Sounds like a little Hitler involved Steve - lots of those in this world unfortunately. As a retired Forensic Accountant I would be very suspicious of such activity.

Learnt over the years that there are very few people who like to run clubs (other than those who do so for their own aggrandisement and personal gain) or to be on committees - usually left up to a stalwart few. I am lucky enough to still be an honorary member of SRCMBC although I left in 2009. The Scale Section Captain is trying to step down due to poor health after nearly 20years but its difficult to find a replacement. The long suffering treasurer is still there after volunteering in the early 2000's - as are most of the other committee members. The club website was set up and run by a member who is also a member of the Coast Watch which takes up a lot of his time. There is a lot involved in running the club as it uses Setley Pond in the New Forest - which falls under Forestry rules and regulations - plus coping with the usual Mother Grundy's amongst the local residents who complain about the slightest noise.................

Where I live now the nearest other model boater is about 170km away - so its good to keep up with things through the club newsletters, MB magazine and the model boating websites.

Look what showed up on our local online store - all yours for R1600 - about 65gbp

Hi Doug - hate to contradict you - but there are ways of reversing an aircraft ESC - two examples in Model Boats magazine over the last few years . One involves the use of a double pole switch & the other involves relays. Of course you have to use an extra servo in both cases. Found when dismantling two old rechargeable drills both use that type of switch to reverse the drill movement - on a brushless motor the one wire simply runs from esc to the motor. If interested I have a copy of the articles somewhere...........

Will probably use both switches to reverse 30amp brushless motors myself


They were dismantled to find gears for the Elvers vane steering.................... The motors are high drain so not much use but the 4.8v Nicads are fine after charging with a proper charger.........

And Doug the most famous for flying backwards in a headwind is the Piper or Taylor Cub fitted with a 65hp Lycoming twin - seen it myself having to be held down on the runway ............

Years ago we had a youngster as a member of the Johannesburg club - too young to drive he transported his boats on a sort of double decker trolley which he towed behind his bicycle . Believe he built it using his old BMX parts. In pondside use it was simply parked next to the water, a steady bar inserted and the boats unloaded as required.

Those small BMX wheels make much more sense than the silly little trolley wheels in general usage - and as an alternative the wide type golf cart wheels would also make sense. both could be found in second hand shops............

Forgot the Rhodesian author John Gordon Davis - who lived a life similar to his books - its said that his first book 'Hold my hand Im Dying' was autobiographical. (Sadly the title came from a black Policeman who was set alight by ZAPU "comrades" - and who left dying was comforted by the white woman who found him)
JGD joined the whaling fleet to be able to write several books about it , he also wrote several books about Rhodesia besides hold my hand - Dulamathi about the legendary Elephant and Rhino about the relocation of Black Rhinos to save them from the poachers. He wrote several books about Hong Kong when he moved there (as an Advocate) and after moving to Spain wrote stories based around the world - sadly he passed away several years ago .

The other sea book by Farley Mowat was titled The Serpents Coil - about a rescue by a Foundation Franklin tug in a hurricane off Canada. Based on fact and worthwhile reading

Nobody seems to have mentioned Brian Callison who wrote some great stories about merchant ships. He must be in his eighties by now - but his last book was published abut 5 years ago - definitely my favourite author of sea books - have all of them - and what of C S Forester - don't like the Hornblower stories much - but he wrote about more modern ships as well - one called The Good Shepherd springs to mind - great book - and the African Queen is one of my favourites. What makes it more interesting is my cousin is married to C S Foresters son .............
Used to read a lot of Douglas Reeman novels - but there was always something too formulaic about them. Alistair Macleans sea stories are great too.

On non ship topics Jonathon Kellerman , John Leather and my favourite author of all John D MacDonald and especially the Travis Magee series................

And Ianh - Wilbur Smith unlike his books is no hero - he once paid a friend of mine to carry him to shore in the swamp area of Kariba as he was scared of crocodiles..............

You can also search for the Corel kit of Al Bahran an Arabian Dhow - posted some pictures of one a couple of days ago under 'Old Kit Built'.

Was available from Cornwall Model Boats at 105 - temp out of stock -1/50th scale - 575mm long - a lot bigger than the Artesania one at 390mm. However they are both static models so you will have to modify either one for RC .

Hi Nerys,
Quite correct - its a Dhow fitted with four swivel guns - presume as used by Arabian pirates - Static model
Given to Ross's partner for display. She Loves it.
I always thought it was a Xebec............

One More Pic

I have been selling off my kit collection after facing the fact that I will never build most of them - unless I have another lifetime . Few months ago I sold the Al Bahran kit which had been around for 25 years odd- now completed and the builder Ross has made a really good job of it as you can see . Good to see it after all those years............

I would be very careful with this sort of laser - there is not only the danger of being blinded - but there is other harmful radiation emitted too. Plus these small lasers are very weak and would probably battle to cut through 2mm hard Balsa ! There are other dangers too - such as ABS giving off cyanide gas when laser cut , MDF emits a poisonous gas caused by the formaldehyde it is glued with , and vinyl plastics such as old records give off a highly corrosive gas - deadly for your lungs. Even the gas emitted by polystyrene & perspex does not do you much good .

The only small laser I would go for is a fully enclosed table top model of a least 40w power and fitted with a filter or extractor system . Anything under 20w is only good for cutting paper or card - and the smoke from that is not good for the lungs either.............. plus 20 or 30w lasers battle to cut anything.

Hi Nerys ,
What flag would the Royal Cape Yacht Club be allowed to fly ? - maternal great grandfather was the commodore for quite a while at the turn of the 19th & 20th century. Not a member but belonged to the much humbler (and far less expensive) Hout Bay Yacht Club - much more pleasant sailing water in a protected bay - based in Hout Bay harbour - unlike Royal Cape which is based in the Cape Town Dockyard and so exposed to the rollers which come up from Antartica.............

Saw Wellsboi was asking the same things over & over on two other forums - makes you think......

Hi Ron - getting along nicely - as Roy said nice to see an old kit built . Tempted to build P87 a Billings PT boat of an even earlier vintage . Have spare old Obeche planking which is what Billings used then - being lazy would draw up the parts for cutting on the laser.............

Roy - if you need a smooth finish for painting try using thinned polyester resin - between 20 & 30 % . Try it on a scrap piece first to make sure it sets - over the years have found that depending on the make can vary from 10% to 30% thinners - but at 10% does not sink into the wood well. Don't use it on deck planking obviously.............

That's it Doug - unlike the tenon saw it has no stiffener on the blade - but because its working on the pull stroke there is no need for one. very clever these orientals.............well worth the money - guaranteed you will not use a tenon saw again............. It also functions quite well as a ripsaw although I prefer using my black teflon coated Sandvik one............

Hi Ian - think a lot of our generation have bad hearing - some of it due to the Rock Bands. Can remember one gig at East Herts College by Tyrannosaurus Rex (before they became T-Rex) the music was so loud we adjourned to the neighbouring pub and could still hear them as if they were playing in the Pub...........
Mine you can thank also from a few years on a Game Ranch and to RhodAF who also did not worry much about ear defenders when starting jet aircraft..............
Like Nerys find it difficult to breathe with a mask - must be difficult for you too.......And as for hearing - even hearing aids don't do much and they whistle in the slightest breeze which is a problem living by the sea.

You and me Ian - still have quite a few items here bought from Lidl - including a blood pressure monitor used for years without a problem and about 3 dozen single handed quick grip clamps - the small 3" ones were about 2 for a quid - bigger ones at 6" were very expensive at a quid each - come in very handy for full size work. Oh yes and a Japanese type woodsaw which works like a dream - cuts on the back stroke - so very accurate. And to top it all a RC yacht with its own proper full size transmitter on 27.195mhz (changeable) which sails very well - cost a whopping 10 quid - complete with 12 AA alkaline batteries...........(less than a 7.2v Buggy Pack cost at the time)

Hi Ian - glad to see you are feeling chipper - usually low potassium caused by diuretics - ask me how I know.............

We are but spring chickens compared to Nerys - who seems to feel a little better from her last post but still a bit Woozy - lets hope she feels better soon.

Believe Bette Davis coined the phrase - old age aint for sissies - think most of us here on this site know what she meant - told the Doc on my last visit - think there's a bug that moves around causing pain in one place for a week or so then moves elsewhere causing pain there for a week and so on.........
As she's a relative youngster she just laughed.......

Found Bette Davis's most famous quotes...........

Old age is no place for sissies.
Getting old is not for sissies.
Strong women only marry weak men.

Hi Martin - tried 9 days ago with no response - most worrying was the returned undelivered email - often caused by the mailbox being too full on his particular address type.

Hope you feel better after the dialysis Nerys - you are an inspiration to us all .

At least that's one thing we don't have Cash - that white stuff only appears on the distant mountains for a very short while. Having said that it was sweltering weather of mid 30c followed a day later by an icy front from the Antartic...........

Detail coming along well as usual with your builds - good to watch ...........

Hi Cash - belated birthday wishes - a relative spring chicken compared to most of us. What did Errol give you ? Glad you treated yourself too.

Good to hear you enjoy cooking for yourself.

As usual you are making a great job of building the boat - lucky you too - you should be able to complete your wishlist if you stop adding to it now..........

At 15 years older (nearer 16) find it would take at least another lifetime...........

As an ex Rhodesian I find it strange that John should think the armament on a RTTL involved "troubles in Rhodesia" which is totally landlocked. The Naval activity that occurred was the Beira oil blockade by the RN some eleven miles offshore neighbouring Mozambique - which was unsuccessful except for closing down the Umtali refinery - causing my cousin to lose his job....(Oil then came through SA). No RTTL could have stood those sea conditions for long

The RAF also sent a Javelin squadron to neighbouring Zambia - The RhodAF Hunters & RAF Javelins used to do dawn patrols wingtip to wingtip down Lake Kariba - when asked by a RhodAF pilot as to what the RAF pilot would do if ordered to attack - the response was "have immediate radio failure"...........If A RTTL was set afloat in Kariba from Zambia Whitehall would have been fully aware that it would have been almost instantly blown out of the water by RhodAF or the RR Artillery should it venture out. So not very likely - also the it would have been a nightmare journey as most of Zambias good were delivered through Rhodesia..........The other routes would have been impassable and air delivery does not seem feasible.

The only other Naval activity involving Rhodesia occurred during WW1 when the Launches Mimi & TuTu passed through on their way to Lake Victoria to do battle with the German gunboats. They were guided by a Rhodesian "Big Game" hunter who had proposed the whole thing in the first place but he left after an argument with the eccentric Commander Spicer Spencer the RN had decided to put in charge..........

Thorneycroft built two small gunboats for use on the Pungwe river by Rhodesia - (the river is only navigable some 20 miles inland - well within Mozambique)- but I have never found any record or documentation for them other than a small item in a Thorneycroft history article read somewhere long ago.............

Hi All - wonder if anyone is still in contact with Joe727 - last activity in December - tried the email address I have for him - undelivered notification.

Brilliant Graham - make the rest of us look like amateurs

Hi JB - Martins eBay one looks like the place to start - add metal diffs and a good body - away you go .
Was thinking its a pity you are stuck with two transmitters - be nice to only use one like the old Futaba/Graupner F14 set they used for the German Rescue & Daughter boats..........

Hi JB - here's a pic of the 4wd for R620 or about $48nz - its about a foot long

Better get well soon Ian - not many of us model boaters left out here. Take it you are somewhere like Mediclinic and being taken proper care of. You are in our prayers.

The local Govt hospital turned away someone as they had no medical aid - nor beds available for "free" patients - (elderly patients are turned away on triage too) - a friend has purchased an oxygen generator for him to have a chance of recovering at home . It is capable of supporting two patients at a time which will be a great help if his wife also falls ill - the machine is intended for anyone here with the same problem and will be used for that purpose after he has recovered. Thank goodness for the generosity of some people - they have already lent us a generator & ups for my O2 generator to cope with the load shedding we experience quite frequently.

Unfortunately the majority population here don't seem to care much about wearing masks etc so you are always at risk when you go out. Especially dangerous for the at risk group like Ian . Have the same medical problem and getting on a bit - so better half tends to restrict my movements as much as she can.

Hi JB ,
If you read the news there is little or no doubt that the Chinese are covering something up - obvious by the way they behaved with the WHO delegation............ .

There was always a danger that once China had virtual control of the worlds manufacturing prices would rise stupendously. Unlike the rest of the world the Chinese tend to plan long term - the Wests greed for profit and cheap prices will come home to roost in the not so distant future.

I have been looking for a particular brand of 360o Mini servos - found on Banggood at R149 + transport (R 105 up to 6 of) - stumbled across a local Robotics site - bought them for R59 - large stock left from 2019 as they don't sell many - so going back for another 6 soon.............
Talk about price gouging ..........

They have already made great inroads in Africa - taken over a lot of manufacturing in SA & Namibia especially and in Zimbabwe have even taken control of Wankie National Park ! (now Hwange of course) . Bob Mugabe gave a lot of Zimbabwe to them for the help with his Chimurenga war. The "Canadian" based mining company which was ruthlessly destroying wetlands in SA turned out to be Chinese owned........... the list goes on and on

Glad I will not be around once they gain control of everything - someone commented here that this is the third World War we are in and we are loosing!

Hi JB - no problem with the plans but doubt you would be able to cut by hand - grille for instance slots are knife blade width, and a lot of the detail is given by a light cut . When you do get the axles let me know the width and we can go from there - Defenders have the wheels protruding outside the wings (so bear that in mind for the width of the body) - already has a wheel arch extender. Note its the original type Defender - not the version launched this year. Defender would be easier to convert than the Series 1 and would probably be more in keeping with the Flareline.
As to the 48km - the nearest decent shopping centre is 55km away from us - and if you you need specialist bits & pieces its more like 155km................