It's been a good year, and 2011 is going to be better!
Reminder: clicking on the picture shows you a larger version...
:) :) :)
The spin on the spin
6 years ago
Friday, 31 December 2010
Watching her grow!
As with my post on this day last year, another picture of the most important part of our lives. She's so incredibly observant that she's been promoted from Bosun to Officer of the Watch!!!
It's been a good year, and 2011 is going to be better!
Reminder: clicking on the picture shows you a larger version...
:) :) :)
It's been a good year, and 2011 is going to be better!
Reminder: clicking on the picture shows you a larger version...
:) :) :)
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
The "mouse" floats!
41 hours, 1.5 sheets of plywood, 5.5 metres of meranti strip, 10 metres of woven glass tape and about two litres of epoxy, and this is it:
I like! She paddles nicely, and after 45 minutes on the river this afternoon, I think I'm going to be a bit stiff tomorrow.
Now, I need to name her? Suggestions?
:) :)
I like! She paddles nicely, and after 45 minutes on the river this afternoon, I think I'm going to be a bit stiff tomorrow.
Now, I need to name her? Suggestions?
:) :)
Friday, 26 November 2010
Sunday, 14 November 2010
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!
:)
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!
:)
Monday, 08 November 2010
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!!!
:) :) :)
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.
:) :)
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.
:) :)
Saturday, 02 October 2010
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.
:)
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.
:)
Saturday, 21 August 2010
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
:) :)
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
:) :)
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Monday, 09 August 2010
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.
:) :)
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.
:) :)
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