Antipodean Boats Connection

[skuthorp]

Off south again today, but only as far as Ballina via Brunswick heads. Thanks for the hospitality.
Fine and sunny up here. Beach day.

[RFNK]

Heading through this way Jeff?

Rick

[purri]

Settree is mentioned in Craft and Craftsmen with pics and maybve a few lines plans and interview. IIRC he was more a fishing boat builder, Huskisson way maybe?

[Phil Y]

The sea is roaring here . Not the usual crash of waves , just a continual roar . Supposed to be a 6 metre+ sea.
Not a day for sailing "on me pat" , I think.
Regards Rob J.

When we brought our old boat back from PNG, back in January 2000, we had 8 metre waves coming into Portland. Funnily enough though, not so bad. They were big, but not nasty. Wind was from the SE, so pretty much on our quarter. The autopilot was working hard, and blew a few fuses. But the boat was a 52' Pugh steel ketch, 20 odd tons. Pretty much in her element.

[skuthorp]

Heading through this way Jeff?

Rick

Most likely but maybe not the weekend. Ballina tonight, we've been visiting another marbler friend. If perchance we are going to be about on sunday I'll let you know. Didn't get to brisbane, not even to Tweed Heads. Liked the beach too much

[WX]

A bag of very nice Barton blocks arrived in the mail today. I think I now have all the ingredients for my rigging at hand now.

[RFNK]

Most likely but maybe not the weekend. Ballina tonight, we've been visiting another marbler friend. If perchance we are going to be about on sunday I'll let you know. Didn't get to brisbane, not even to Tweed Heads. Liked the beach too much

Keep us posted. I'll be in Sydney all day on Monday and then again on Friday. Don't worry about Brisbane - I'm currently cooking up a bit of a Brisbane plan!

Rick

[skuthorp]

Rick, se PM

[WX]

Little jobs today. Fitted a couple of blocks to turn the lines from the windvane to the tiller. Sewed some replacement velcro on the horseshoe lifebuoy cover and attached the strobe light to the lifebuoy.
It's drizzled all day.

[PeterSibley]

I started laying out the JIM moulds but have a small problem.... should anyone feel helpful ,http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...d-lap-question

[WX]

I'm going to buy myself a new soldering iron. The one I have is only 25 Watts and Leading Edge have $24.95 kit that will get me a 20-130 Watt iron.

[skuthorp]

Rick, Port Macquarie tonight (sat). Debating whether to call in or go straight through around Sydney to the Bowral area. Are you about at Lemon Tree?
Got here early enough to have a gander at the boat yard, same launch is for sale as last year and well opened up. Big job now. They've got a double ended whaleboat on the covered slip. Getting new paint by the look of it.

[Phil Y]

Little jobs today. Fitted a couple of blocks to turn the lines from the windvane to the tiller. Sewed some replacement velcro on the horseshoe lifebuoy cover and attached the strobe light to the lifebuoy.
It's drizzled all day.

what sort of windvane have you got?

[PeterSibley]

Any photos Jeff ?

For electrical soldering Gary ?

[Phil Y]

Bloody locals are a bit antsy today

[skuthorp]

Didn't bring the necessary connections Peter. Outran the rain again today, sunny but windy afternoon. Went to Belingen and parked by accident on the site of the Doepell boatyard, where the Alma Doepel was built early last century. A few old piles in the river and a shallow V gully covered in trees are the only signs. I have sailed on her, played jazz on her and done some volunteer work as well. Some bu**er has pinched the plaque (that happens all over Aus these days) but there's a new one up by the butter factory.

[RFNK]

Rick, Port Macquarie tonight (sat). Debating whether to call in or go straight through around Sydney to the Bowral area. Are you about at Lemon Tree?
Got here early enough to have a gander at the boat yard, same launch is for sale as last year and well opened up. Big job now. They've got a double ended whaleboat on the covered slip. Getting new paint by the look of it.

Yep, home all day tomorrow. Just plugging away on the house but I'm off to Sydney tomorrow night (not til late).

Rick

[skuthorp]

I am reading "The Dreadnaught of the Darling" by CEW Bean published 1910, being an account of a trip down the Darling from 'the old port' where the Sydney line met the river to Goolwa on Lake Wellington.
As it happens I remembered this from 1998: "The "Dreadnought of the Darling", the 1890s paddle- steamer Jandra, will ply the Darling River again as tourism flourishes at Australia's oldest inland port.Outback orchardist Russell Mansell is building a $100,000 replica of the historic vessel as his contribution to a multi- million dollar Back O' Bourke museum depicting 500 years of Darling River history, due to open on a 40-hectare site on the outskirts of the town by May 2000".
http://www.paddlesteamer.com.au/padd...to-ride-again/
On the NSW news the other night was footage of the new "Dreadnought" steaming up the Darling on a rare flood so the project has come to fruition. But the old Dreadnaught was a side wheeler, the new sternwheeler, very rare in the old days on the river as a side wheeler could 'walk' across a shallow sandbar or even dig it's own channel.
There's footage somewhere for this but I cannot find it.
BTW, book is full of other excellent information such as the source of the water for the artesian basin, it's geology and other matters I have yet to read.

[WX]

what sort of windvane have you got?

it's a fairly simple one Phil. A counterweighted vane connected to the tiller, no trim tabs or anything fancy. I've no idea how it will perform. Here's couple of photos.

[WX]

Any photos Jeff ?

For electrical soldering Gary ?

Yeah Peter. I could drag out one of my old copper ones but I like the small electric ones for delicate work.

[PeterSibley]

I have a really, really tiny fine flamed gas one I bought for $10, it's good .

[Phil Y]

it's a fairly simple one Phil. A counterweighted vane connected to the tiller, no trim tabs or anything fancy. I've no idea how it will perform. Here's couple of photos.

Thats very ingenious-nice work It looks as though you might have some trouble with getting a fair lead for the tiller lines on some points of adjustment, but that might just be the photo angle. I must say I like the type with the servo rudder-it seems very clever the way they go from wind pressure on a small vane, to put an angle on the servo rudder, which then turns in the water, generating real power to the main rudder. But simpler is often better. Looking forward to your sea trials-as I bet you are.

[WX]

I didn't build it Phil, I bought it as a kit many years ago from Bias Marine. Even back then it was reasonably priced at $149. With luck it won't be too long before I can give a report on it's usefulness.
The trim tab and servo rudder versions are better of course but the price is a bit high for me. I could always build my own as there's plenty of plans around, even Hartley has a design but given the trouble some people have had getting Hartley plans I think I'd look elsewhere.

[Duncan Gibbs]

Fun sailing today! 35 knots at times! No-one wanted to come out in The Mighty Pippin with me so I settled for working the jib sheets on the Commodore's Soling.

Here's a ply S&G NS14 with father and daughter aboard going like a bat out of hell:



A day of screaming reaching! I note John was also taking great advantage of the breeze this weekend.

[WX]

Wouldn't have been a good day in the Cartopper, though I bet you had some good sailing.
Duncan, I've sent you an email.

[skuthorp]

Great day for skiff sailing, on the edge all the time. I wonder if there are any old VJ's about.

Off to Bowral again from Muswellbrook via Denman, Rylstone, Lithgow, Oberon and the Wombean caves road. May not make it all the way in one day I reckon.

[RFNK]

No one wants to sail with you when you have lots of wind.

Rick

[Duncan Gibbs]

Duncan, I've sent you an email.

I got it, but I keep forgetting about it, but meaning to respond when I remember. The answer is "Yes!" and "Thank you!" I like a bit of tufnol!

[PeterSibley]

Much better than softnol.

[WX]

Or nonol.

[WX]

I got it, but I keep forgetting about it, but meaning to respond when I remember. The answer is "Yes!" and "Thank you!" I like a bit of tufnol!

I'll drop them around some day when I come to check out your bamboo.

[skuthorp]

Well, expensive day. Sliced two tyres open on a steel lined gutter in Muswellbrook this morning, that'll teach me to park too close.
Katoomba tonight, fog and some rain and cold but on the western side of the range it was sunny and dryer than I expected judging from the paddock growth and creeks.
I should have started a 'boat on a hill' thread, saw 4 today including a steel sloop about 28-30ft and a nice wooden clinker launch of about 20ft. Over the whole trip I've seen quite a few, tinnies and FG stinkpots excluded but todays were not on the seaward side of the range.

[Phil Y]

Hoping for an expensive day. Seeking permission from the Minster for Finance to buy a 2nd hand Radar/Chartplotter.

[PeterSibley]

Today got 2 JIM moulds cut out and painted, ordered $200 worth of epoxy and filler, sorted a few plank layout problems and feel as if I've actually started the project !

[Larks]

Today got 2 JIM moulds cut out and painted, ordered $200 worth of epoxy and filler, sorted a few plank layout problems and feel as if I've actually started the project !

Now that's about the best thing I've read on this forum since John's launch !!!

[PeterSibley]

Me too !

[m2c1Iw]

Now that's about the best thing I've read on this forum since John's launch !!!

Seconded, although Jims bronze clips are pretty cool too.

[WX]

Today got 2 JIM moulds cut out and painted, ordered $200 worth of epoxy and filler, sorted a few plank layout problems and feel as if I've actually started the project !

That is very good news. Did you go with Botecote?

[PeterSibley]

Yes, 6 litres and 4 litres of their filler . I wish my red wood flour was pale!

[WX]

Yes, 6 litres and 4 litres of their filler . I wish my red wood flour was pale!

Bamboo flour is pale and it's easy to make. I have a giant black the Pin Borers love...but I don't have any.

[WX]

I should cut some.
Btw Peter, I have a main sheet block with a cam cleat that would suit your new boat if you want it.

[PeterSibley]

I could be very interested Gary . re the bamboo flour, I seem to remember a few sticks of the giant stuff from Kininboom reducing itself to dust in a few months .

[johnno]

Today got 2 JIM moulds cut out and painted, ordered $200 worth of epoxy and filler, sorted a few plank layout problems and feel as if I've actually started the project !

Fantastic news!!

[Phil Y]

Good news peter

[skuthorp]

Heads up, Foreign Correspondent on obesity.

[PeterSibley]

A world wide plague..... but profitable.

[WX]

I could be very interested Gary . re the bamboo flour, I seem to remember a few sticks of the giant stuff from Kininboom reducing itself to dust in a few months .

Yeah it's Bambusa balcooa, it has a high starch content and the borers love it.

[WX]

Went to buy my soldering iron today and the salesman is a soldering geek. He pointed out the one I wanted was a bad buy and sold me a cheaper one. So I bought, solder, some wire connectors and a $15 bag of assorted heat shrink insulation as well. Also bought around $90 worth of recycled timber for the cradle.

[RFNK]

Today I found out there's such a thing as a soldering geek.

Rick

[GaryK]

Any tips from the geek, Gary? I have a couple dry solders in my car's dash..