The Remembering Tree

My author friend Al Noteman went for a sunday drive, he and his wife Sonia ended up in Stratford and discovered a very strange tree.

 

 

Click the image to enlarge it.
 

 http://www.gaga-uk.org/support-us/the-remembering-tree  open the link for the full story.

Donations can still be made to support those in need in Africa.
 

How does it work?

The Remembering Tree is made up of 1500 crocheted squares, made from synthetic wool which is harmless to the tree and surrounding environment, these have been produced in South Africa by women from poor communities to help boost their income and give them new skills. After we take the yarn squares down, the wool will be washed and recycled into blankets to be sent either to Sierra Leone or a homeless charity in the local area.

Each donation of £5 = 1 square = 1 person to be remembered, celebrated, or to show someone special you love them. You can purchase as many as you like. Each name will be placed on a board next to the finished tree and the full list of those names will also be printed in the Stratford Herald in the week before Christmas. A webpage will be kept up-to-date on our website. We will also keep you updated during the festive season of any interesting news. We expect the tree to get a tremendous amount of interest, and believe it will be the biggest tree ever Yarn Bombed in the UK.

 

A book by Al Noteman can be found at this link:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Diamonds-Immortality-Chiiling-Stolen-ebook/dp/B008AYUIM8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1389693901&sr=1-1&keywords=From+Blood+Diamonds+to+Immortality

 

Thanks Al!

 

Roy

Al comments below

The tree picture opens up fine so can make out the various patterns, what a strange idea though was going to send you the picture anyway just out of interest but after I googled it and found that it had that South African connection thought it may be of interest to your readers too. There's a lot of good going on in the background in this old world that we seldom get to know about because this type of good news rarely makes the news headlines and we seem to be fed a constant stream of bad news these days that can be quite depressing so much so that I have stopped buying a paper every day, just weekends now.

 

 

 

A Grey Heron seen at the RCYC

Amazing to see such a bird walking around in what is really Cape Town Harbour and a very low tide.

Click on the image for a larger view.

The camera is Canons Gll, now past its best as salt or dirt had scratched the lens but as the camera
has been used just about daily this past four years I have no complaints.

I was there to meet up with Dudley Dix and the crew of Black Cat some three days before the start of the Cape 2 Rio 2014 ocean race.

For more on this now very African bird read below and check the link.

Distribution and habitat

Occurs across much of the Old World, from western Scandinavia, Britain and the Iberian Peninsula to sub-Saharan Africa. In southern Africa it is most abundant in Zimbabwe, northern and eastern Botswana and South Africa, while also occupying patches of Namibia and Mozambique. It generally favours shallow water bodies, such as estuaries, lagoons, rivers, lakes, the intertidal zone, marshes and dams.

http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/ardeidae/ardea_cinerea.htm
Roy

Packed epoxy order

Some areas can not source the correct epoxy for boat building, possibly they can not get advice
on its application either? We supply advice and ideas on our products use, which may be worth the cost of the product when you think of it?

This was packed for Alfonso yesterday, we estimated about R100 for postage, it was a bit more at R100.99 cents!

We stock epoxy and cure agent, plus stuff like glass tapes and cloth, plus
3M micro balloons and fumed silica, both of which make good fillers and fillets.

Orders accepted country wide plus across the border.

Pay-Pal and other payment methods accepted.


Roy

Guys first Argie 10 sailing trip

Guy bought an Argie 10 kit from us some while back, he has now finished the project and went for his first sail recently.

Looking good! the Argie range has been a very good seller for us, starting with the Dixie Dinghy, then the Argie 10 and the Argie 15, which is large enough to use as an over night camper when required.

Guy is now thinking about a next build and is thinking about something larger.

Roy
 

What if you want a hard spray dodger on your boat?

This was being thought of by a local yacht owner, he made cardboard mock ups, he was even told ' That will blow away in the first gale' he also got to use his camera and using various photo programs
place dodgers and cabins from other boats superimposed onto his own.

It looks as if it belongs, its really a clever trick of the camera program!

This is two pictures bonded into one, the hard dodger with its 6mm toughend glass to SABS is the first kit we produced, todate others have been exported to New Zealand and also the USA.

The dimensions are the changes we have to make to suit this boat, we can size things up or down but only in percentages unless we make it higher or longer. In this case we will supply the roof as an extension which goes right past the steering wheel position (removed) giving good protection from sun and rain.

We start the order next week, the owner will build the hard dodger himself when he has the kit.

Watch this space for updates!

Roy

1275c Mini Cooper S for sale in Cape Town, South Africa

Who wants a genuine Mini Cooper S 1275 single tank (old shape) with matching numbers and restored?

At this time I have not even seen the car but I do know the owner very well, we talked about the
car being my next project but a buyer needs to be found first.

The car is said to be an early model and about 1963/4, its a bare shell right now, so ready for its rebuild and a new owner.

This is not the actual car but shows what a Mini Cooper looks like.


http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2008/07/austin-mini-cooper-genuine-parts-manual.html

I already have a genuine 1st edition ,September 1961 Cooper  parts manual on my books on cars, so re assembly should be faster and correct.

I heard on Sky TV that Jeff Randle Live was saying the market in wrist watches and classic cars was better than the stock market these days!


Roy

Didi Mini Transat Cruise launch

As I was mentioning the exports of kits, David in Perth, Australia sent me a mail with the message below. We supplied the kit, the parts like stantions, pulpit and pushpits to finish the boat with later, this often helps with the builders cash flow while building.

Roy

 

 

                                                                                                      The day has finely arrived it's going in the water 

                You are invited to attend and witness the official launch of 

                             Davids  Mini Transat 650     Martine  

                                             at 10.00  Sunday 2 February 2014.

                            At South of Perth Yacht Club  Applecross.

 

                          RSVP  @  coledavid@iprimus.com.au

 

           

 

 

                                                                                                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selling to the world

We started the company on an order for a Didi Mini Transat, boat number one and its still here and I believe for sale. That was about ten years back, we then started to be asked for kits to be exported world wide, the sales continue and our packing service has become well known.

Yot-Grot

This one was a surprise to even myself, a Taylors 30L paraffin stove, sent on return or sale by its owner in Durban 1000 miles away, we found a buyer in Australia many more miles away!

Here you go Roy - reassembled in my front yard (boat project in the background). I look forward to seeing it on your blog!

Cheers

Ben

The delivery was by regular postal service, at 37kgs in weight we broke the stove down (with care) to three smaller packs and shipped from our local post office at a very reasonable cost of R1340, that's about U$125.

This way we all scored, Chris the owner, myself and Ben the new owner!

Roy

This may suit someone for a rebuild or spares, open to offers.

http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2013/10/taylors-030-stove-for-sale.html

And to prove it works, well did when the gas burner was fitted inside the oven, now removed but you can source and fit one yourself.

http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2013/09/captain-flea-bakes-some-bread.html

The Bomboloza Scull revisited

This local design  was featured back in 2009, Dave who designed it bought plys and CNC work from us, we still have the cut files so more kits to Daves design can be supplied.

First day test.

Words by Dave, the boats designer:

Here are a few pics of the ‘Vuvuzela’, which is the double partner to the ‘Bombaloza’ single.  It is constructed on the same principles and is similar in design, except it has a flat bottom while the Bombaloza has a v-section throughout.  I have received quite a bit of positive feedback about the boat, mainly because it is very versatile since it is able to carry up to 4 people (2 rowers, 1 passenger and 1 coxswain).  So a bit more social than the single.

The building jig on the right hand side can be used many times, note the part assembled second boat to the left.

 

These boats are light and easy to handle but are suitable for use in protected bays and sea conditions.

 

 

The one man version can be carried by one person?

 

 

 

 

 

Didi 15 Sport Boat

This  design is now active but as yet the materials list has not been provided, so no kit prices just yet.

We have a request for a kit price and will post that as soon as we can.

Roy

The Didi Sport 15 design started a few years ago and has been moving along very slowly, at the pace of the prototype that is being built by a very meticulous builder. He is making a beautiful job of his new boat, hence the slow rate of building.

This design started as a 16ft bigger sister to the Paper Jet. It was to be of similar concept but a twin trapeze skiff for two adults. When he told me that he also planned to use it as a picnic boat for four adults with cooler boxes, I told him that the Paper Jet concept really had no chance to serve all of his requirements. The concept immediately changed to what you see in the Didi Sport 15, as a ballasted sportboat.

The Didi Sport 15 hull is a little sister to the Didi Mini Mk3 and a direct development from it. It has the waterline beam and stability to serve the picnic purpose that the builder wants, able to carry load in a relatively docile manner if reefed down to suit the breeze of the time. In this mode she is really a sportboat with a modern and powerful rig that can be reduced to be more docile if needed. With her full rig of squaretop mainsail, self-tacking jib and asymetrical spinnaker on a retractable bowsprit and launched from a chute, she will be a spirited racer for club Olympic triangle and point-to-point racing. Or just blast back-and-forth across the bay or lake until you wear yourself out from fun and excitement.

She has a covered foredeck above a sealed rapid-draining wet deck, which creates a safe and dry storage area and shelter for small crew. These characteristics make her a good option for raid-type racing events that require carrying one's own stores, camping equipment etc over long distances between camping stops. Hanging a tarp or the mainsail over the boom turns her into a camp cruiser, with a cockpit long and wide enough for a couple of airbeds for a comfortable night anchored or nudged up onto the beach in a sheltered private cove.

http://dixdesign.com/DS15.htm

Hillman Imp Mk2 cylinder head refurbished

This was my so called December holiday project, three Imp heads came in some while back, they looked like junk as they came off the back of my truck.

Shades of Coventry Climax!

Click on the picture for a larger view.

The head was filthy and covered with grime and oil but closer inspection showed the head to be straight and had already had the valves re ground, excepting one valve was not the right type for this head.

Cleaned and bead blasted, the valves were re done and lapped in by hand, with the correct oil seal and oil resistant paper gasket fitted under the coil spring support washer, the head just needs the shims fitting now.

Roy
 

Watchmate Vision AIS new touch screen version

This new model can display all your boats functions, it will work on wi-fi too, being waterproof and daylight readable you can use it in the cockpit.

Available by courier direct from factory to you, credit card payments and Pay-Pal accepted.
CKD Boats cc will handle the order for you.

Check out the website for full information

http://www.vespermarine.com/transponders/xb8000-ais-transponder.html/#

 http://www.vespermarine.com/  the  new VHF/AIS antenna makes sense to me,

Free app for you with your purchase, control from your phone!

AIS Transponders with WiFi for iPad, iPhone or Android Navigation Vesper Marine has developed two unique Class B AIS transponders with WiFi allowing AIS data to be viewed from anywhere on your boat. The XB-8000 & WatchMate Vision can securely connect up to 5 other devices simultaneously. You can have a wireless connection to your laptop, smart phone and tablet. For even larger networks, you can wirelessly connect to an external WiFi router for unlimited expansion capability. Works with most navigation software on iPhone, iPad, and Android phones and tablets. Now this package really does make sense!

Roy

The Cape Henry 21 kit build

Also at the RCYC and while I was viewing some of the Cape 2 Rio race entries is a Cape Henry 21 that was built locally from one of our kits.

The boat was  built here in Cape Town by a local specialist, who is keen to accept build orders from others, we supply the CNC cut kit, while he builds you the boat.

The venue is the RCYC, the Cape 2 Rio race start was just three days away!

This boat is fitted with a Yanmar GM10 diesel engine, the standard drive would normally be a small outboard, say 5 to 8hp?

Roy

 

Didi 38 light ship weight

The Didi 38 has a dry weight of some four tons, two of which are in the keel, the boat is fast in all conditions and especially in light winds and off the wind.

 

Here the fine bow can be seen, spring low tides have the boat sitting on her keel, Black Cat is now starting her third Cape to Rio race and the race starts today!

With an SA/D sail area to displacement of 23.8 its easy to see that this boat will power up easily.

http://www.dixdesign.com/38didi.htm

Bon Voyage to the crew of five which should work well, two resting or sleeping and three working the boat?

Roy
 

I meet up with the Cape To Rio crew entrant Angelo Lavranos

I met up with Angelo for a very brief chat about the Proteus 106 design he has, such was the time factor that we have not even had the time to go and visit the one being built here.

Angelo is doing the Cape to Rio race again and on Indaba, a Van Der Stadt 34 as crew.

Bon voyage Angelo and I will be watching your progress daily!

http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2013/12/building-proteus-106-sailing-catamaran.html

This is the link to the Proteus 106 and under construction, its so easy you can do it yourself!

Roy