Thunderbird in storage for 33 years - Page 12

FLYING FISH · 11-10-2010, 10:32 PM

[QUOTE=Delta28;191502]Well, yes... I knew a bit about that one... Wasn't she the first water-jet boat (Castoldi) to win an offshore race? ..av. 66 mph? ...go-on then! Correct me!!

QUOTE]

Actually it was 66.9mph.

I`m afraid the offical adjudicator hasn`t accepted your answer,so you will have to stay in the pig pit for a while until you can redeem yourself.Try selecting a subject like `Magnums I have known`.That should get you out eventually.

Delta28 · 11-10-2010, 11:32 PM

Well, it seems I've done it again...

I've been getting my Uno's in a twist! ...or at least not differentiating clearly enough between the two Uno's...

I meant that she (PLANATEC Uno) was sister-ship to the Planatec Miss Embassy...

I'll..erm, ..just stay down here in the pig shit then.....

Squelch...

Pong....

lucky frog · 12-10-2010, 11:41 AM

Hi Flying fish.
I think I may be able to replace your childhood memories.
The stick it together ABO featured in "Adventure At Sea" No4 "The Quest For Speed"
I've got a perfect condition copy that you are welcome to, unfortunately my tube of glue has gone hard- unlike a few other things in life at my age.
PM me if you're interested.

Jon Fuller · 12-10-2010, 01:19 PM

Hi Ian, how are you doing?

JF

Black_Tornado · 12-10-2010, 10:43 PM

[QUOTE=FLYING FISH;191527]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delta28

Well, yes... I knew a bit about that one... Wasn't she the first water-jet boat (Castoldi) to win an offshore race? ..av. 66 mph? ...go-on then! Correct me!!

QUOTE]

Actually it was 66.9mph.

I`m afraid the offical adjudicator hasn`t accepted your answer,so you will have to stay in the pig pit for a while until you can redeem yourself.Try selecting a subject like `Magnums I have known`.That should get you out eventually.

Graham,if anything, "Cigarette I have known" might be the right thread to start up. But it is not true either.

However, Delta28 is right to remind the media of the winner of the race of Santa Margherita, 1974. That the (beautiful) "Castoldi Jet" Franco Castoldi was a story that I never understood.
Castoldi had commissioned a sister boat of "Enfield Avenger" powered with Mercruiser and then Kiekhaefer affixed in the stern two his idrojet.
But from 1972 to 1975 participated in very few races getting an unexpected victory in Santa Margherita, where there were two boats to compete.
A classic case of maximum expenditur with minimum profit.

BTW I would like to know where the boat is today.
And from you more details about the building of it in the Enfield shipyards.

littlenige · 12-10-2010, 10:45 PM

Good point Marco - where is it now? Anybody know?

Black_Tornado · 12-10-2010, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlenige

Good point Marco - where is it now? Anybody know?

Case solved, Nigel! I think it's just that.

http://www.castoldijet.it/waterj/pleasure.php

littlenige · 13-10-2010, 10:26 AM

Wow!!! She lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But are there two? The red one and the yellow?? (all the way over to the right of the page!!!). Exciting for me to see one, but two?!!!!

FLYING FISH · 13-10-2010, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black_Tornado

Case solved, Nigel! I think it's just that.

http://www.castoldijet.it/waterj/pleasure.php

Hey! Nota soo fast my Italian devotee.

From the Shead design book,Enfield Marine built `The Jet` similar to `Enfield Avenger`,and in 1976 Allday Aluminium built another one (see pdf,red boat,as per your pleasureboat pic,Marco)

At the time,I was not aware of all these extra boats being built,because we were fully occupied on Superyachts,one being a 38m for Carlo Bonomi,buit at Picchiotti.

Once `Enfield Avenger` was drawn (circa 500hrs),we moved on to new projects,and any repeats were dealt with by Mr.Shead.

You can see why new racing craft don`t appear that often now,for your talking a good £15,000 to draw the hull plus overheads (boss`s wages as well),so say double that,which say represent 10% of total hull build cost,and double that again for mchy and fitout,so by todays standards your looking at almost £500,000 for a new OP I boat.Then of course you have spare engines,drives etc,and if you want a U.S. style paint job,well,take a seat for the total cost.

With lack of sponsons/sugar daddy`s you can see why the boats today need to be paid for by someone,other than trying to absorb it into normal production profits.

OK,the figure for drawing the hull are for detailed al.alloy construction,whereas for GRP construction it could be more hands on,but these boats were drawn by guys with shipbuilding experience,where detail was the norm,more needed on the superyachts than fag packet work on dayboats.Telstar and the Souter hulls were only lines plans and the odd mchy drg,the rest done by Souters on the shop floor.

FLYING FISH · 13-10-2010, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlenige

Wow!!! She lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But are there two? The red one and the yellow?? (all the way over to the right of the page!!!). Exciting for me to see one, but two?!!!!

Blimey! they`re breeding.Seems odd the yellow on is shorter,Perhaps there are doing a CUV and knocking em out of SD drgs.

littlenige · 13-10-2010, 10:37 AM

So just to be clear Graham - the original Enfield Avenger was built, followed by the red boat built also at Cowes as the Castoldi boat, followed by the Allday hull - that would be the yellow hull - yes? (So that means that when I win the lottery and I make them an offer they can't refuse my dream will come true?!)

FLYING FISH · 13-10-2010, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlenige

So just to be clear Graham - the original Enfield Avenger was built, followed by the red boat built also at Cowes as the Castoldi boat, followed by the Allday hull - that would be the yellow hull - yes? (So that means that when I win the lottery and I make them an offer they can't refuse my dream will come true?!)

As a Cowes boy,you should be hauled up the Medina to try and fnd Enfield Marine,only to find it at Wootton Creek.

All I can tell you is that Enfield`s built an Enfield Avenger copy for Castoldi in 1971,the design book actually states an Enfield Avenger copy,then another copy in 1976 by Allday which must have been the red boat.The yellow one,who knows.Looks like the red one repainted.

Rob Gray · 13-10-2010, 03:26 PM

If anyone is interested in an Enfield 26 (1970's) - substantially re-rivetted and re-built by Tony Hamilton - then let me know. It had twin Volvo straight 6's and legs. I think the legs need overhauling or throwing and that the engines were always temperamental according to Tony Cordial. We had one running but the other not. So I have just acquired some low hours small block V 8's to drop in - about 275 hp per side. If anyone wants a classic which is sound but needs the engines fitted then let me know. Most of you will probably know it.

Also I have a Nelson 34 cockpit/launch version with twin low hours Perkins Sabre 215's. If any interest.

Rob G

littlenige · 13-10-2010, 07:40 PM

Rob - pictures?

Black_Tornado · 13-10-2010, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FLYING FISH

As a Cowes boy,you should be hauled up the Medina to try and fnd Enfield Marine,only to find it at Wootton Creek.

All I can tell you is that Enfield`s built an Enfield Avenger copy for Castoldi in 1971,the design book actually states an Enfield Avenger copy,then another copy in 1976 by Allday which must have been the red boat.The yellow one,who knows.Looks like the red one repainted.

I also thought (and still think) that the red one is the re-painted in yellow. But then I saw that the technical data reveals the existence of two boats, and which the yellow is shorter.
And if the book AllDay Shead says that he built one in 1977 ....

I think I'll try to write to Castoldi.

BTW do you remember the name of the Bonomi's Picchiotti boat?

Black_Tornado · 13-10-2010, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlenige

So just to be clear Graham - the original Enfield Avenger was built, followed by the red boat built also at Cowes as the Castoldi boat, followed by the Allday hull - that would be the yellow hull - yes? (So that means that when I win the lottery and I make them an offer they can't refuse my dream will come true?!)

But we are sure that the Unowot has been destroyed by those idiots?
Or are they just rumors?

Rob Gray · 14-10-2010, 06:32 AM

Will get some photos done. She is currently at Drivers.

Rob

Rob Gray · 14-10-2010, 06:33 AM

Will get some photos taken. She is currently at Drivers.

Rob

FLYING FISH · 14-10-2010, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black_Tornado

BTW do you remember the name of the Bonomi's Picchiotti boat?

`Solitaire` - built 1974.

FLYING FISH · 14-10-2010, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlenige

Rob - pictures?

Built 1972 at Enfields as tender to motor yacht `Kahlidia` (Aga Khan`s I think).

Came shortly after the alloy `Gee` for London - Monte Carlo race.That was an Allday boat.You can see the likeness.