Desborough Cut revisited

[Foolish]

Originally posted by Jon Fuller
ex 'Eastwoods'

Boat or Marina ?

[Jon Fuller]

You've got me confused now! not hard I know

was asking if that pic was taken in Walton Marine (which used to be called Eastwoods Marine years ago)

[BluFin]

Christ I can recall before it got devloped and it earth banks a the most rickity piles with scaffold boards on. had to walk round as I dont remember the arch bridge there.


Funny story about Walton.
Before Racing (pre 69) Bill & Terry did a lot of diving they always had the odd dive in the winter in the Thames. Agains't all rules found all sorts of stuff and always covered the cost of the dive most days.
Anyway Walton bridge was a enjoyable spot. One SUnday under the bridge they found a Safe in the River bed......... Way- Hay mums the word but they couldn't shift it. So they returned for a night dive with lifting bags, they got it to the surface & the bank where they found a fekken great hole cut in the back with what looked like cutting gear - was empty
That was a lifetime ago..........

[Jon Fuller]

Originally posted by BluFin
a the most rickity piles with scaffold boards on.

Nasty!! TD suffers with that

[Foolish]

Originally posted by Jon Fuller


was asking if that pic was taken in Walton Marine (which used to be called Eastwoods Marine years ago)

Yes

Hope those walkers were wearing "Wellies"

[Ben]

Could this be the biggest boat that has done 60ish in the Cut?

[Ben]

With this crew of social miscreants plus one who is now a well respected member of the North Carolina fishing community.

We "hid" at Nauticalia. Obviously without success as the police were waiting for us as we arrived.

[michaelcaine]

Originally posted by Ben
With this crew of social miscreants plus one who is now a well respected member of the North Carolina fishing community.

We "hid" at Nauticalia. Obviously without success as the police were waiting for us as we arrived.

its pete burns!!!!

[Ben]

Who is Pete Burns?

[OLD PHART]

A little history about Eastwoods. I worked there during the late sixties early seventies. The original name was Rosewells Boathouse, Tim Sutcliff took it over and called it Eastwood Yacht Company ( know affectionatly as Driftwood Rot company ) Tim developed it and replaced the old bridge over the entrance to the creek with the new higher single span bridge that is there today. I also served my apprentiship at R G Odells just below Walton bridge, later known as Laconite now I believe has been developed into housing, in 1963 when we had the big freeze we rode across the river on motor scooters and messed around on the old creek. I have also been taken into work down the towpath by boat as there was three foot of water over the tow path. Whilst dredging the marina all sorts of memoribilia were found.

As for speeding up the Desborough cut I was doing it whilst Jon was still in infant school, firstly with the ok from Thames conservancy to test the BBC university boatrace filming boat, and after whilst at Driftwood Rot Co.

Fastest and biggest was a 25' Fletcher Arrow Shaft with triple 1250 block of flats Mercs, don't remember the speed but the cut seemed very short.

I think the outright speed record goes to a gentleman who tested an ON circuit cat up there late one night, top speed of same boat at Chasewater later that year was 132 mph.

Soon got fed up with life on the river and moved to south coast to work on better quality boats than your average riverboat and the need for speed was calling .

[Jon Fuller]

Originally posted by OLD PHART
As for speeding up the Desborough cut I was doing it whilst Jon was still in infant school, firstly with the ok from Thames conservancy

Hey Bill, maybe we need a Desborough cut reunion! as many old law breakers as we can, Eric, You, Blufin, Me, etc, etc.
I'll let you negotiate with the Environment Agency (TC that was) for permision, as I don't think my negotiating skills will stretch that far

What I'd really like to get my hands on now, is that Chrysler racing motor that Eastwoods had on a stand in their showroom in the 70's, the metalic blue one with open exhausts through the cowl! do you remember it? I understand from Eric that it was actually just an empty motor for show purposes, but looked awsome back then, at least it did to me.

cheers

JF

[BluFin]

Kor
I recall those, They had one in the Bason & Arnolds When they had the showroom at the Hogarth Roundabout two of them on the back of a 21 purple Avenger 21' looked lovley in its day

[Jon Fuller]

We need a pic of one!

[Ciao]

Originally posted by Jon Fuller
Hey Bill, maybe we need a Desborough cut reunion! JF

Hopefully on a day when the M25 is solid and I am forced to use the Walton Bridge route to Heathrow!

[minto]

Was the Chrysler a bit like this?

[Jon Fuller]

Originally posted by minto
Was the Chrysler a bit like this?

My memory is faint, but thought it had four seporate Chrome exhaust outlets.

Twoz in metalic blue, and they were definitely 'out the side' as in that pic. where did you find that?

I 'think' it was indeed a 135.

[minto]

A friend sent me the pic after a conversation we had about Chrysler in which he explained how they were very competitive on the US race scene during the 60's.
All before my time really but I thought the exhausts on that 135 looked very cool. I'm told they made a heck of a noise too.
Wonder what the reasons were for the disappearance of the Chrysler outboard?

[roofer]

Originally posted by minto

Wonder what the reasons were for the disappearance of the Chrysler outboard?

They were crap !

[minto]

Well yeah, but what I really kinda meant was why were they not up to scratch? You'd have thought a large organisation such as Chrysler would have been able to throw some serious dosh into development to make it right.
The Japs outboards must have been seriously behind even Chrysler in those days but look what they've achieved now.

[Jon Fuller]

I was doin a bit of Google earthin today, and thought I'd post an arial pic of the now famous 'Desborough Cut'.

I've pinpointed the house where I was born, and spent my early years, so you can see how convenient 'The Cut' was for me