The Optimist dinghy kit from CKD Boats cc

One of the kits we developed ourselves and by building the first one dry four times before we built it the fifth time and glued together.

We have had a lot of orders for this classic of classic dinghy classes  and have sent them to many countries over the past ten years or so.

This is the first Optimist dinghy we sent to a customer in Switzerland, he has since ordered two more and we shipped them to him earlier this month.

We can also supply the North Sail and the Harken deck gear package.

This is a nice way to finish the Optimist kit, painted on the outside and clear varnished on the inside.

We supply an International Paints guide with each order.

Roy

The CKD Boats cc factory

We rationalised things and moved to a full out works company some time back.

For over ten years we used the premises on the left of this picture.

Now things are in more control and we can keep our prices at a lower rate.

This must still be finding favour as recently we have exported three times, the exchange rate helps of course.

Roy

Marine plywood water tanks in a boat

After some eighteen (18) years in service I decided to remove the boats six water tanks and see what they look like inside?

Yes, this boat is in the water and yes the bilge really is that clean and dry.

This was a big job but as I was not under any pressure to complete the work, I took my time and fitted them back in the last few days.

The tanks were fine and clean enough inside not to worry about anything, drinking the water is at least as nice as the domestic water from our taps back home.

Each tank was pre tested prior to re fitting in the boat.

There is a carbon filter but I wonder just what it does as the water is always clean and there is never ever any sediment or bad taste in the water.

This time I removed the tanks inspection covers, bonded them over and also bonded in the brass nipples for the access and vent pipes, so there is nothing to worry about now.

Roy

A new set of Optimist kits to the USA has arrived

Just in today, this picture of a three Optimist kit set that has arrived and had its packing crate opened.

The customer is a sailing school that will teach their pupils to build the boats then learn how to sail them.

We supplied the North Sails, Harken deck packs as well as the wood with CNC cut okoume plys.

The white folders with blue binders are the building instructions and Optimist dimensions with a copy of the class measurement.

Watch this space, we should see them being assembled soon.

Roy

Exports, our boat kits sent to the USA

A recent customer in the USA asked in passing had we ever shipped to the USA before?

Some of the places we did ship to are mentioned below.

Posted as I relplied,

You asked have I shipped to the USA before?

Many times and over a period of at least twelve years, 

Some of the places that we shipped to:

Philladelphia,           Didi Mini Transat

Charleston,               Didi 26 (built as a complete hull and deck unit)

San Francisco           Didi Mini Transats and Optimists, various customers

New York                 Didi Mini Transat ( plus sails)

Marshall Isles           Didi 26

Johnston Atol           Didi 38  (full boat kit, including the mast, sails, engine and all fittings, plus Raymarine electronics)

There were more but they come to mind right now, with exports to some 34 countries now we are well used to shipping.

How hard can this be?

Well I must admit we have a huge data base of contacts world wide now, shipping is easier having all of those trained and specialist people.

Roy

Cut to size panels, Optimist and Argie 15 kits

Depending on where the okoume marine plays we use are made we may have a panel 8'x 4' which is 2440mm long or the Metric version which is 2500mm long.

Each panel is the same width at 1220mm wide.

Here the Optimist bottom panel is having 60mm trimmed off.

With the packer plys we use being 8'x 4 'sized we end up cutting some 60mm off the CNC cut panels so that they will fit the shipping crate.

This is the Optimist builders jig.

This is part of the Argie 15 kit.

This was part of a three boat kit, we also supplied the North Sails, Harken and Ronstan deck packages to both the Optimists and the Argie 15.

The order will be shipped by sea next week to Switzerland, we have also sent by air to the same customer.

Roy

Exporting our boat kits

We have exported our kits for ten years and more, some thirty four (34) destinations I seem to remember?

Recently there has been renewed interest in our international class the Optimist dinghy.

We have three such kits due to arrive right now for a sailing school in the USA.
The program is to get the pupils to build the kits, then learn how to sail them too.

Today I packed two more Optimist kits off to a customer in Switzerland, he bought one last year and says that he had so much fun assembling it that can he have two more.

He also placed an order for the much larger Argie 15 dinghy.

http://sayachts.blogspot.co.za/2014/06/argie-15.html

My thanks to Justin for the use of his SA Yacht Blog story on the Argie 15 design.

Our Optimist kit built up and ready for sailing

Hi Roy

Now almost ready for sailing.

Regards,
Basil

Basil has made a great job of the assembly and building of our Optimist kit.

His son should be on the water and sailing very soon ?

Roy

The Cape Charles 32 kit

This has been on the go for some while but has now started to become a reality.

The Cape Charles 32 design has progressed to the stage that we have sent construction drawings to the first two builders so that they can start planning their projects. One is waiting for a kit to be available in a few months before starting. The other will wit for the northern summer before starting. I must still supply deck hardware layouts, finalise rig details and do rudder detailing, other than that it is done.

This is in many ways a classic cruising version of the Didi 950, with almost identical length and beam. It is detailed to a similar high standard of information, so I am pricing the plans at the same level, US$1500 to build from plans with offsets. We will also have full-size Mylar patterns available for bulkheads as an optional extra for $600. Shipping will be added to those prices.

Regards,

Dudley Dix
Dudley Dix Yacht Design

Basils first CKD Boats cc Optimist kit build

I must say that Basil has produced a really great looking Optimist from the kit we sent to him.

Hi Roy

I finished painting.

Have a great day.

Basil

(Switzerland)

I can recomend leaving the inside of the boat in clear varnish, it is a lot faster to work that way and makes a statement to your wood/epoxy Optimist build.

This week we are cutting two more Optimist kits for Basil, they will ship by sea, the one in the pictures went by air.

Roy

Cape Towns V&A Waterfront in 1997

The date will be close, the fact that the boat nearest the camera still flys the old South African flag tells me that this was pre elections.

Brian was a good friend of mine and I only discovered he has passed on last week.

This is an early TBA meeting, it will be around 1997?

Note the old SA flag on Kalarhari Sand (ferro build) Don who is standing next to Brian built the boat himself.

It was holed off Dassen Isle one night and is still there.

Brian is in the yellow tee shirt,

My Endurance 37 Ocean Cloud is behind them and against the wall.

His company is still running, Good Hope Stevedoring, in Auckland St, Paarden Eiland,

http://ckdboats.blogspot.co.za/2012/05/tba-meeting-at-v-waterfront.html

Rob, a friend of mine, viewed the picture and made the following observations.

The V&A shopping centre (or “Disney World” as my Dad unflatteringly called it) is still under construction in the photo, and the Table Bay Hotel  has still to be constructed at N0. 6 Quay which was for many years the “home” berth for the Thesen’s Coasters where I started my career. So that dates your photo.

The jetty at which your boats are moored in the photo was where the mooring line-running launches (operated by Larry Ruddy and Robert Quine) berthed, and also the harbour Police launch “Gemsbok” and the SAR&H port wooden launches, “Bus”, “Sparrow” and her identical sister whose name escapes me now but begins with a “K” –  something like “Kokewiet”. Further to the left and out of your photo frame was the boat-building yard of Louw & Halvorsen, builders of scores and scores of fine wooden craft for more than 50/60 years. It was there on a 72-ft pilchard trawler built for Mr. Johnny Eigelaar of Velddrif that I performed my first “solo” inclining experiment as part of my naval architecture practical training. Boat’s name was “Langeveld” I think. That was in 1968.

Then Rob remembered some more about the area.

Roy,

Only for completeness’ sake, having remembered it this morning, I confirm the name of the second of the identical twin harbour launches as “Korhaan” (Afrikaans for the long-legged bird “Bustard” )

She and “Sparrow” were nice, fully-enclosed little single-screw craft, all varnished woodwork and polished brass. Built as a pair by L & H in the late 1950’s, I doubt that they still exist.

The larger SAR&H launch “Bus” was twin-screw and was used to assist movement of small trawlers in the Alfred and Victoria basins. She was also L&H-built.

The grand-dame of the lot was the police launch “Gemsbok”, powered by twin Kelvins in a separate stand-up and walk-around engine room aft of the wheelhouse. She had been known to make police trips as far north as Dassen Eiland and as far south as Cape Point.

Rob

Optimist kits, news from Switzerland

Hi Roy

Today I started pre-painting.

Have a good day.

I am looking forward for the next two kits

We supplied an International Paints user  guide with this first kit.

The boat has now been epoxied all over, it looks like the finish will be done in clear varnish?

The next two kits will be sent out by sea this, time we will also supply two North Sails.

Roy

Building Basil's Optimist kit

The Optimist is being built in Zurich, Switzerland, we sent the kit there by air.

The progress is very good, just check on the finish on the Gunnels.

Hi Roy

Back from Spain and Skiing in the mountains I made progres and glued the gunnels.

Wish you and your family a good start in 2016 and all the best.

Basil

There was even time for a holiday!

We supplied the CNC plywood kit and also the selected and machined meranti hardwood for this order.

Roy

Looking back on the HBYC marina

The date is 31st December 2015 and as good a day as any to look back a little, how far back is a good question?

My picture gives many clues, the HBYC marina extension looks brand new, many berths are still vacant, the Endurance 37 had just returned from Trinidad by way of Brasil and the young girl pictured was probably only six then?

She is now thirty three, so twenty seven years back!

All the very best for the year of 2016 !

Roy

The information highway

In this case the information is what I have learned over many decades and since I signed my deeds of apprenticeship,  which in my case clearly stated that I would not divulge any of the trade secrets I was about to learn.

Selling materials and boat kits comes after having already sold many species of wood, types of plywoods, veneers , epoxy and all the related stuff we use when building a boat.

Given that I have just sold a customer  some of the above I find it only fair to then pass on some of the skills I have learned while using similar products?

There are exceptions  when I am asked to explain how to use a product, epoxy is one such product.

It goes like this:

Imagine  I am visited and asked for the information on mixing and using laminating epoxy, then when I have explained at some length the process involved, I ask '  How much do you want to buy? ' , the reply is sometimes quite a shocker ' No I dont want to buy any as  I have already bought what I need from ABC but they have no idea how to use it, so I came to you to find out '  This has happened to me more than once.

Recently I was asked while I was standing next to my own wood/epoxy boat. The question was how to use the micro balloons and fumed silica? These products  I had listed in a quote I had given to a local guy for a Hard Spray Dodger we sell as a CNC cut kit.

It was easy for me to explain by indicating the various parts of my own boat, then I was told that the person had found my quote to be too expensive, so the guy went out and purchased the list of items in my quote from another company, they will have cost him more per item anyway?

This guy was now asking me how to use what he had bought !

There must be a strong word or group of words to describe such people, its a pity I cannot use those words here in my blog.

Compliments of the season to everyone and wishing you well for the coming year of 2016.

Roy