1967 Singer Chamois (sport conversion) for sale

This gem of Rootes Cars engineering was my wifes daily driver for around thirteen years,this was after I did a total strip down,all suspension and parts taken off the car for a full respray,we now have another Singer Chamois to rebuild,its a Sport version and car number 610 of only around 2000 built in 1966.

Left click any picture to view full screen and see more detail and yes,the engine was running when I took the pictures!

The engine was rebuilt and  fitted with a Hartwell four branch exhaust system and a pair of Stromberg Carbs,both new (and correct air box) plus an oil cooler as fitted to the sport motors,with a cleaned up cylinder head the car performs really well.The wheels are 13"and 5.5j steel rims with low profile tyres on (new) the car handles better than the car would have on 12" 4.5j rims and high profile tyres.The interior was fully retrimed,seats,carpets and even the headliner.

Spares,here in Cape Town,I carry what is probably the largest spares sets for the Hillman Imp and Singer Chamois range in South Africa.

So Jeans car needs a new owner,the car is licenced and would suit a driver looking for a small classic car with great appeal,priced at R25,000 its very good value,thats about U$3300 or Euros 2600,depending on the exchange rate,we can ship world wide.

Green (discounted) sails from North Sails

Just in today from North Sails,remember we sell North Sails to kit our customers world wide.

Dear roy -


As part of North’s 10+ year commitment to recycling/repurposing sails, we are once again going to make it worth your while to THINK GREEN and BUY BLUE! If you buy a new North sail between July 5th and September 3rd and recycle your old sail, you’ll automatically receive 25% off the purchase price of your new North sail.* Just register online and we’ll send you a FREE UPS shipping tag along with your new sail so you can ship your old sail to the North Recycling Center. Help the planet and save on North Sails, too!



Go to the link below to find out more and register.

http://na.northsails.com/TGBB.aspx

Robs Toylander build has started

This is Rob learning how to build a Toylander kit from CKD Boats,my only suggestion was not to use the type of polyurethane glue he has used,it stains your hands and bubbles while it cures,we will see about sourcing a small tube of water proof PVA glue from our suppliers at Kleiberit,we have done trials with it in our workshops with good success.

Bruces Dixi Dinghy build

This is our smallest size kit,the entire boat comes from just two sheets of 6mm marine ply (five ply) which is very strong and makes a light boat that will fit on roof racks on even a small car,you can lift this boat up yourself I think.A dinghy like this will make an excellent tender to a yacht with a small crew.

Designed by Dudley Dix,this craft will sail,row or motor with ease,an electric trolling moter would power this boat very nicely.

Yacht interior mouldings and finishes

We have had at least two enquiries to yacht interior veneers and finishes this week,if its not for a slap of white paint and needle punch carpet you want,this is the way to go,we have the veneers and can make corners and hatch trims to order,the twin pack laquer is normally ex stock.

Didi Mini Cruise interior kit set

This is Johns Didi mini cruise build in England,we sent him a kit just over a year back,he fitted our interior and sorted out the forward bunks area himself.

With the Didi mini transat Mk 1 and 2 plus the Cruise version which has more interior space and a drop keel,we supply the entire boat precut and also the main interior,which is the main cabin bunks and water ballast tanks (can be used as storage space too) we will soon have the patterns to the cruise version forward cabin,then we will offer all of the bunks.The interior is part of our standard kit price,its a big time saver over having to set it out yourself,you will save at least a weeks working time.

The magnificent Bruce anchor

The genuine Bruce  anchor on the deck of my last boat,the weathering of the galvanised surface is the result of a family cruise,not bad for a whole year,beware of copies,a real Bruce anchor if forged steel,not cast Iorn,there is a difference,a big one,we used all 9mm chain with a nylon three stand rope snubber to ease damage on the boats Bobstay.

 Designed I am told to hold oil rigs steady in places like the North Sea,the production of yacht sized Bruce anchors was a good idea,I have used these and this design on two of my Endurance 37 yachts,sometimes in difficult places and more than once where other yachts were dragging,I have never had any bothers even once and this is from South Africa to far off places like Brasil,Trinidad and Tobago,Venezuela,a years trip that was very near 100% on anchor.

Alex and his Ginetta G15

Message from Alex,Hello Roy,

My car has 5,5+7x13 Alloy Wheels and the manifold have a special Airbox !!!

Regards Alex from Germany

Well not quite Alex himself but he has supplied some progress pictures of his Ginetta G15,it uses the Hillman Imp Sport engine and transaxle,Alex has done an engine upgrade on the carburetors fitting a pair of Weber 40dcoe carburetors and bought an inlet and exhaust manifold from us.

Tididi progresses

Andrew arrived at CKD Boats when he required 6mm plys to laminate his hull skin with,we discussed the end use and did an upgrade to BS1088 marine grade in ockume veneers,plus the 816 epoxy system we stock.Progress was good and late last year Andrew had a hull turning party,seems it was a good one reading his blog and he wont have to look for crew either.

From Andrews blog:

To all those who follow my blog, I have not fallen off the edge of the world, although my world did change quite drastically when we turned the boat because on the same day I also met the most amazing lady. Jay has changed my life totally and although the boat building has not stopped altogether, I have to admit it has slowed down quite substantially. This is not however of great concern as this was always going to be a long term project and now that I have someone special to share it with, it just makes it all that much more worthwhile. Things are going to remain slow over the next few months as Jay and I are going on a cruise in the Baltic and a road trip through the South West of England during September.

In the interim though there has been some progress on Tididi in that most of the interior temporary timber has been removed, all the interior joints have been filled and the cockpit frames and aft side deck beams installed.

The moons a balloon

Thats also the name of a book by the actor David Niven,its a great read about his career if you can find a copy.In 1971, he published his autobiography, The Moon's a Balloon, which was well-received, selling over five million copies
The picture was from the Hout Bay YC marina,the camera a Canon G11,from an auto setting to a part zoom,then max zoom.

KD860 building shed

This is a great structure to work in,space to move around and a good safe store and general workshop in that large container behind.

We are about to ship out the materials to a KD860 sailing catamaran that Andrea will soon be working on in Pretoria,the building shed was started some while back,its now being fitted with its walls and will be ready when the delivery arrives.

Turning one of our boat kits

Its always a big day when you get to the stage when its time to turn your boat hull over.With enough care and thought you could do the job on your own but with enough friends its much more fun and a good excuse for a party afterwards!

This boat is in Freemantle,Australia,David built it on his own from one of our Didi Mini Cruise kits,which has a drop keel,check out the keel box in the center of the boat,we supplied the kit,drop keel and 400 kgs of hot pour cast lead ballast.

New Zealands Cape Cutter 19 is pro painted

This is a fine build of a Cape Cutter 19 from one of our kits,Ian has progressed well and will soon be rigging her out,we supplied the mast and spars too.

Ian and I discussed the painting of his boat some while back,my feeling is that while paint application by brush and a roller is accepatble to some,the end result will actually degrade the boats looks and devalue it to some extent?

Hi Roy,


After all the coating and sanding, sanding, sandING, I decided the little boat deserved a really nice final coating as a treat. I was put onto a professional guy who has started his own little business locally and he liked the boat so decided to do the paint job for a reduced rate. And since I had done the hard yards previously, the cost was most reasonable. The guy is an artist and the boat looks like a fibreglass finish - I am really chuffed. You guys were right with your advice of 'keep on sanding.'

A friend helped me raise the garage door (easier said than done) and cut an aperture above it, because when the mast tabernacle is fixed in place she won't quite fit into the garage given the height of the trailer. So now we need to dynabolt a fitting my mate welded up onto the shed floor to enable us to winch the boat up inside where she will live and where I shall then proceed to put the fittings on and prepare the spars.

Cheers,

Ian