Plywood boat kits of all sizes

This picture shows what is possible by using plans from one of the designers we are licenced to.

All of these designs are by Dudley Dix, a world expert and leader in plywood as a material for boat building.

Sizes go from 8ft to 55ft but size is rarely a limit when Dudley designs a boat, he has many stock plans and can do custom designs to special order.

http://www.dixdesign.com/plywood.htm .open the link for the full story.

Roy

Spot the GSM Duckling dinghy on Hout Bays Hobie Beach

The HBYC is reinstating the once ultra popular Hobiecat long distance beach sailing event.

The poster of what the event may have looked like also shows a Duckling dinghy.

We have owned a Duckling dinghy for at least three decades, we sell the yacht but never the Duckling dinghy!

Click on the picture to enlarge it and see more detail.

Roy

Hout Bay, todays weather as it is now

So we had a hot day on Monday but today started with fog, how nice to cool the air down.

Click the image for a larger view.

Winter is not really here but we do get plenty of days like this in winter anyway, the camera is looking North and towards the back of Table Mountain, and Cape Town.

Picture by R McBride the camera is Canon G11.

Roy

Hillman Imp sound sealing sheeting, do it yourself?

The car is a very sound Hillman Imp Deluxe and built in 1971.

Now under reconstruction, the owner asked the panel shop who are re painting the car to fit the sound seal he had purchased.

Look closely, yes the entire floor, seats and back shelf now have a flexible sound sealer in place.
Just look how well and neatly the guys have done this job.

I asked the boss about how many hours it too, his reply was ' Don't ask! '

The inside of the doors, front and rear wings and wheel arches may follow next, the idea is to upgrade the ride and silence as much road noise as possible.

Roy

Mirror Dinghy kit building, the details

Peter has spent at least as much time reading the building instructions done by the Mirror Asscociation in Canada as he has worked on the boat itself, my thanks to the guys in Canada for drafting such a detailed step by step builders guide.

The original drawings showed just one round drain hole on either side, we were advised to enlarge them as then the holes make good lifting purchases.

The skeg had the older style slot cut in it even if its no longer required now?

Hull lower panel stiffener is as per the drawings, the dagger board is a spare blank and not the Mirror spec, one.

 

We are told there should be an access hole in the forward bulkhead, two I would think, they can have screw in plastic covers? this will be added to the final CNC files. An addition to the standard drawings will be a port and starboard ply gusset to support the thwart area and take the loading to the hull, these will be fitted before the side seats are fitted and become part of our standard CNC kit.

 

 

This is Peters idea on the lower bow panel, he changed the grain direction of the way the 6mm x five ply was cut, making the required bend in the ply really easy, this may be an optional extra? For sure we are developing a few options that are making the kit more complete and easier to build.

 

Anyone wanting a new Mirror Dinghy building and in the Cape Town area, is welcome to view this build, contact me for the address and Peters phone number so you can arrange a time that suits both parties.

 

Roy

 

Mirror dinghy whats under the covers?

In this case the covers are the foredeck, side and aft seat panels, seen in these pictures we can see just what fits where.

Peter has done a fine job of assembly of what has been his very first Mirror Dinghy kit build.

The dagger board is a dummy panel by the way.

Note the internal epoxy and glass tape works, all of the boat will be pre coated with thin liquid epoxy before Peter closes the compartments off with what are the cover boards, seats and deck etc.

Here Peter is demonstrating the excellent panel fit of this very first CNC cut Mirror Dinghy kit world wide. This boat will have the top panels fitted next week and after Peter has fitted the optional thwart side support in the seat space.

The boat is for sale, we have space for more kit build orders in time for the Mirror Worlds in January 2015, at the Theewaters Aquatic Club near Cape Town, kits can be  built to a bare hull stage or as a finished sail boat, enquires invited.

Roy 

Our Mirror Dinghy CNC cut kit progress

Peter, the boat builder who is licenced to build our Mirror Dinghy kits, says he is more than happy with the fit of the CNC shaped plywood panels. They certainally impressed myself when I went and visited this morning.

Click on the picture for a larger image.

Check the panel fit, the lead weights are holding the seats and fore deck in place, there are no fasteners and we will have the decks bonded in early next week.

More pictures of the process and whats to be found underneath the ply panels tommorrow.

Roy

Dix 43' for sale in South Africa

Yacht brokerage, now available with or without a walk on marina berth by negotiation.

This low use yacht it offered for sale, well constructed and equiped, a great choice for local waters or long distance cruising.

Click on the images for a larger view.

Plenty of space and three cabins with a large aft cabin with a WC connected via its own cabin door.

The two forward single cabins share a loo that is in the front of the boat and similar to the designers layout.

The boat is well equiped with well known brands such as B and G, Garmin, Icom , Leica, Furuno, PUR, Perkins, Yanmar, Lewmar, etc

Contact me for further information.

Roy

Fishing boats in Hout Bay Harbour today

A nice line up of bright colours, its a pity that some of the local people were blockading the entrances to the harbour and no one could drive in to get to their boats and start work.

Cape Talk 567 radio reported that the problem was a lack of service delivery for twenty years, who has been in power this long I wonder?

We seem to have boats with a permit and can fish , then boats with no quota to fish, sounds the same, I am told its not.

Well done the boat owners and the crews of the boats for keeping them looking so smart!

Roy

 

Will's i550 progress

We supplied the very first CNC cut i550 kit in South Africa, here are some pictures from Will who is the customer and also building the boat.

Hi Roy,

Hope all’s well down there?

Here are some of the more recent build pics –

Cheers,

Will.

 

 

The boat uses 16 sheets of 6mm okoume marine ply.

 

 

Will sorted out which model he wanted and supplied the CNC cut file, which we are now able to reproduce other i550 kits from.

 

Plans to be purchased before we can supply a kit, the last I looked plans were on a special offer?

Yes, the offer still stands.

 

http://www.i550sportboat.com/

 

$100 PDF Plans and Hull License.

If your email inbox can receive 12+MB, we will send you the same pdf plans and hull license (normally $100USD) via email and you won’t have to wait forever for snail mail or have your order get stuck in customs.


 

The first (usa)  kit and ready to ship

For all questions, please email us at 
i550watershed@yahoo.com
To send a payment via paypal, email set@skywerx.com
We can send you a paypal invoice, that’s the easiest. Or you can use Western Union. As soon as we receive payment, we’ll email you the plans/hull license.

QUOTES on Boats! (Hulls and Finished i550’s). (available in South Africa also)

Email or call on 27 21 (021) 7903859 for further information.


 

Roy

 

Thanks Will,

Yaesu FRG7700 FM the PC board

My now quite old Yaesu FRG7700 is going well, so much so that I started to check out bands other than those I normally use.

The mode control knob has an FM position.

This is the FM board, I am told that it came standard with the radio. The user manual tells you to turn to 29MHz and then turn the squelch down to its threshold, that done I hear nothing!

details of the FRG-7700 FM Section as well as Page 25 from the manual.

I hope that you will have found that that FM is a standard feature for this particular receiver? There is no mention within the Yaesu manuals of the FM Module being an 'optional extra'. 

Unfortunately we do not have the replacement bulbs for the S Meter & tuning knob faceplate.
I hope this helps. Good to hear of another classic radio being cherished.

Best wishes, Ian

RossComm Radio Communications

Roy Mcbride FRG7700 FM Board  - Manual information
www.RossCommRadio.co.uk

Roy

Hout Bay Marina berth for sale

One of the nicer large boat marina berths on the HBYC marina and in Hout Bay Harbour is available and for sale right now.

Unlike some marinas in the Western Cape we have a very decent amount of entry and turning space to access our berths here.

Hout Bay is one of the most pleasant and scenic places to keep your boat in, the large boat in the center painted silver is on the marina berth for sale.

Contact me for details.

Roy

Now sold.

Mirror Dinghy kit news update and a lower price offer

Boat kits can be quite involved, some become more complex  as the class rules add on to the base kit., after a full review we see that customers can save themselves outlay by out sourcing materials themselves.

Taking advice and finding the rules do state we can supply to the local market as we wish, we offer
the basics and ask that the buyer shops around for  themselves to complete the kit.

In the case of the Mirror Dinghy, CKD Boats cc will only  now offer  the plywood CNC cut panels, epoxy, glass tapes, fumed silica and micro balloons only, rudder and foil are still options.

Customers will need to supply their own fasteners, timber and whatever else is needed to complete the boat themselves.

This will save you plenty!

Roy

The JoLon Imp one year ago today

They set off for the Impossible journey one year ago,the plan was Johannesburg to Coventry, England, they made it too!

The car was 1971 Mk3 Hillman Imp but the engine was an old 1963 Mk1 engine that was used as it was handy.

Coventry.

Frank Clayton is on the left, it was he and a mate who had tried to get to Mongolia in his own Imp some years before, they failed at that attempt but Terence on the right and his mate Geoff  succeeded.

This took 29 days, 19 countries, 3 continents and 14,000 kilometers plus 1000s more by ferry,they arrived
with six hours to go an the last day of the Imp Clubs event.

Well done guys!

TT writes below, his book on this epic trip will be published later this year.

The JoLon Imp will be shipped to South Africa soon, it will then drive from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, then on to Johannesburg to close the loop, let me know if you want to see the car and meet the guys who do the driving.

Almost a year ago we Geoff and Terence achieved the Impossible; they managed to drive a Hillman Imp from Joburg to Coventry in the UK to celebrate the car’s 50th birthday. After the success of their trip the car was entered into the Classic car of the Year competition in England and against hundreds of other much shinier classics it managed to claim runner up at this prestigious event. 
On the 1 year anniversary of the Groot Imp Trek we will bring the car back to South Africa. It will arrive by ship in Port Elizabeth and then travel to the Historic Hillclimb in Knysna. Thereafter a trip to Cape Town for a few days before continuing on to Joburg, Arriving back where it started with a generous amount of fanfare that the little car deserves. 
Tomorrow 28 March is the 365 day anniversary of our famous departure and to mark the day, Geoff and I will drive another of Terence's Imps again north from Johannesburg but this time we will spare the folk of Coventry and pay a visit instead to our good friend and Imper David Alderson Smith who lives in the quaint little town of Cullinan which some years ago produced the World's largest daimond which is today to be found on the Queens crown! 
the picture was sent to me by a lady who once owned a chamois and immediately took an interest in the Imp as i was chatting with Frank who previously did the Mongol Rally in an Imp under the name Team Badger. (great clip on U tube worth watching!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5hk_chz47Q

Terence Tracey

Manager of Scrooge Diner.

Get there for good value and interesting fellow diners, who may be from all over the world plus motor sport fundi's.

Roy

British Seagull 5hp carburator

In this case its a twin fixed jet one we have changed to a 25:1 fuel to oil mix jet.

The carb is a quality item and is known as the Seagull - Amal two - jet Carburetor.

This carburetor arrived in a mess, we have reworked it, and painted it,fitted the 25:1 fixed jet and put a new
choke hood and throttle cable on the carb.

Normally the fuel mix is 10:1 so liable to smoke?

The outboard will have the timing cover spray painted in hammered gold metal paint, the rebuilt  petrol tank

will finish the restoration.

Roy