cat on ebay - Page 2

FrenchPhil · 03-02-2006, 08:27 PM

Hate to see ol'cats rotting in yards

Ciao · 03-02-2006, 09:50 PM

It was mine.

Blu Fin built it to a Lorne design, originally for someone else who ran out of money.

We sent Lorne up to wherever it was lying to do a survey on it for us.

Survey came back something like it is well glued together, and will hold together if driven with care.

First race out we came 5th in 3C (2nd Cat) and I admit it was reasonably rough.

Got back to Port Solent, moored up when we realised boat was getting low.

Crane out pronto to find that the bottom of the sponsons were departing from the hull.

Boat then had to be strengthened and basically rebuilt. We managed a few more races a 4th Round The Island I think, a roll at East Lepe, and then the boat started falling apart again at Guernsey…You could hear the wood break and go ping!!!

Managed a 77mph with it at Windermere.

Have to put this tactfully, as BluFin on this forum found; Ron from BluFin built his offshore boats like circuit boats, light!

I think Pennpromo is right, some good firewood.

PS boat and trailer were built in 1987, boat first raced in 1988 last time out to my knowledge was 95.

Ciao · 03-02-2006, 10:14 PM

First race, spot the Ciao at the front!

Tony Davis · 03-02-2006, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jon Fuller
Fabulous puppies as I remember!

I don't recall the canines, but she had a cracking pair of tits!

BluFin · 03-02-2006, 11:59 PM

Ron was a great bloke, I enjoyed his humor and company. His great love was Hydros & circuit boats which he always enjoyed making most.
He was the guy that brought the Range of Marina boats to production & they carry his trade mark the sordfish / marlin logo. They split and he contined in his love for devlepoment rather than production.
His Offshore boats of his own design did show success but not all as I found out
Noteable success were Blue Blood an Mono very much a rough water boat. Marina Express & Armacryl which the Old boy ran in IIB the latter the most succesful
C class There was barry Drinkwater With Blue Blood II but that really was a calm water boat. Barry lost a lot of heart with it after the flip at windermere (see gallery, history -oops). This then passed to Adam after a spell with, Forgot ....father & son from the cotswolds, & myself with Terrahawk, Which had it's inherent problems of being way too light after slowly getting to grips with it and finally gettting the first calm one of the season to hole in the front was really dishearting (Margate). It was about the time Ron was hospitalised for a while and couldn't play a part for a long time, we had it beefed up all round but the frames & stringers would the fail. The one big problem with it was the boat ran very flat & you would run out of trim before really getting the tunnel to work offshore. If there was such a thing as a 2.5 in those days it would have been perfect but then there was a still the strength issue. or somthing like a force 6 but with two foot waves with no swell, yeh once in a million.......As I mentioned previously I really lost heart after punching I think it was the 6th hole in the rear of the tunnel. I'm sure Adam found the same. But shit did those boats turn corners. What else, he had great success with Howards IIID Cat to a Lorne Cambell Design. Which you still see around today. I think thats when it finally clicked the weight worked for you offshore rather than against (up to a certain point).
I have the greatest respect for Ron and I have some great memories, Like turning up and finding the front deck on "Hawk" to 1/16 ply "What the Fek" and in a way only Ron could say "Tiz only there to keep the water out" Yeh Ron but it bloody 6 ft high. "OK I'll beef it up" You collect it and find it it an 1/8, groovy. You know I forgot what it was like to have a boat where you could walk on the deck
He built Record attempt boats and the owners succesful in setting new records. He just loved doing light & would use steel screws with comments like "it will be out of date in two years anyway", "ya gonna break it first then I'll see where I need to strengthen it" . A lovley charater but boy you had to be keeping an eye during the build he just couldn't help himself shaving a bit off there & bit more here ahh that 2lb I've saved.
What else He made all the Nat West Fibreglass signs the logo thingys that hung outside the banks in those days. paid more than the boats but he hated doing it. Drove a Sauberu long before they were trendy and it had two speeds stop & flat out. Had about the most fekked set of knees I've ever seen sort of wobbled from side to side take him ages to get from under the boat.
Sorry waffling, turning into war & peace type post

Ron has passed away along with the old boy a few years now but the Legacey is still there along with so many other designers, builders & racers

So Gentleman charge your glasses to the racers & builders of old charging round the big race course in the sky.

Cheers

Ciao · 04-02-2006, 12:09 AM

I took him down the measured mile at Windermere in '88 in the above boat. He must have been in his 70's then, managed to get him a perf cetificate of 73mph.

They awarded him a trophy for that at the end of week prize giving!

BluFin · 04-02-2006, 12:19 AM

Well it's creeping up £310.00. I'm sure bidders have read this thread.

It's got a full service history you know.......................

Ciao · 04-02-2006, 12:25 AM

Like the TV reporter who found some old rope on a beach and ebayed it - Money for old rope!

Bet you wish you had kept Terrahawk now!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would have been a nice half term holiday for you and the kids!!!

Jon Fuller · 04-02-2006, 12:30 AM

I remember Terrahawk sitting at Capitol Marine.

Ciao · 04-02-2006, 01:05 AM

What a thread on Capitol Marine we could have! where would you start?

Jon Fuller · 04-02-2006, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ciao
What a thread on Capitol Marine we could have! where would you start?

Probably with how as a young lad, I would sit under Walton Bridge and watch Eric Smiley tear up & down testing stuff from Eastwoods (a stones throw from the Desbourogh cut) where he did his aprenticship.

Ciao · 04-02-2006, 01:14 AM

Yep, I remember he ran Lady A's 3 Pointer down there !

Nik Keyser is still in touch with Eric, now did he like a wind up!

Ciao · 04-02-2006, 04:57 AM

Guernsey '88 Strange but my navigator now lives a mile from where this pic was taken.

Ciao · 04-02-2006, 05:01 AM

Southampton September 1988

Ciao · 04-02-2006, 05:11 AM

The boat raced in Guernsey 3 days later. Neil Holmes totally rebuilt the engine overnight back in Surrey, my mates re-rigged the hull, whilst I spent time in Southampton General.

We finished the next race 5th out of 35 odd boats in very rough seas, which was easy as I could sit down just fine, it was walking to the GYC with swollen bruised legs that caused the problem.

But that was half a life time ago for me , strange how all these years later you get to see an old race boat but all of the cars that towed it are long since scrap.

michaelcaine · 04-02-2006, 07:48 AM

i think its great that you can see an old boat on ebay,then 5 mins later all this info and pics arrive,brilliant!!

BluFin · 04-02-2006, 08:04 AM

JFYI "Hawk" had a Viking Funeral Tanks & Trailer went racing with somebody esle dunno who. I was by that time down in Deepest Darkest for the next 12 years.

michaelcaine · 04-02-2006, 08:35 AM

biddings gone back down to £15.00,i reckon the highest bidder must have read this thread!!

BluFin · 04-02-2006, 08:45 AM

Ah you cant put a price on memories & history.
Now gold coins .................................................. .

Trailer has to be worth more than the current asking of 15.00

Pennpromo · 06-02-2006, 08:01 AM

Ahhh, here's a picture of a very young Pennpromo relaxing on another Wobold masterpiece ! Unfortunately due to loads of reasons it never ran very well. Principally Lorne had gone out on a tangent with the hull and the motors were "not quite a s described on the box" !
P.S. Bumped into Eric Smiley at Excel, he was on good form !