Dark room photo enlarger kit

I have this mainly complete dark room kit set doing nothing and looking for a new home, it includes the developer tanks, timers, thermometer, enlarger and stand, light box and lots of other gizmos.

The light box and the enlarger lights both work.

The enlarger is branded Meopta, Opemus 111, it is well made and comes with a spare lens and required swing out red filter.
Contact me for more info, the price is R1500, which is U$150 only, we are in Cape Town and can ship to most places.

Roy

Enough blue sky to make a Dutchmans shorts

Dutchman's breeches


I heard this on 567 Cape Talk radio a few weeks back, I have heard it before but why the term?

Roy

Marilyn Kloss wrote:

"The clouds will clear when there is enough blue sky to make a Dutchman a pair of pants." My mother (born in 1913 in northern New Hampshire) has been saying this all my life, and she learned it from her mother (from Nova Scotia by way of Lowell, Massachusetts). Recently an aunt by marriage (from Waterbury, Vermont) mentioned the same expression (with the variation of "britches") and said that she had learned it from her mother. Yesterday I was with some friends (about 60 years old) from Liverpool, England, who know the same expression, but the variations are that it is an "Irishman" and his "trousers." Where did this expression come from?

Read more here:

http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20000712

The licence plate for me

This would look great on my own Ford ldv?

The owner of this is an OCC member, also a surfer!

Roy

St Helena Island gets a RO-RO terminal

That sounds a little grander than the truth but truth it is. Word was out some time back about a new hardbour wall construction for the island, I had always expected it would be in Ruperts Bay but what size will it be?

http://www.sainthelenaaccess.com/news/temporary-jetty/

Check the link, its a great idea and one that allows all kinds of heavy equipment to be off or on loaded.

The ship being used is the NP Glory 4 and has the contractors name Basil Read painted in hugh letters on the side of the ship.

RO-RO stands for roll on roll off, what they have done is build a narrow harbour wall, say 20 meters wide and out far enough into deeper water. Then the airport contractors have leased a very special cargo ship, the bow of which is quite flat and opens by folding out and downwards.

http://www.sainthelenaaccess.com/news/temporary-jetty/

I wonder will they ever remove all this hardware?
With the bow of the ship moored port & starboard and with two pick up bouys at the stern, its possible to take the ship in bow first, lower the bow onto the dock and drive the ships load right onto St Helena Island, very cost effective and very neat!

It will be suitable for smaller vessels to tie alongside when the chartered ship is away?

This is a picture I took back in 1977 and from the decks of Brer Terrapin,  Ruperts Bay is just around that headland and after that Jamestown. We were 13 days out from Cape Town.

I think this is the selected site of the airport?

Roy

Dragon class yacht, circa 1956

This yacht was given a major facelift last year, we supplied a lot of the materials used, fairing epoxy, Dow-Corning sealant, mahogany veneer and teak wood solids.

 

The decks were already in laid teak, the Dow-Corning sealant was for a re caulk of the joints.

 

Mahogany flexible veneer went on the coach roof.

 

 

Teak solids were used inside the cockpit and as floor covers.

 

 

As far as I know this Dragon was sailed in the 1957 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia and came third in the event for Sweden.

 

Click on the pictures for a larger image.

 

Roy

 

Drop keel and foils

Seems there are not that many companies out there who can specialise in such items?

This is made from solid Iroko, jointed and glued up with the correct phenolic glue suitable for such work. The foil is a drop keel for a Didi 26, we also make the rudder. Its a stock item in our cut files.

Roy
 

Cape Town, a view from Blouberg

Seen here and looking across Table Bay is the Table Mountain with the city below it.

Nice beach and very popular for wind surfers.
 

B&G Network VHF radio fixed

Well almost, we now have it recieving but not transmitting, check the updated link.

http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2012/04/b-network-vhf-fix.html

The VHF will go back to the guy who installed the Toshiba amplifier chip for me, can he make the set transmit is the question now, is it repairable and at what cost?

Roy

Do it with Superform bending plywood

This has been a front runner and top seller for many years, developed over a long time untill perfection was possible with each sheet.

Image provided by our suppliers.

Roy

When we were rich in 1989

The fact was we could buy a brand new and sailaway Endurance 37 from the Knysna Boatyard for around R47,000, that included a Bellamy mast, Hood Sails and a Perkins 4105 47hp diesel engine!  Today and in 2013 you would pay twice that just for a similar sized engine.

I suppose some financial bod will tell me this is all relative, back then when the price of gold was fixed at U$35 and today its around U$1210 or so but read below and tell me what you think?

Notty,

I should frame this as a reminder as to when we were really well off?

You will need to click on this to make it readable?

Its from the last century and 24 years ago, this is the slip I got for the money I took on the trip

That lasted a year, thirteen months in fact, I still had some left over when we were collected at DF Malan airport

By yours truly!

That’s a rate of R2.69 to U$1.00 and R4,22 to GBP1.00 only, even those rates had moved some from the better days, they are for

Travelers cheques, we saw a better rate on cash? no it’s the same.

I still have the quote from Elvstom Sails that Andy Mitchell did for me, that was in his Loop St days, R4700 for nine sails. A main sail then was R450, the  cost for the GRP hull for my Endurance 37 was R4500, the fact is we could buy a lot more with our Rands back then? GST was still 4%, Vat is now 14%.

Looking back and I am pleased to say we both can, we did ok to do what we did and while we could, hindsight is a wonderful thing and it would be a shame if we now say, if only we had done this or that then, I could have built my own yacht and gone sailing, well we did do just that!

Mate, it’s a pat on the back for us both, have a great day!

Roy

Note, now in July 2013 we see the Rand currency trading at around R10.00 to the U$ and R15.07 to the British Pound, see what I mean!

Sea water splash in Hout Bay Harbour

Too good to miss with my Canon G11 camera!

Brer Terrapin, Durban and Cape Town

These pictures came to me by way of Ruth who was married to Pip Smith who built Brer Terrapin over a period of around seven years.

Dr Pip Smith and his baby son, I assume the place is in Durban where the boat was launched?
Click on any picture for a larger image.

Brer Terrapin, I assume in Durban harbour?

Out for a sail, the fenders tell me they were using a marina berth?

I assume that is Ruth on the helm?

I crossed my first ocean on this boat and sat in the same position many times.

Brer Terrapin is a ketch, seen here under full sails which look new, I assume the place is Durban and about 45 years ago. Designed by Atkin and named an Ingrid 38 , built in traditional carvel planking to a very high standard, where is she now I wonder?

My thanks to Ruth Smith and her brother in law Mike Smith for the supply of the pictures and information.

Roy

Fluid containers, black, 25 liter size

These are used but clean inside,they come in as a special from time to time,we can offer them to yachties at a cost of R16,thats a great price,about half that Plastics for Africa will be charging you?

Use black or pigmented containers when you thinking of deck stowage for diesel or water,if you use clear containers the UV from the Sun will knock them out by the time you reach St Helena.

In Hout Bay and only four or five left, more may be possible?

Roy
 

Frank Wightmans book The Wind Is Free surfaces

This mail came in yesterday, it left a question at the end, what was it about?

Hello,

I hope I am not intruding on your time, but I

'navigated' my way to your email address in

my search to find the owner/restorer of

Frank Wightman's "Wylo".

The several websites didn't make a direct link,

but I think you are the gent in question.

Please let me know as I have something

that might be of interest to you.

Best regards,

James

The copy looks to be in fair condition, what is special about it though?

Thank you for writing me so quickly Roy.
One of my activities here is as a collectible
books dealer and just today in a stroke of
serendipity I bought a copy of
"The Wind is Free" by Wightman.
A very nice though used copy, without a jacket, but,
 . . . signed "F.A Wightman" on the half title page.

One of the things I've always tried to do is not
just put books up for sale, but to research ones of
unusual or special interest - and try to place them
where they would be best appreciated.

The book has been signed by its author, for which James adds a value today of U$100, thats a bit rich for myself, yes I would love to own this book !

If anyone wants to buy this book and before its put out for sale, please contact me and I will put you in contact with the seller.

You can view Franks boat in this link http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2009/01/wylothe-original-that-frank-wightman.html

 

Roy

 

Hi Roy,

 

Thanks for sharing some info on Wylo and Frank Wightman.

 

I bought a book many years ago in a second hand shop in England titled "The wind is free" and of course you know who the author was. I joined the Royal Navy and read the book whilst serving on a minehunter as a Clearance Diver. I have tracked down and read another book, "My way leads me seaward" and have re-discovered my interest in the whole life story of Frank and Gray. Is there any kind of information available on his life story, or is there any kind of official society that you know of (especially in the cape area) that would have any idea where to start. I guess there must be links to his publishing house or biographer but any searches I have made bring me back round the houses to the same few links!!

 

I see that a restoration project was started which is great, because if Wylo is allowed to just fade away it would be a sad loss, she deserves to be preserved as do his fantastic books! Someone would be missing a trick if she is not to be seen again.

 

I thank you for your time and hope that you can point me in the right direction towards a little more info.

 

Fair winds,

 

Gary Jackson.

 

P.S. I have visited The Cape before and would love to return one day. Where is Wylo and would it be possible to see her with my own eyes??

Thanks again for your time.

A South Afican i550, more pictures

These progress pictures came in two days back, Will has his hull built now and looks to be moving onto the seats and then the decks.

The standard boat uses sixteen sheets of 6mm okoume marine plywood, Will took a few more to allow him some variations if needed.

 

CKD Boats cc supplied all of the plys and the CNC work to cut them, Will sourced the rest of the materials where he lives.

 

 

This is hull #1 i550 built in South Africa, there is interest in more being built.

 

Roy