There's a company here in SA that also recycles plastic JB - makes benches and rubbish bins among other things . Very sturdy items and of course useful near the coast as they don't corrode. Seem to be laminated under pressure into +-1" thick +- 4" wide beams - articles are tough and last a long time. Now that plastic is a bad word environmentally not sure how they would be received elsewhere.

Are you now into calypso songs JB ? -" There's a hole in my bucket Dear Lisa" sprang to mind when I read your post . Should we now call you Henry ..............

The NSRI in SA is investing heavily in French lifeboats - some to be built under licence here - first boat is on Station in Durban after a coastal voyage from Capetown. Presume they wanted to to test the Orc under local conditions. They cost an arm & a leg in SA - somewhere in the region of R14 million - plus most of the stations have to be rebuilt including our local one in Hermanus - also millions involved.

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That's a good one JB - must have been a very interesting trip - only similar one I can recall was the US sailors who bought a Landing Craft - not sure which version maybe a LCT - and sailed it all the way back to the USA from the Med somewhere shortly after WW2. Not one of them was a deck officer.......
All I know is the modern sailors could not cope without their gadgets - forgetting that in the vastness of the sea things can break and electronics stop working - and they would not even carry a sextant or know how to use it
Slocum used an old alarm clock and the stars to navigate by, my Dads pal Harry Pidgeon used a sextant but still managed to run aground about 120 miles up the west coast from Capetown while asleep - had to be towed +-300yards back to the sea by a team of oxen - no leaks so Islander must have had a tough hull.........

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JB - how very unkind of you - seems the modern Navy is not really up to scratch - wonder if any of them would be able to do what Bligh did - sail his crew 1600 odd miles to safety in an open boat...........

If only we had his RC gear. If I remember correctly he had everything right down to the last soldier, airman, seaman, and marine together with all their equipment ,tanks, planes and vessels too - envied him immensely. Probably started me off as well - imported an Anglian Tug kit from Hobbies complete with Mighty Midget motor (for the grand sum of 5 quid if memory serves) around that time
Mind you desperate Dan and his Cow Pies were also of great interest as was a very scruffy Dennis.
Cant remember if Keyhole Kate was in Beano or Dandy - Reminded me of my neighbour I shared a class with.......

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Good piece of water you have there JB - what is it dam or river ?
Was at Beale park in UK when a fellow was demonstrating his gas turbine powered Bluebird K7. Only just got on to the plane and had to shut down - short water - looks like he could have run it successfully there.
Tender looking great on the water - glad you have her running before you added much more detail. From the pictures of the bow wave it looks pretty much like scale speed - seems to be the same as in pics of 206's final run.
What sort of endurance on the batteries exactly ?
Now onto the next model then??????
PS what about a ducted fan Bluebird or Crusader..........

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Biffy if you look closely its a 3 sheet plan - although they don't give details the first sheet seems to be a "general arrangement" (side & top views if you like) - one would assume the others to be lines/details etc and the 3rd the sail plan. They also say the plan can be used to suit a smaller version of the hull - although they don't list one - its actually a Lady Ma 20" hull (Megavissey Lugger).

Boatshed thats a super model indeed - what about running her on the Thames - or would you get arrested for that ?
If you protected electronics and servo etc you could run her in the sea. On a fairly calm day she appears more than big enough. A good wash down afterwards and cleaning the propshafts is usually all that's needed.
Is she fitted with a centrifugal clutch or direct drive ?

Meant same channel JB - both doing the same thing - you would have to adjust rudder throw etc so they responded the same way . One could be faster than other as long as its not too much otherwise you could end up with a collision with yourself .........
My mother was left handed and was forced as a child to use her right hand (early 1900's) as a consequence she could write or do different things with either hand at the same time - but not for long. She found it very tiring - as a teacher she used to write on the blackboard at the start of a new year her name with one hand and "Ill be your teacher this year" with the other - hushed the class instantly every time........
Some years ago I met another lady in her 60;s who could do the same - but also not for long . Turned out she was forced to use her right hand too........

look up Forum - check headings -"Items for Sale, Wanted"- click on that ............

Bit risky in all types of stormy weather Martin - wife's and the sea.........

Hi Martin -see you are now the rank that retired admirals got when they were in charge of merchant ship convoys.........
So congratulations

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JB seem to remember fellow running a flotilla of Airfix MTB's - he did it the easy way by using piano wire to join them - looked quite realistic - easier on the brain too...........
Or you could do it by using 40mhz and both on the same frequency as someone else did - your pond looks big enough to allow for a bit of misjudgement............

No Nerys - no other ship involved - they were drinking cocoa and chatting when the ship hit a reef in broad daylight either off Oz or Kiwiland - happened when I was living in UK 2001- 2009 - watching the news and thinking what a berk !!!!!!!
On second thoughts maybe it was Rum!!!!!!!!!!1

Nice one Ron - makes me think I should build the kit bought 30 odd years ago from Freedom Song Boatworks - the owner Ted (?) Stinson was the designer of most of the Midwest & Laughing Whale kits .

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Interesting too that Jellicoe's great grandson was in the RRAF TF - shared the same intake with him. Farmers son if I remember correctly - took some time to realise who his GG was.........

Thanks for the other pics Ron - hull really pretty close to Tid type with US type superstructure - would make a good looking model.
Pity there is not someone there like my manic friend who collects small warships /ASRL's the way we collect models.
Would be good to see her restored

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Lovely old Tug, sort of like what the Americans call a yard tug , used by shipbuilders to move boats/ships around. Very similar in design.
Like the double chine - almost like a Tid with different superstructure.
Did you take any pictures of the stern showing rudder & prop Ron ?

Agree with Martin that this site is a great motivator - got me back into building mode - even if its a bit slow now.........

There is also a saying "Why do today what you can do tomorrow "..............
Trouble is its like free beer tomorrow - which of course never happens...........
Definitely harder to get started as one ages - but as Mouldbuilder says it goes well when you do.
Have similar problems to Nerys in that I fall asleep at the other PC when designing stuff or drawing boat parts.........

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Not that one Martin - this one hit a reef I think - made a ruddy great hole in the ship - sometime beween 2001 and 2010.- memories bad

Anybody else feel like this...........

What about the Destroyer (?) that had to be brought back from the Antipodes (?) on the civilian submersible type transporter.........
Remember thinking at the time that the Captain seemed like a complete idiot with his explanation of what happened - should not have been in charge of a wheelbarrow let alone a valuable ship.......
And since when did the Navy become a Democracy????????(Which he was implying)

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Apologies - should have engaged mind and checked before writing - had a good look at a few completed ones in the past and noted the shortage of a few bits including the gas bottles and in one instance the case of Gin......
Brings to mind reading about someone complaining that the kit should be wooden hulled like the original - then someone pointing out it was a metal hull...........

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JB we have an odd shop here - called the "Crazy" store - you must have similar ones there - full of Chinese stuff and gadgets etc. One of the pool/beach type things they sell are kiddies paddling pools - usually inflatable - which are not much use as a test tank - however better half found one with a semi solid wall - that does the job admirably . Have a good look - sure you could find one too. Save you the hassle - easy to erect and useful when you need it.......... Packs away into a small box.

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Great restoration - very nicely done - pity that Billings never included the gas cylinders so that you have to scratchbuild them.......
There was a video of the Queen sailing up the Thames at one time - good viewing - seems to have disappeared now though.
Only a few pictures now - and they seem to have replaced the engine.....

Meant the Cat JB - interesting story though........

Ahah a Vampire no less - have about 6 or 7 hours flight time in a DH Vampire T11 courtesy RRAF . First jolly as a raw recruit - was told by pilot - I'm the Captain and will leave the ship last - but if I say "Eject" and you say "What" you will be talking to yourself........... Love them
Went up to 49,000ft - wallowing well - then vertical dive . Reading the dymo tape on the dash "Thou shalt not exceed 550 knots" as the ASI crept up to 600 with the canopy shaking like a leaf ....... Pulling out at 20,000 but only leveling out at about 10,000 but was too busy staring at the floor unable to move - don't know how many G - but sure it was in excess of limits.......
Could not wait to go up again...........
Have a plan for a ducted fan Vampire - but gave up flying years ago when distracted for a second by a stupid question - the newly built Bipe tried to demolish the wall of the ablution block (the only building on the field). Eyesight also deteriorated afterwards and now after a double cataract op see better than in my youth - but responses are no longer up to scratch........
As to Lipos - have a couple of hard celled ones like giant AA batteries , one soft cell 7.4v and two small Lifes 6.6V?
Not used any one of them yet - electrics & myself do not get on - years ago trying to put courtesy lights in my Cortina Mk1 GT was called for lunch - and then promptly asked if the car should be smoking like that ......
The Cressida was very popular here , the one you have is a great version. Invited especially to the local launch of the Cressida as the company I worked for had a fleet of 600 odd vehicles........
and I was responsible for the transport division........

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Probably the same people who had the hydrofoil - seems they left Rhodesia in 1973/4 - lots of people emigrated to Kiwiland then - including a few friends. Lost touch over the years however...........

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