Strange storey!

[Adam]

Recently had an enquiry through our website from a guy who owns a Fletcher 21 and uses it on the Congo!

"Hi there, I live in Kinshasa on the Congo river and want to upgrade my 225 EFI Mercury outboard as there is a 12Km current, we are at 1,000 feet and there are rapids just down stream so any extra power is a pleasure"

Anyway turns out he originally bought the boat in the UK - about 20 years ago and it was then twin rigged for ski racing.

Now the really strange bit - my father had briefly owned the boat!

Small world as they say.

picture as it was when this guy bought it

 

[Adam]

picture of the boat now that it has been re-launched and used on the Congo!

 

[Jon Fuller]

So is that a 21' Arrowbolt hull wiv a different deck on it?

I had a 1978 Arrowbolt, and the hull looks identical, but the deck is very different.

 

[BluFin]

Trouble with the Congo it's not fully navigable in a few places and boy it is fastflowing with a load of debris, tress & bodies ect.
Watching the ferries between there & Brazaville sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it. Hell of alot of livestock in the water as well. Memories....................................

 

[Jon Fuller]

....long ago, full head of hair, 10 stone!...

 

[Adam]

Yes - Arrowbolt. Bit more of its history as told to me:

"I modified it for pleasure use but it was completely ruined during the 1997 change in regime (the population thought Mobutu might escape across the river to Brazzaville so they destroyed all the private boats) I have slowly rebuilt it using one 200 Mercury (money not flowing freely here since the coup d'etat)"

 

[Foolish]

....long ago, full head of hair, 10 stone!...

Once again looks like "Jonson" is breakin that there speed limit on the "Thames" ( recognise the "tree" in the background )