Goat Island Skiff

Or GIS for short is a very popular sailing skiff.

We sent Johnny the plans and kit some time back, seems he will soon be sailing as he has asked for pricing on the Lug sail also.

Mail in from Johnny reads below.

Am making good progress. Mast is made, tiller & center board & rudder all made up but still to be epoxied/glassed.

I reckon I need 3 packs (epoxy and hardener = 1 pack) and 1 packet micro balloons.

Simple to Build Modern Performance - Sails rings around most "character boats"
Light enough to handle on land by yourself Easy to follow plans - step by step instructions.  96 page manual.
Length - 15'6" (4.73m)
Beam - 5ft (1.52m)
Hull Weight - 128lbs (57kg) - Gaboon (Okoume) Ply
Sail Area - Lug 105 sq ft (9.75 sq metres)

For purchasers of the plan there is a new birdsmouth mast option .

Yachts in Hout Bay, South Africa

Mist always adds depth to any picture and non more so than pictures of yachts?

Both yachts are built using wood, the one on the left was built by Henry Vink around 1934 and is a Vertue 26 , the one on the right is a ply/epoxy build and is a Dix Design, Dix 43.

The picture was taken using my now old Canon G11 and even with the now normal lens scratches still produces a good image when the light is behind the camera.

Roy

Optimist kit cutting this week

We will be cutting another Optimist dinghy kit this week, also supplying a sail by North Sails.

This must be the most popular small dinghy in its class ever designed and built world wide.

More info can be found on our web site.


http://www.ckdboats.com/optimist.html

Roy

Tididi fitting out, built from plans by Hartley.

Tididi  is a Hartley 37 being built and fitted out near Camel Rock in the Table Mountain Nature Reserve area.

Hi Roy,

Just some updated photographs. The grab rails are not fixed and in their final positions. Still need another coat of Intergard and then the top coats. Making progress with the rudder and hopefully will have it ready to go to the CNC shop by end of next week.

Regards

Andrew.

CKD Boats cc supplied much of the plywoods and epoxy to complete the build, we also supplied the plantation grown teak grab rails, we still have some ex stock, a not to be repeated manufacture.

Roy

Hillman Imp rebuild in South Africa

This car is a 1971 Imp Deluxe, a one owner car and Imported by its lady owner many years back.

When I discovered it over sixteen years ago it was in storage and not for sale, then the owner decided he wanted to sell it.

A deal was made and  I moved the car to a friend who had an interest in such cars, he stored it six years, then it came to myself. Work was started by turning the car over to work on the underside surfaces and suspensions before the rest of the car.

The customer wanted the best, so the car was inverted on our special jig for turning Imps over on.

We managed to discover just enough of the cars original Chrysler metallic blue paint colour, then matched that to  a Samcor / Ford shade and used that.

The pro paint shop who finished the work made a really nice job of the car.

Work started in 2012 and went right through to November 2014, only the best materials went into this car restoration.

Moved by road trailer to the cars owner, they were asked to help a hire car that got into difficulty!

The car has been waiting for a silencer to be made from the original Rootes Car Co drawings, it was fitted recently, this is the kind of detail searches we made on the cars restoration.

The speedo was serviced and calibrated, taken back to read zero miles and right now has clocked all of 2 miles, so its a new Hillman Imp?

We had the cars original engine and that is what we converted to a 998cc size.

If you would like a similar car please contact me.

Roy

The Proteus 106 sailing cat kit

This just has to be one of the best value catamaran boat kits available anywhere?

Click on the image to enlarge it, or go out and buy the March 2015 issue of Sailing magazine.

I couldscan the pages better but would need to cut them free, this is not what I want to do.

The magazine will feature the boats build as it progresses.

We supplied the 102 sheets of materials only last May 2014 and check the progress this far, this was with one man and his helper as far as I know.

How hard can this be?

Roy

A Barlow Wadley portable radio with the FM button

Those of you who are regulars to this blog will remember that I had a stroke of luck a year back (was it more?) and was offered a very nice Barlow Wadley in a clean and working condition.

Reading up on the set I find that it is very good on power use from its six 1.5v batteries. I fitted nicads, they lasted a whole year!

Ok I do have an external power source but from time to time the set is using the batteries.

With yet another Eskom power outage the other day I fitted new batteries and was soon listening to a sports feature on the BBC World Service, so clear and sharp too, I was tuned to a frequency around 15,400 which has not been active here for some while now, the time was 17.00 so 15.00 BST (GMT)

Roy

Mirror Dinghy replacement deck panels

Lat year we cut more than ten Mirror Dinghy kits, we also did a replacement deck panel set which has now been sold.

Mirror Dinghy kits are available ex Cape Town and we can ship to most places.

Roy

We have a Submarine in Hout Bay

This used to be a regular event, with the SA Navy base not far away and in Simonstown, Hout Bay is not a bad over night stop.

This image will enlarge, its the Canon G11 on standard setting, there is a submarine in the picture, can you find it?

Closer, about 4 x magnification?

The Canon G11 on its maximum 5 x  magnification.

Thanks to Tojan for the on the water pics,, he took his yacht out just to get some decent pictures with his Canon G12.

Nice day or what!

Roy

A small dinghy you can build?

This was a request for advice.

Hi,

I am interested in building a wooden boat.

Do you sell anything for beginners?

Perhaps something that I can fit a small outboard on?

Best wishes

Adam

The reply was quite simple but the given link shows a number of options.

Adam,

Please check the link and the Dix Design Argie range.

http://www.dixdesign.com/dinghies.htm

Tell me which one you like and I will give you the price.

Regards

Roy

Hout Bay, life's a beach with an Imp Californian

This was and still is one of those perfect weather days in Hout Bay, South Africa.

Click on the picture to enlarge it, the camera is a Canon G11 digital.

I have posted similar pictures of the same car in recent months the difference today is that the car has been sprayed all over now, its still not finished but is now a driving car and all systems such as lights, horn and wipers now work.

Roy

False Bay from the air

A picture taken around 9.30am yesterday morning.

Click on the picture for a larger image.

My thanks to Tojan for the image and its great to know he is back up there and flying all over the country.
He took the picture with his cell phone, I doubt he could open a window?

Roy

Wooden ship building in Cape Town?

I have today been asked what happened to all the highly skilled men who built all the wooden fishing boats?

http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2008/10/lowe-and-halversons-last-wooden-trawler.html

A few years ago there was a considerable amount of restoration / rebuilding of wooden trawlers being carried on in Hout Bay harbour by skilled craftsmen in this dying trade. Is that activity still alive? There remain scores of wooden fishing craft in the Cape, so who re-planks and repairs them? I used to enjoy watching those craftsmen (mostly Coloured folk) building those trawlers at Louw & Halvorsen's boatyard in Table Bay. During my naval architecture practical training I was privileged to have conducted inclining tests on two of their newbuildings, one of which was 72 ft in length and the largest then built. The owner was Mr. Johnny Eigelaar, head of a noted fishing family of Veldrif. Have you ever handled an adze - used to shape solid oak frames? The craftsmen could shape those big frames to within millimetres.

A good question and I note I got the yards name spelling wrong.

Roy

A Dragon class yacht uncovered

As mentioned before CKD Boats cc supplied a very varied amount of materials for the refurbishment of this classic yacht, which spends most of its time hidden under a protective cover.

At the weekends it often gets an airing and allowed to bask in the African sunlight for a few hours.

We had just the correct type of twin ply mahogany flexible veneer to laminate the coach roof with, just 0.006mm thick and its still a wood on wood veneer.

Attention to detail and a single electric powered Harken sheet winch.

Simply world class !

Roy

The Bressay Bank leaves Hout Bay Harbour under tow

Yet another of Hout Bays wrecks and one that has been taking valuable mooring space is now under tow  by a large tug.

Click on the image for a better view.

We are told that the Bressay Bank has been sold to the Navy as a floating target?

Roy

As published in 2014 in Traweler Herritage.

GOOD BYE "BRESSAY BANK"!
Pictured below on Saturday 14 March 2014 at Hout Bay is the 156 foot "Bressay Bank" who had been laying idle inside Hout Bay harbour for almost 20 years, however it is now destined to be towed away by the S.A. Navy. The "Bressay Bank" will be used for a target practising exercise to be conducted by the S.A. Navy. The "Bressay Bank" also formerly known as the "Pam Arlene D", a former South Coast lobster boat owned by Chapmans Peak Fisheries in days gone by. The "Bressay Bank" was built in 1960 in Poland.