Boat shaped.

So, the latest project is taking shape:


This is the "Mouseboat" designed by Gavin Atkin as a "OSD" (One Sheet Design), meaning it can be built out of one standard size sheet of plywood. Not strictly true, as the decks will have to come from a second sheet, as well as the two frames - but the hull all came from one sheet!

There are two reasons for building this - one is that the local kids keep messing about on "Platanna" where she is moored on the river bank, so I want to move her to the other side of the river and I need a little boat to get there and back. The other reason is to see if there is a market in out not so sleepy little village for a boat of this kind. Market night is in two weeks' time, so that is my deadline for getting the little mouse finished.

So, lots of glassing, gluing sanding, and painting to be done!

:)

Now that I'm back...

...I need another project (between cruises):


This is a model I knocked up this morning, after spending a few hours converting the imperial plans to metric, of what's known as the "Mouseboat" - an OSD (one sheet design) stitch-and-glue paddling boat. A standard sheet of plywood is 1220x2440mm (4'x8') and to get a useful boat out of that is quite difficult, but we will try, starting tomorrow!!

Cool, I'm building another boat!!!

:) :) :)

There and back again!

Well, after an e-mail from our estate agent in London quoting us £1700.00 (!!) to repaint our place, we decided it was cheaper to do the job ourselves; so off I was for a week in the sun (ha, ha) in the smog - £700.00 for the air ticket and about £75.00 for paint. Job done - let's go shopping! No, not really; we're on a strict budget, so only a couple of boaty things and baby toys came back to Africa with me.


After painting, couldn't wait to get back to the sun (no smog or traffic or people for that matter), and had my first cruise booking within a day - London, or this?:


And now back into it - the cruise bookings are rolling in, and we're looking forward to a really busy season.

:) :)

She's done, painted and afloat!

Been too busy to blog, and here's why:


A race against time to meet the local bird fair (which started yesterday), but we made it. Launched on the 30th, first booking the next morning.

Weather today was a bit mizzy, so no trips - no rest either, as I was putting a web site together. Maybe tomorrow I can sleep?

Here's hoping!

Later.

Skip.

:)

Gone!

And not too soon.


Now to start on the other boat, Platanna - anyone know anything about Hamilton Jet Drives?


What a mess, but mostly a clean-up job rather than a repair.

Here's to a summer's cruising!!

Cheers,

Skip

:) :)

By A Country Smile: A river runs through it…

Oh!?

Blogged by another blogger!

Nice trip Fred, thanks for coming!

Skip.

:) :)

Winter's not over yet!

But it soon will be!

It's blowing today, and raining, and freezing cold, but two days ago was like summer - so much so that Fred Hatman (Diagnosed SA Positive) and I did a trip on Three Summers down to Grotto Beach. The water level on the river is high enough at the moment to be able to take the boat over the bar into the lagoon.

This is a view from the top of the lagoon looking towards the "pig's snout" the buttress to the right of centre in the picture.


When it rains, there is a waterfall on each side of the snout, making it look like the pig is crying, but as we hadn't had rain for a week or so, no water. Today though, I guess the pig is crying his eyes out!

I'm hoping to get a picture from Fred of the trip, and then can add it to this post.

In the meantime, the deck of Lazy Days (pic below taken on Thursday before the last section of deck was put down) is finished, with a bit of glass taping to be done around the edges, a final sealing coat, and then bolt on the motor and some hardware, and it's out of here!


Soon I can start work on Platanna, getting her ready for the coming season!!!

Which is good.

:) :)

Baboons!

Don't leave the back door open!!!


Fortunately, not my kitchen, but a friend's... nasty little buggers, aren't they?

Skip.

:(

She's home!

Platanna, that is!

Along with a car load (and a boat load) of stuff; outboard motor, spare props, half full tins of paint and anti-fouling, life jackets, ropes, chains, spares, tools... Well, you get the picture.


Now, I need to finish off Lazy Days before the end of this month (deck is all cut and fitted, so mostly sealing and gluing left to do), then I can get it out the way and started on cleaning up Platanna.


The plan is to re-launch before our local bird-fair on the first weekend of October - Platanna is advertised as a bird-watchers' boat after all.

Happy Days!

:) :) :)

My boats.

Yep, plural!


After driving "Platanna" over the summer and taking a share of the profits, I was approached by the owners who are now wanting to sell the business.

So, as of this coming weekend, both the boats in this picture will be mine - "Three Summers" the pretty one with the outboard is the one I built in London, and "Platanna" with the awning which is the commercial one.

The most important part of this deal is not so much the boat, which needs a bit of work, but the commercial licence to use it (or any other boat of mine) on the river. There are only three licences. One for the "African Queen" (quite possibly one of THE most unattractive vessels ever built - see below) one for "River Rat" and one for "Platanna."


So, there you have it - perhaps choosing the user name "Skipper" before moving back to Africa was a premonition of sorts.

'cos now I really am one!

:) :) :)