Southwater Dabblers

Email Updates

Email Update Number 6

On 23rd March 2020, one year ago, we entered the first National Lockdown to control the spread of the COVID 19 virus. A day that will live with us all for a long time to come, so let us pause for a moment of reflection, and think about those nearest and dearest to us, as well as those that have been and continue to be affected by dreadful threat that COVID 19 is to all our lives. It has been fun working on this 6th edition and we begin with an exciting feature that has come together by pure chance, it will run for a couple of editions of these updates. The aim is to celebrate the achievements of , land and holder, also a local resident, who lived in Horley, and had close ties with Tilgate, he would have been 100 years old on the 23rd March 2021. To start the tribute to and Donald Campbell there is a fantastic true story contributed by Derek Palmer.

Dabblers Post Bag - Letters to the Editor

Hi Just read with interest the latest newsletter. As ever it is informative, funny and educational. I am amazed at the response the members are making to this, it just shows that we enjoy receiving information. On which note would there be a space for the committee to put a bit about recent meetings even if we cannot sail at the moment there must be items discussed that are of interest. Just a thought. Re the videos I have viewed them, and they are safe to watch, just be careful of other suggested sites. Keep up the good work Derek Palmer Thank you, Dave, for another great newsletter, I did spot the 5 changes in the snowmen picture, was I first and if so what’s my prize? Cheers Alan In update 5 we were introduced to a Fiesta Yacht called Miss Steve, well fantastic news, fellow Dabbler Paul Kelsey has written in to say; Hi Dave, another great edition, well done. Fiesta 650 is now mine. I bought it and all the electronics from Alan Woodroffe back in 2014. It is now named "Sudo" which is French for "South Water" I believe! I enclose a couple of photos taken in high winds. Best wishes, Paul Kelsey

Well Paul it looks to me as though you bought a submarine! Miss Steve – Fiesta 650 – Sudo looks stunning, the photos are just fantastic.

If you would prefer to make contributions via a phone call, rather than email, I am more than happy for you to call me on Tel 07934758623, and for you to tell me your stories for inclusion in these updates. Or alternatively, I am quite happy to go old school and receive photos and letters via snail mail – Royal Mail – give me a call to arrange, all items will be safely returned.

The format of these updates is fluid and can be anything we would like it to be, there is virtually no limit to the numbers of words, photos or stories that you can contribute, just send them over in a format that’s easy for you, email them to [email protected]

Look Forward – To the next issue

Possible Headings for the next issue include:

• Dabblers Post Bag - Letters to the Editor • Look Forward – To the next issue

• Lakeside Café – Pull up a chair and share – the home for all the things we like to talk about over a coffee and bacon roll at the lakeside café. • My First Model Boat – your story about your first model boat or how you got into model boating. • Be Calmed – Tales of Sail

• Grey Funnel Line – Dabblers warships from around the World • Dabblers Dock Yard - Home for the Dabblers New Builds • Dabblers Dry Dock - Home for Dabblers Repairs and Renovations • AC, DC & RC - Three bright sparks form the dark arts

• Hot & Bothered - Getting Steamed Up • Bluebird K7 and Donald Campbell – your stories, photos and memories • Dabbler Photos – • Dabblers Other Interests - • Competitions

• Competition Results • Naughty Buoy – Humour and Jokes • Memories From Yesteryear

• Your Fantasy Model – a money and time no object model you would like to see at Southwater

• Dabbler Trumps – The fun way to share details of your boats on one side of paper Please feel free to suggest any other headings and topics you would like to see covered, if there are headings that you wish to alter, amend or delete then please do say so.

Entries for the next newsletter by the 9th April please

To keep up to date with events please check the Dabblers Website on a regular basis http://dabblers.co.uk/ My First Model Boat – Bluebird K7 - Derek Palmer

I have attached my "rambling memories of meeting Donald. In the 60s I chatted to Leo Villa on several occasions after he received his OBE and met Donald's daughter who took the world water speed record for women in the 70s? She was sponsored by the Film and camera Co "Agfa" She was on their display stand at Earls Court Boat Show. Small world isn't it? Derek

Looking back over the years recently, I remembered my first model boat. I lived in Horley, and a local resident was Donald Campbell (yes that one) In the previous year (1955) he had broken the World record for speed on water. I was a Sea Cadet at the time and a few months after the record he visited my local unit. I was luckily chosen with a small group to go to Tea and to see Bluebird up close. You can imagine how impressed we all were. We were all introduced to some of the key members of the team, Ken Norris and brother Lewis(designers) Leo Villa (Engineer) as well as his second wife. We were then shown round Bluebird which was sitting outside in the evening sun I was sat in the cockpit for a photo, but the press photographer did not turn up in time so no picture. I did not care because I had sat in the same seat as my hero.

So, I Just HAD to make a model of it didn’t I. In the 1950s you could buy packs of assorted off cuts of balsa wood for a few pence and a tube of balsa cement add a couple of dads used razor blades later I had a very crude model. How to power it? Friends suggested rubber bands. Complete disaster a lot of splashing and no other worthwhile movement. Wait up! What is this in the comic? A Jetex Motor. Well! Bluebird was jet powered wasn’t it? Pocket money raided and off to the shops I went full of enthusiasm. If anyone experienced these little motors, you would know that water and Jetex fuel cells were not a bright idea. Many lengths of the fuse and my stock of the fuel blocks later it was back to the drawing board (back of my maths book) The decision was made to raise the mounting and try again. By now I was doing a paper round and could afford to restock the fuel etc. Now where to try it out properly. Because of my Sea Cadets Units close association with Donald Campbell, we had private use of Tilgate Lake which belonged at the time to the Campbell family. We used the lake for and practice. This is now a public facility. One weekend I took my boat to Tilgate lake to try out the model. This time success the motor fired first time and due to drag of the flat balsa board it only managed about 10 feet before the fuel ran out. That was the temporary end of model boats for some time. Pictures? I was only 12 and did not own a camera. What a shame.

After my mother passed away, I found out that both her mother and she worked for the Campbell’s in the 1930s. Nan in Sir Malcolm’s workshop cleaning tools and replacing them on the shadow board. Mum driving Sir Malcolm to and from Horley Railway Station in his blue Bugatti. What stories they could have told me.

In March, this year Donald Campbell would have been 100 years old. His family were pioneers in both motoring and Boats.

Facts: Bluebird K7. The first Turbojet hydroplane Length: 26ft 4 ¾ Beam: 10ft 6in Height: 4ft 8 1/2in Weight: 2 1/2tons Power: Rolls Royce “Beryl” * Thrust: 3,750lb. Source of supply: * Ministry of Supply who sold two to the Bluebird team. Speed record: 202.32 mph Ullswater 216.2 mph Lake Mead USA

Information Copyright of “BP book of the Racing Campbells” by Richard Hough Published 1960 Stanley Paul & Co Ltd.

Addendum: Donald’s daughter Gina Campbell held two World speed records in Agfa Bluebird

1. 146.49 mph (235.75 km/h) Agfa Bluebird Gina Campbell QSO (GB) Lake Taupo 1990

2. 122.8 mph (197.64 km/h) Agfa Bluebird Gina Campbell QSO (GB) Holme Pierrepont 1984

Additional Information - for the curious – Dave Steggles

Jetex models - https://uk.fabtintoys.com/jetex/

The Jetex motor is a solid-fuel rocket motor produced for use in model aircraft. Originally developed in 1947, by Wilmot, Mansour & Company Ltd of Southampton, it was first available to the public in June 1948. The most popular motor, the Jetex 50, was introduced in May 1949, with Jetex power kits for a model plane and model car.

A solid pellet of guanidine nitrate provided the power for these engines, it burnt to release a variety of gases in copious volume, leaving no solid residue or ash. Thrust developed was fairly modest, suitable for horizontally launched flying models rather than vertically launched rockets. The exhaust gas was not excessively hot. The fuel was manufactured by ICI. The aluminium alloy engine casing was reusable, with new fuel pellets and ignition wicks readily available for pocket money to be used in the engine.

Donald Campbell – Local Hero

Sir Malcolm Campbells only son, Donald was born in Surrey on 23rd March 1921. He lived in Povey Cross Cottage, Hookwood and later in Headley Hall near Boxhill and Little Gatton Cottage on Hill. Donald’s father also owned much of Tilgate in with rumors that an early Bluebird Boat had been developed and tested on the lake at Tilgate. The restaurant in close by the lake, now the Smith and Western, was previously a pub called The Bluebird in his honor.

Donald’s love of speed was inherited from his motor racing father Malcolm, who set 13 world speed records on land and water throughout the 1920s and 30s. Donald attended Uppingham School, he would later volunteer for the RAF at the outbreak of the Second World War but was prevented from serving due to childhood rheumatic fever. Instead, Donald pursued an engineering career, first with the Briggs Motor Bodies Ltd company as a maintenance engineer and later as a shareholder in a small engineering company called Kine engineering, producing machine tools. Donald married three times, he was also very superstitious, disliking the colour green, the number 13 and thinking nothing good ever happened on a Friday. Sir Malcolm Campbell passed away on New Year's Eve 1948. Donald with the assistance of Malcolm's chief engineer, Leo Villa, determined to set his own speed records. Donald began his water speed record attempts in 1949, using his father’s old boat, Blue Bird K4, which he modified. A number of unsuccessful attempts followed, the last of which nearly ended in disaster when the prop shaft support failed at high- speed destroying the boat. Undeterred Donald decided a new boat was required and sold his share of the engineering business to fund the development of his own all-metal jet-powered hydroplane Blue Bird K7 to challenge for the water speed record. The Blue Bird K7 used for Donald’s record attempts was designed by the Norris brothers, Ken and Lewis, working out of Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath. Donald was a brave and intense man, he flew the flag for Britain, as a pioneering nation of record breakers and designers. Donald had a brush with death when he crashed the Bluebird CN7 at over 300mph whilst seeking the . He knew the risks, he knew the faster he went, the closer to the edge of what was physically possible he came. He had also been warned at the outset by Leo Villa to think very carefully, because once you start, you will never stop and no matter how long you are at it, you will never get used to it. It will require a lot of thought a lot of money and like your dad, you will keep on going faster and faster to keep ahead. Donald went on to become the only person to hold both the Land Speed Record and the Water Speed Records in the same year. In July 1964, in a rebuilt Bluebird CN7 he took the Land Speed Record to 403.1 mph in Lake Eyre, Australia, then on the 31st Dec 1964 on Lake Dumbleyung he beat his own Water Speed Record taking it to 276.3 mph. Donald’s ambitions to raise both the records further continued and in 1966 he set out to raise the water speed record to beyond 300 mph in a revamped, more powerful, lighter, but aging, twelve-year-old, Bluebird K7. Unfortunately, on the 4th January 1967 Donald Campbell tragically lost his life at more than 300mph whilst attempting to set a new WSR, he was posthumously awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct for the courage and determination with which he tackled the world water speed record. Bluebird K7 in her final revamped configuration at Lake Coniston - winter 1966/67

With such a strong local connection maybe you or someone you know has Donald Campbell or Bluebird related memories, stories or photos to share with us? We would love to hear more about the Bluebirds, the Campbells, the Norris Brothers and Leo Villa – local heroes each and every one of them. Information and photos for this article has been researched from Books by Neil Sheppard, Arthur Knowles, Richard Hough, Get Surrey, The Sun and Google searches. Lakeside Café – Pull up a chair and share

From left to right young boy James Hart, Pete Chaimbers, David Leppard, John Hurrel, Janet Smale, Richard Smale, Peter Shires, Richard Hart and David Cross.

How I got into modelling Many years ago, some workmates and I purchased 1/10th scale Tamiya radio-controlled off-road buggies, built them and run them in a local park in Aylesbury, Bucks. We found a few like-minded people and started racing them on a field belonging to a social club in Stoke Mandeville. We formed a club and raced most weekends on the field during the summer. As winter set in we got permission to join a group of 1/12th scale carpet racers in a local school. I really got quite heavily into the racing scene and followed two national championships, the Tamiya championship which was for Tamiya cars only and the Radio Race Car Championship which was for any make of 1/10th scale off road model. I travelled from Swansea in the West to Southend in the East, Hickstead showground in the South to Peterbourgh, RAF Cosford and Birmingham, these places were as far North as I travelled. Anyway, after many happy years with the cars I got quite a bad back injury and as when not racing you have to marshall the cars running around and putting them back on their wheels as quickly as possible if they turn over, I was unable to do this, people where very considerate and helped out but I thought it very unfair that I could not do my stint that I gave up, sold my cars, just the cars, no radios or batteries as I thought I would divert my interests into model boats. As a kid I used to go with my uncle to Wimbledon common and sail our Star yachts there. (I wish I still had it) My wife purchased a Billings US Coastguard model for me, I built this, modified it a bit sailed it, sold it, I also had an HFM day boat, built a narrowboat that had two superstructures for it, a holiday cabin and a coal barge which I changed as the mood took me, I sold that. I built various other models, purchased some and sold many of them, these included a 1mtr yacht and a 6mtr yacht. Unfortunately, I’m not much of a photographer and don’t have pictures of many of them. I now have quite a selection of boats but don’t seem to get out with them very often. My fleet consists of an 8mtr yacht which I paid for but the guy that used to manufacture them (Robin) built, this was because I travelled to many different places and I used to let others sail it and got a few sales for Robin, I think I sold about 10 for him. I purchased a kit of the tug Joffre, the person that I purchased it from hadn’t read the instructions properly, he read what the weight of the finished model should be put everything in the hull and I mean everything, all wood, white metal fittings, motor, battery, servos, receiver, prop shafts and props, found out that it need more ballast, he made some lead ingots up and stuck them all along the bottom of the hull and of course they were all in the wrong positions. I actually punctured the fibreglass hull getting them out and had to repair that before doing any of the building, but at the end of the day I was very happy with what I produced and it sailed very well, I then sold it. I built the motofloat push tug, have an Interceptor speed boat that I have built a water-skiing team for, I have a narrowboat “Two Hoots” built by the late Harry Fox and also a Venetian dustcart that was built by the same guy, and all he had to go by was a single photograph. Many of you may remember Jim Baker, well I spent a few years working with him, then racing cars with him, followed by model boating with him and finally visiting him until his last days with us, he built a superb model of the Norfolk wherry “Albion” which he gave to me as one of his last wishes, I still have this at home. I have a Springer tug, a model loosely based on the Stealth triple hulled warship, “Henry” the hoover, a 1930’s clockwork model. I started a 1/12th scale model of the Brede lifeboat, it is a model of the prototype 33-001, I have done some research into this boat and it was sold off by the RNLI to a boatyard on the Isle of Wight, I contacted the owner and he sent me about a dozen photographs of a model of the boat the was built by the apprentices of Lochin Marine, this model came with the real boat when he purchased it. I have just about gathered everything together to complete the model, props, shafts, I drew up the window frames and had them made by Macs Mouldings along with the radar, I purchased the correct RNLI flag and got two crew members that I think are dressed in period outfits. This model is still on the shelf, untouched for a long time. I have got a hull which is identical scale to some photographs I had of a steam launch, again on the shelf, I’m not even sure if I can find them photographs. Another of my failed efforts was of a New Zealand scow, I have the plans and started construction, that’s been in the loft for years now. I was planning another motofloat but powered and steered by a Grapner rudder-propeller drive unit with homemade kort nozzle as the original was missing, I purchased this very cheap. I now have a model railway which I keep making alterations to, it’s in my garden cabin, it’s about 2foot wide and extends for 10foot on one wall and 14foot on the other, running end to end, through a tunnel and over a ravine. Another collection I have and have taken to displayed on just a couple of occasions at shows is a selection of models of yesteryear or similar, they are all vans with advertising on, there has been a lot of interest in these when I have displayed them as people remember a lot of the old products advertised that are no longer produced. Not had a count up but I believe I have 130-150 models. Well, that’s about it, my days of modelling. Alan Colson

Be Calmed – Tales of Sail – One Meter Yachts special

Now as I understand it, the International One Metre yachts are very popular, and the format means that they are sailed in many Countries to the same rules and specifications. The IOM yachts appear to be for the more experienced sailors, those that have perhaps come up through the other classes of yachts. Here is a photo of the late Les Baker with a top rated one metre yacht called Britpop. I have been advised that the set up as seen in the photo – the hull, fin, lead, and rudder would cost in the region of £1400, to that the mast, sets of sails and sail winch are also required bringing the total cost to around £2500 Here is a great video explaining the set up and racing of the IOM yachts at Emsworth https://youtu.be/QwhSD0iTMck

Here is a link to a video, a beginner’s guide to the rules of yacht racing https://youtu.be/if2mlruL4lY Thank you, Alan, for the advice re IOM Yachts.

Grey Funnel Line – Dabblers warships from around the World HMS Vanguard

https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2018/july/02/180702-gift-from-old-vangaurd-to-the-new While I was chatting with a friend from Cornwall, he mentioned that in his loft was a model of a warship that he hoped to construct one day, he went into detail and got me curious, so I thought you might also be interested to find out what I learned about the stunningly elegant HMS Vanguard. HMS Vanguard was a British Battleship built during the second World War and was the biggest and fastest of the Battleships. She was the only ship in her class, and the last battleship to be built by the Royal Navy. Work on HMS Vanguard was started and stopped several times during the war, her design was revised several times during her construction, these stoppages and changes prevented her from seeing action during WW2. Vanguard's first mission was a Royal tour carrying King George V1 and his family to South Africa. In 1949 HMS Vanguard briefly became flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet. Throughout her career, HMS Vanguard served as the flagship of whichever unit she was attached to. In the 1950s, HMS Vanguard was involved in numerous training exercises with NATO. In 1953 she participated in Queen Elizabeth II Coronation review. HMS Vanguard was sold for scrap and was broken up beginning in 1960. HMS Vanguard – UK Fast Battleship - Vital Stats (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Vanguard_(23) Displacement 45200 to 52250 tons (deep load) Length 814 feet, Beam 108 feet, Draught 36 feet Speed 30 Knots, 4 Props, 4 Steam Turbines, 8 Admiralty 3 Drum boilers, Range 8250 nautical miles at 15 knots Armament 4 x twin 15-inch guns, 8 x twin 5 ¼ inch guns, 10 x sextuple, 1 x twin and 11 x single 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns Here is a useful 5 minute video about HMS Vanguard https://youtu.be/mk37hMR-Hp8 and an interesting video, about 9 minutes showing life on board for Vanguards last journey (you may have to skip a couple of adverts) https://youtu.be/Db6bgu0gs-g In addition here is a much more detailed 25 min film of HMS Vanguard. https://youtu.be/sKx11kxkYww Dave Steggles

Dabblers Dry Dock - Home for Dabblers Repairs and Renovations

Model Yacht Winter Remedial Repairs By John Shoesmith

When I bought this RTS (Ready to Sail) Volantex Hurricane I was under no illusions that it would be well constructed, with only a few months use it has exceeded my expectations of being a cheap and cheerful purchase. Do not get me wrong if there are any other club members out there wanting to start sailing without a huge outlay, then it is a good start. If you are prepared to learn to make changes or improvements, then it can be very rewarding once you get it on the water. It is not in the class of some other members who are more proficient than I am. I had to re-engineer the following: The servo tray, which was prompted by a rudder servo failure. When looking how the servos were positioned in the tray it was no wonder that it added to the problem.

The last issue was the plastic gooseneck. Lovely bronze bushes to support the hinge point, but mounted in a piece of plastic. I am sure by the pictures all will be revealed. I remade this out of some scrap 0.8mm brass sheet, tubing, and some fiddly soldering during some spare time during lockdown. Not pretty, but functional, so now just waiting to get out on the water again.

AC, DC & RC - Three bright sparks form the dark arts

Battery Maintenance – Keith Wright - One important thing to do prior to BoJo letting us all out to play. What do all our RC models have in common? Ten points if you answered a power source. How many of you have checked, charged, replaced your batteries in the last month? I would guess not many since we have had other things to think about of late, however now is the time to check since this lock-down won't last forever (I hope) and it won't be any good simply putting your batteries on charge on Saturday evening and expect then to perform on Sunday morning. Sod's law says if it can go wrong then it will at the most inconvenient moment. So what can we do to stop Mr Sod getting the upper hand. Let us consider a typical setup in a sailboat, Tx and Rx set up so that they are talking to each other (bound correctly) two servos :- one for steering and one for sail control, these can vary from a standard servo to a very powerful winch servo. Finally, a battery and a switch, which most would agree is the weakest link, however most switches are reasonably reliable and a good dose of WD40 will normally restore a switch to 100%. Which leaves us with the battery, so lets consider a four cell Ni-MiH pack with a capacity of 1000Mah. It's nominal open circuit voltage should be 4.8volts, fully charged about 5.2 volts and discharged about 4.4volts. It's capacity if in good order should be able to deliver 1000ma (1A) for one hour from fully charged to discharged. So how can we see if the battery is up to the job, firstly the non-technical method:- step 1/. turn everything on and give the sticks a wiggle if all working go to step 2/. step 2/. load up one of the servos but not so much that it stalls and have a wiggle again, there should be no significant slowing of the servo (be careful here as stalling the servo could lead to it letting out it's hidden smoke, ruining your day!) Slightly more technical method:- as before but using a multimeter or battery checker to monitor battery voltage whilst under load e.g. starting volts = 4.8v at rest, moving servo under load always above 4.4 v battery OK, below 4.4v battery suspect. Best method:- make a load adaptor from a spare servo lead, terminal block and a 12v5w car bulb, the bulb will consume about 250ma (1/4A) so in our example should provide power for four hours. Plug load into spare channel, monitor voltage over 4hr period. Please note that here we have only considered NiMiH batteries, there are more types that we use e.g. SLA (sealed lead acid), Nicad Packs, LiPo packs, LiFe packs but these in general power the model via a bec (battery eliminator circuit) in the speed controller and in most cases will stop the motor before the radio fails. On a final note you did check, charge, replace the batteries in the tranny didn't you? ready for when BoJo lets us out to play.

Hot & Bothered - Getting Steamed Up

Continuing on from the last issue, where if you remember, Richard Bailey wrote in and told us about the Stuart Sirius engine used in WW2. I have a keen interest in these steam engines so I did some more research and would like to share with you my findings. Here are some further pictures of the Alco Firefly in an original box as well as a link to a video of WW2 agent radio portable steam generator, Alco "Firefly" in use under steam https://youtu.be/urDFAZwsYPI The Sirius engine started production in 1928 and is still available today as a set of unmachined castings at a cost of £375, it is a horizontal twin cylinder, single acting, banjo driven piston valve, high speed marine engine with 1 inch bore and 1 inch stroke.

Richard also mentioned the Stuart Sun steam engine, which is the little brother of the Sirius Engine.

The Sun engine was developed from the Stuart MTB 180, the 100 year old engine that we saw being renovated in the earlier email update No4. The Sun engine was made between 1928 and 1990, it is a horizontal twin cylinder, single acting, banjo driven piston valve, high speed marine engine with ¾ inch bore and ¾ inch stroke. The engine weighs 2lb 9oz length 4 ¾ inches, Height 4 inches width 3 inches. The cylinders and valve chest are made from close grained cast iron with very light cast iron pistons making the engine suitable for superheated or flash steam. The crankshaft is forged steel, the piston valve stainless steel, it uses gunmetal bearings, connecting rods and gear wheels. The engine is also a wet sump design which splashes oil under the pistons. Vent and oil filling holes are usually found adjacent the valve rod. Here is a video link to one of my Sun engines running on air https://youtu.be/8sISydlrbCk

Here is a link to the pair of Sun Engines running on steam, although these engines and the model they are in are at least thirty years old, this was only the second time these engines had been run on steam https://youtu.be/dZJYVJrQiSc This pair of Sun engines are being used to power a Torpedo Boat Destroyer that I am renovating, hopefully it will be ready fairly soon to go out on the lake.

Dabbler Photos – photos of Southwater

Here are photos taken by Dabblers of Southwater Lake Photo submitted by Alan Woodroffe

The following photos were sent to me in the post, they have been reproduced here for your enjoyment, they have been returned to their owner, Alan Colson

Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic Challenger – I took these whilst on an Isle of Wight ferry, the boat had been out on sea trials and had been towed back into port by a boat. In1985 the twin hulled boat had completed all but the last 140 miles of its crossing to break the record when it hit an object below the water surface and the vessel sank. In 1986 Virgin Atlantic Challenger II broke the record, whilst I was down in Brighton Marina it was moored up and you could go onboard and look around, guess what? no camera!

The next photos are of my model narrow boat ‘Aylesbury’ I made this from balsa and built two different superstructures to go on the same hull.

The next photos are of ‘Wendy M’ which was a damaged and incomplete kit that I purchased of the tug Joffre.

The next photo is of my 6 meter yacht Luby Blue being sailed at Eastbourne

And finally, photos of my narrow boat Two Hoots. I have had many a fun hour sailing this especially in steering competitions, I only ever sail it as near to realistic speed as I can, this means the steering course takes a very long time and if there is a docking maneuver at the end with no bow thruster it could take forever unless the wind is in the right direction.

The photos used in the above article were sent to me via Royal Mail and have been returned via Royal Mail to Alan Colson

If you too have older printed photos you would like to share, please give me a call and we can make an arrangement to send and return them via the post. [email protected]

Competitions

Spot the differences competition Here we go, another spot the differences competition, there are five differences to find.

Caption Competition Here is another caption competition – What is Keith doing? For bonus bragging rights do you know where and when this photo was taken?

And one more for luck, as you get your boat ready to sail again, send in your caption for this one as well.

Competition Results

Good morning Dave,

DIFFERENCES COMPETITION

Pom-pom missing off left boy’s hat. Large L/H snowman has different colour buttons. Middle snowman is missing two bottom green buttons. R/H snowman has one extra bottom button. Slight change on the horizon left tree line.

Have a good weekend, although not much to do at the moment.

Regards John

Naughty Buoy – Humour and Jokes

A Salt Riffle

What do you call a baker holding a bag of sugar in each hand? Ambidextrose I visited the doctor today and he said my sugar was too high. I came home and moved it to a lower shelf. I accidentally drank invisible ink today, now I am in Hospital waiting to be seen!

Plane Rice

Waiter – How do you like your steak sir? Sir – Like winning an argument with my wife Waiter – rare it is! I felt uncomfortable the other day when I drove to the cemetery, then the sat nav blurted out You have reached your final destination! I’m writing a book about Hurricanes and Tornadoes – its only a draft at the moment! I had a happy childhood, my Dad would put me inside a tyre and roll me down a hill, they were Goodyears! My wife has begged me to stop making Police related puns….. I said ok …. I’ll give it arrest!

Memories From Yesteryear

Fiesta yachts group photo, the event was the M and M Travelers Fiesta Trophy 2005. From left to right John Cadenhead, Robin Edgar, Jim Tibitt, Chris Sheath, Lynsey Toze, Chris Grover, Alan Woodroffe, Doug Genders, Jim Garner, Tony Lambert, Alan Oxley, Nick Burden, Louis Burden, John Churcher and Andy Sheath Boat number 272 was sunk at a later date and is still in the lake, Boat number 193 was the first Fiesta in the Dabblers Club Dabblers display day 2011 https://youtu.be/REKhKXj1YIs Having read through some more of the back issues of the Dabblers Newsletters the wonderful Aircraft Carrier that can be seen working at the beginning of the video, complete with working lifts and Harrier Jump jets, was constructed by Peter Watts. Decking Made Easy - From the August 2011 Newsletter, reproduced for you is this useful article Hi to my favourite Model Boat Club. I have been accused of being too critical of other builders of model boats. What is the first thing you look at on a model boat, the quality of finish and correctness? My criticisms are always the way the decks are set out, whether laid plank or drawn on and varnished. There is a formula for laying a deck and I will endeavor to explain it to all you perspective builders. Motorboats and working boats will have straight planks laying parallel to the King Plank. This is a wide plank laid down the centre line of the vessel, normally two or three plank widths

Each plank would be notched into the cover board: this is a board that follows the curve of the perimeter of the vassal. On a yacht however the planking of the deck follows the curve and is notched into the King Plank. The notch is formed by dividing the plank width by three. One third is cut square to the edge plank the other two thirds are cut diagonal to the line of the cover board or the King Plank (see fig 2)

Notching into the King plank is of the same dimensions. Depending on the size of the vassal determines the width of the deck planks. Working vessels would have wider planks than a yacht which would have deck planks no wider than 100mm. Planks would be between 24 to 28 feet long for economies sake. Now we must consider the Butts. These are the square joints, where the end of the boards join, on the cross beams of the vessel. For strength it has proved to make the deck as strong as possible. There has to be three or four plank widths between each Butt across your vessel. To do this, decide the length of the planks to scale. To have three planks between Butts, divide the plank length into four then lay the planks (see Fig 3). If you wish to put four boards between Butts divide the plank length by five. I am sorry if I have offended anyone with my comments, but I have only been trying to help out future boat builders to get it right. I hope this article will help. By Arthur Edgecombe.

Novelty Boats

Thank you to Alan Colson for his fantastic Henry and for supplying the photos of these other ingenious fun creations, there are certainly some talented model makers out there, well done. The only details I can give you are about Henry, this started life as a standard Henry hoover with a burnt out motor, idea springs into mind, it’s got to become a model boat, how am I going to steer a completely round model was the first thing to overcome, a shottle drive at the front is the answer, then I need to make the vacuum pipe intake waterproof, a flashing blue light from a house alarm is exactly the right size, sorted, now drill a hole for the shottle drive, ballast the model using batteries, problem the top is to heavy and turn the model over, right, remove the motor which is in the top and quite heavy, that done try again, still to heavy. Go shopping and buy a black washing up bowl, finding the correct size is the first problem and second problem is nobody makes bowls in black, an orange one and a tin of paint. Now I have to print out the Henry name to put on the front setting the nearest font possible and sizing it to look good. Having done all the I wanted to put something else on it, it’s a Hoover and cross channel crossings are made by hoverspeed, copy the hoverspeed logo, add an extra o but put a line through it. That’s it put it on the water and it goes slowly forward, put the rudder full left or right and it does a pirouette turning on its axis – Alan Colson

Fantasy Models

My nomination for a model I would like to see running at Southwater if time and money were no object would be a Shannon Class Life Boat

The RNLI's Shannon class Lifeboats ground-breaking design is a generation ahead of the Mersey class lifeboat It is the first RNLI all-weather lifeboat to be powered by waterjets rather than props, providing speed combined with shallow draft and unprecedented agility. The Shannon's hull design and water jets means she can operate in shallow water. The water jet propulsion system provides incredible control and versatility when manoeuvering the lifeboat, it can spin on the spot, glide sideways or stop dead from top speed in little more than her own length. Shannon specifications Fast Self-righting all-weather lifeboat with a crew of 6 Length 13.6m overall, 11.6m waterline. Beam (width) 4.5m. Draft 1m Speed 25 knots (max) Propulsion 2 x 13litre 650hp Scania D13 engines. Twin Hamilton H364 waterjets Survivor capacity 23 (self-righting), 79 (non self-righting)

Dabbler Trumps - Your Model Here

Photo of Your Model Here

Length Beam Displacement No of Engines No of Cyls Engine Size Engine Control Power Source Propellor Dia & No of Blades RPM Boiler Capacity Boiler Pressure Speed (original) Hull Construction Additional Features Description Masts Area of Sail Depth of Keel Mast hieght Battery Size