johhanesburg,the order is a 25ltr container of unmixed concentrate,this travels for less cost and the agent then mixes it for end use.Moving a filled 25ltr drum (plastic) is seriously hard,its so heavy,I now find that Bio-Magic concentrate is a whole 40% heavier then water! read some comments below.

Roy



I have just been preparing an order for a client,its Bio-Magic concentrate,normally we do not supply it as such but the customer is an agent,she will mix it hereself and save pack and transports costs. I commented on the weight to the UK agent,he is a sailor too,this was his reply .


Hi Roy,

You've just hit on a good idea, how about using BM concentrate as liquid ballast on hi-tec yachts, to be pumped around as required? The reason its heavy is the amount of minerals in it.Notty,General Manager, Bio-Magic UK

Paper Jet,Turbo Rig

Dudley has his new large main sail on his Paper Jet number one,we supplied his kit too,one of the great things with this new boat is it can go from a trainer,move to a more talent required boat,then up to a very fast sport boat but all in the same day,same morning,if your keen enough!

Roy

Bio-Magic an enviromental solution

We have mentioned our invlovment with Bio-Magic on this blog before,we have just received a picture of the RV Home in Austrailia that tours the country doing shows and promotions,all forty six shows per year! We have very good stocks of Bio-Magic,either collect or we can send by post to your address.Payment will soon be as easy as using your credit card.

Roy

try www.biomagic.co.za

Charlies Sundowner blog news

This was lifted of Charlie Whipples blog,more news and pictures when we have them.

Leaving at last -- 17-06-08
Rained all day yesterday, so I spent the day inside the boat, making tiedowns, installing lee cloths, making a canvas bucket, and so on. Today will see the water and stores go in first, then tidy up the rest. Some things must wait until we are under way. Plan to leave about 3 pm. Heading 020 to about 29S 180, then 070 to the southern Cooks. Chuck is working on the website and will have updates from me via satphone messaging. See you all in Honolulu. Oh, my apple died so I have no photos at the moment.

Cape Cutter 19 kit in build

Cape Henry 21




One of the most succesfull designs in our range will be the DixDesign Cape Cutter 19 at www.dixdesign.com the enquiries to this boat were many,we still get asked for it on a regular basis but as the design was taken off shore and no more kits were allowed to protect production of the GRP built boats,we have moved our attention to the Cape Henry 21.Its the same boat,just 10% larger but all of 30% more boat volume wise,so forget the CC19 and look at the CH21!Todays pictures just recieved,are of one of our CC19 kits being built by Ian Allen at www.thegables.co.nz down in New Zealand (we have another kit being built in Ausi)the CH21 wont look that much different when building.

Charlie Whipple is sailing for Hawaii on June 17th

Thats the news we have right now,the intended departure from New Zealand two days earlier has been put back because of weather,this is from Charlies blog:

Delayed departure 13-06-08
The weather is not conducive to departure on Sunday and Monday, so the departure date for Hawaii is Tuesday June 17, 2007. That will allow me to get everything almost completely done.



Rebecca Hayter, author of the book "Oceans Alone" and freelance writer, came down with Mike Hunter, Boating NZ Photography Editor, for a ride in Resolution and interviews for an article later on this year. Here are a couple of photos Mike took.


The man on the helm looks awfully rotund, but he'll slim down as the voyage progresses. :)



Just thought I was going to upload photos. Typepad's new system takes forever and I don't have enough battery energy to sit around and wait. That means you'll have to do without images. Sorry.

Holiday Shop

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Lesotho



Namibia



Malawi



Southern Africa


Mozambique



Mozambique



Victoria Falls



Victoria Falls


Namibia



Namibian Desert



Cape Town

Cape Town

One of my daughters,Lorna, married the guy she used to go on multi country camping trips with,Brett is his name.This was and still is a great low cost way to have an adventure holiday,you fly in,get met at the airport,then taken to a hotel for the night,in the morning your adventure begins!In this case by means of a 20 seater 4x4 truck,all camping gear and food is taken too,normally the first country will be Namibia to the North West of Cape Town,then depending on the duration of the trip,will head across land as far as Kenya and Mozabique,with over night stops at the Victoria Falls on the Zimbawe boarder.The trip back to Cape Town may call in at Lesotho and Malawi too,thats the adventure tour side.

At this time the two have taken a leave of absence from their eventual travel related jobs, to restore a large Victorian Farm House on Bretts family Dairy Farm up in the highlands of Natal in South Africas North East,its inland from Durban on the east coast.The work being near complete its back to doing what they do best,organise holidays for clients world wide.Brett stayed in the adventure side of the market but as management,he also managed a hotel along the way,while Lorna moved to another level and arranged specific type holidays instead.

Imagine you want to do a Golfing or Cycling holiday,it could be Surfing or anything really,Well Lorna will sort out all the options,planes,hotels or B&B accomodation,depending on your needs,then do the costing and present the program as one package.As Lorna and Brett have been just about every place in Southern Africa,even trips on trains like the Rovos Train,its certain they will know just the place for you to vist,as they have probably been there themselves.With the local Rand currency (see the blog below this) being more favourable to tourists now than for some years,this could just be the right time to visit.

Contact me for details, roy@ckdboats.com

Roy

Rand Currency Exchange Rates are really low

We see the value of the Rand slip and slide but its not been as low as it is today to the U$ Greenback for some years,it was R8.14 to U$1.00 early afternoon today,so a really good time to consider buying products from South Africa.

Roy

Rates today as below : if requested,this could be a regular friday currency update?

Forex Rates


All exchange rates are updated regularly. However, the rates that you receive in a FNB Branch may differ to these rates due to changing market conditions and the amount of your transaction. Please contact your nearest FNB branch if you wish to buy or sell foreign currency.


For your convenience, our Forex Calculator is available online.


Please note
Bank charges and commissions have been excluded

You can receive these rates by subscribing. These rates will be emailed to you at 09h00 and at 16h00 on valid business days.


The following European monetary area currencies have been incorporated into the Euro currency:

ATS, BEF, DEM, ESP, FIM, FRF, GRD, IEP, ITL, LUF, NLG, PTE, SIT, VAL.


Public Exchange Rates against the rand for amounts up to R50 000.


Published at 2008/06/13 03:32:00 PM


Rand per foreign currency unit

Description Code Bank Selling rate Bank buying TT Bank buying TC's Bank buying notes
EURO CURRENCY EUR 12.7540 12.2473 12.2151 12.2348
BRITISH STERLING GBP 16.1638 15.5217 15.4694 15.5059
US DOLLARS USD 8.2880 8.0326 7.9766 8.0244



Foreign currency unit per rand

AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS AUD 0.1277 0.1343 0.1349 0.1344
BOTSWANA PULA BWP 0.7871 0.8598 0.8706 0.8606
CANADIAN DOLLARS CAD 0.1221 0.1296 0.1303 0.1298
SWISS FRANCS CHF 0.1263 0.1317 0.1323 0.1318
DANISH KRONE DKK 0.5811 0.6128 0.6168 0.6134
HONG KONG DOLLARS HKD 0.9205 0.9863 0.9937 0.9873
INDIAN RUPEES INR 4.5230 5.4255 5.4255 5.4310
JAPANESE YEN JPY 12.9930 13.5448 13.5673 13.5587
KENYAN SCHILLINGS KES 7.3311 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
LESOTHO LOTI LSL 1.0000 1.0000 0.0000 1.0000
MAURITIUS RUPEES MUR 3.0743 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
MALAWI KWACHA MWK 15.9628 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
Not Available MZM Not Available Not Available Not Available Not Available
NAMIBIAN DOLLAR NAD 1.0000 1.0000 0.0000 1.0000
NORWEGIAN KRONER NOK 0.6282 0.6606 0.6673 0.6612
NEW ZEALAND DOLLARS NZD 0.1595 0.1689 0.1695 0.1691
PAKISTAN RUPEES PKR 6.5034 7.6190 0.0000 7.6267
SWEDISH KRONER SEK 0.7315 0.7691 0.7721 0.7696
SINGAPORE DOLLARS SGD 0.1641 0.1744 0.1757 0.1746
SWAZILAND LILANGENI SZL 1.0000 1.0000 0.0000 1.0000
UGANDAN SHILLINGS UGX 185.6419 206.9816 0.0000 207.1931
ZAMBIA KWACHA ZMK 342.9054 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
Not Available ZWD Not Available Not Available Not Available Not Available

Visa and Master Card payments

A facility for Visa or Master Card payments has been asked for by customers for some while, our application to Visa/Mastercard has now been approoved and we are proud to be able to offer this service to our customers,as a way of easing payment methods and making transactions that much faster.The facility will take a few days to be installed.For orders and payment with your Visa/Mastercard,please contact me for information and the transaction form,I will send that to you via email.

Roy

Captain Charlie Whipple!

This micro ocean boat builder is getting his John Welsford designed Sundowner ready to sail from New Zealand,to Hawaii (next week) then on to Cape Horn,with a short stay in Port Stanley,Falkland Islands,before heading off to South Africa and Hout Bay,all this will be a single handed trip.We will up date this blog page as he progresses,so check in now and again,or try www.resolutionaroundtheworld.com a site still under construction,it should be active quite soon? Plans are to make this super little ship into one of our pre cut boat kits soon.

Roy