WIND WATCHING

MY DIY PROJECT :

FED UP WITH THE COMMENTS : OOOOOH....ARGH

WHERE'S THAT WIND COMING FROM ?

MAKE A FRIEND WITH A CLEVER LITTLE DEVICE......

A WINDICATOR BURGEE

Do you know if the wind you've got, is fluky (uneven wind speed) or that you're on a blow, on open water, information you should know, to make an informed choice. 

You must always use your observational powers, to avoid sailing blindly into a calm patch, whilst carefully watching for ripples on the water, as a guide to where the best wind is located. With the aid of a Windicator Burgee, you can see the direction of the wind, invaluable if racing, good practice, if you're not.

When thermal action is taking place, it can be very hard to observe the wind's movements, unless you're lucky enuff to have, etheric vision.

MY HOMEMADE WINDICATOR BURGEE 

Below the black tubing, it is best to thread a bead, 

for windicator to sit and rotate on

ANOTHER VERSION

The Wind

by Robert Louis Stevenson

I saw you toss the kites on high

And blow the birds about the sky;

And all around I heard you pass,

Like ladies' skirts across the grass

Oh wind, a blowing all day long,

Oh wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did,

But always you yourself you hid.

I felt you push, I heard you call,

I could not see yourself at all

Oh wind, a blowing all day long!

Oh wind, that sings so loud a song!

O you that are so strong and cold,

O blower, are you young or old?

Are you a beast of field and tree,

Or just a stronger child than me?

O wind, a blowing all day long,

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

MAKING ME A PROSTHETIC NOSE

MY DIY PROJECT

NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED.................

BUT ME NOSE FELL OFF..........

STAGE 1

UNLIKE  A HIGHLY SKILLED SURGEON, I brutally cut, glued and clamped, the sandwiched pieces together, to prepare for me, a new nose, made from cork floor tiling, that I had the good fortune to find, in a colourful plastic bag ( maybe I could use the bag to make spare Footy sails ) that caught my eye, a while back, lying totally forgotten, forlorn and abandoned, nonchalantly hiding in a hedge, waiting for me, to hopefully reconstruct, fashion and make, a jolly good nose out of 

STAGE 2

Belt-sanding my delicate nose, to give it shape

STAGE 3

Slicing my nose on the work-bench, for perfect sizing

Look.........no nose

Head-butting without a nose can be very damaging

Looks like a perfect fit

Then glue with 2pac epoxy glue

FINISHED STAGE

Nose fitted, ready to go

Ready for racing....nose 'n' all
on my ( Kay Squire one metre design )

One Metre Racing

Here we go.........bliss

LAKES, SHEFFIELD PARK, SUSSEX

ALWAYS SCOUTING FOR LAKES TO SAIL MODEL BOATS

We went for a walk in Sheffield Park, in Sussex, with the children, for Mother’s day. We were searching for faerie wings, and found quite a few. Also a beautiful faerie ring was discovered, where we all danced round it. Near the waterfall, there was an Ogre’s den, which was a bit scary. Ditsy, four years old, made friends with a beautiful Robin, who showed us where to go.

I was still keeping an eye out for new places to relax and sail boats.  

CLICK HERE FOR MAP

YE OLDE FAERIE DANCE

MAINTENANCE, GREEN STUFF

OXIDISED CONNECTORS






The trouble with my Fiesta is that the connectors have attracted the green lurgy. Does anyone know how to clean this up ?

Fiesta in dry dock on the work bench

AND WHAT ABOUT ME........MY MATE FROSTY (THE CAT)

FIESTA YACHT

MY 6 METRE SAILING AWARD

Sailing model rc boats and yachts

WOW.......I feel so chuffed to bits..........
It takes months of careful preparation, dedication, fasting and
a strict, monitored diet, to come 2nd in the Southwater Dabblers 6 metre races 2009, I can say.

Below are my photos of my 6M Chris Grover TROPHY AWARD, which I've just received, nestling happy, amongst my other, proudly displayed, Steering events awards.

SOUTHWATER DABBLERS MBC FOOTY RACE

SOUTHWATER DABBLERS MBC FOOTY RACE

Sailing model rc boats and yachts

I came last....... in the Fiesta races ( enuff said ) but did a lot better in the Footy races held later in the afternoon. Below are my pictures of some Footys, that I took, whilst racing, down at Southwater lake. It's quite difficult taking pictures and racing, at the same time, but I managed.









Above is my photo of JC'S itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, yellow polka-dot, footy hybrid




This is my 12 inch infamous wooden Broadside Skewer

MY HUMBLE WORKSHOP/GARAGE

THE CAPTAIN'S LOG....... 6TH MARCH 2010

BY THE MAD HATTER

Sailing model rc boats and yachts

Spent sharing the night with my canine best friend Hooboo, a naughty snorting hedgehog and a large family of leggy spiders in a minus 2 degree, cold and rather damp, garage, mending my trusty fiesta yacht, which had suffered with some, somewot awkward, minor damages, in the last race. Tomorrow is waiting for me......... to fulfill my destiny, to not come last, in the races. Also, it is the first of the Footy races this year, as the lake had been frozen over, bigtime. I hope my wee, little, small, wooden Broadside Skewer and her motley crew of Deathwatch Beetles, still floats. I better wear my beloved long-johns, waterproofs, double pair of lucky socks, gloves, scarf, two layers of jumpers, gum boots and rough weather woolly knitted hat, as it might be mighty bitter and cold tomorrow. This sounds over the top, but I've been caught out before and nearly died from severe frostbite and overexposure, like the others have done.

STEERING COMPETITION

BY THE MAD HATTER


Sailing model rc boats and yachts at Leech Pond 2009


 In the ‘’ sleepy hollow ’’ of a quaint English rural setting, there was witnessed the Dabblers ‘’collective gathering’’ of like-minded model boatspersons with their various unique-styled watercraft. The heady scent from a myriad of colourful rhododendron flowers filled the air and many Irises were seen in full bloom around Leech Pond, surrounded by their little entourage of delicate, dreamy butterflies, dainty flutterings of spirited damsel flies and blasted dive-bombing kama-kazi midges.
The wise old fiery chap in the sky gave us his unconditional blessing with a whole days worth of heart-filled, heat and warmth. 
As the porta potti tent had no lock , members were asked to donate a hymn book, so that those that felt required to administer their ablutions herewith, could perhaps do so, whilst singing out gleefully, to make their presence known, as their unknown state of affairs, lies vulnerable there-in. The discreet understanding and quiet cooperation on this delicate matter was much appreciated

FOOTY ''GALORE''

BY THE MAD HATTER

The Modern day Footy

Sailing model rc boats and yachts at Southwater Lake 2009

A Footy is a very small radio-controlled yacht whose length is a mere 12 inches (30.5 cm). The hull can be made from a fiberglass mold or simply with thin sheets of plywood fitted together. An easy to build boat, ideal for that wee Dabbler, whatever the age. Two servos are used, one to control the sail and one for the rudder. Some plans are available for sale, some for free. There are a few kits out there now. The individuality, flair and creativity of footys is now legend. No two footys are the same, as each one made, uncannilly takes on some of the characteristics of its creator, thus producing a unique biometric personality all of its own.. footys have feelings too.

THE FOOTY ''GLADATORIAL'' RACES

Today, there were seven, magnificently hell-bent, wild-eyed footy frontier rogue racers, all willing to do or die. JC was the fiercesome, Eye for an Eye , presiding race officer for the day. Before the races started each team gave it the one large.. foot by footy foot attitude.. measuring up and cursing bad.

BILL'S AUSSIE, Ned Kelly footy-skiff hybrid, was soberingly well hung down under, with a respectfully massive, heavy keel, and sported some even larger sails on steroids (eaten too many Balmain bugs).
DOUBLE TROUBLE carried two alarming red mainsails, that open up with a double-bat-winged, caped-crusader feel, when chasing victims.
JIMMY T's MADE IN BRITAIN footy, did very well, sailing with ferocious tooth and claw, with honourable street-credability, dressed with scary, large bunch of flowers , for sails.
TOE'D had that re-occouring nightmare about the ruddy rudder again, but bravely carried on chasing the dream regardless.
JCs only problem was that he was becoming more and more mercilessly first ..most of the time.
HOT-FOOTY luvvingly dreams of his future PUSSY FOOTY and was doing extremely well for it.
My wooden BROADSIDE SKEWER with her motley crew of DEATH-WATCH BEETLES, could only but apologise, and tried to get out of the way of the other boats, as best she could, whilst painfully skewering their tackle, well below the water line. Ouch.

SOUTHWATER DABBLERS ''MIDSUMMER MADNESS'' BOATING REGATTA AT LEONARDSLEE LAKES AND GARDENS

BY THE MAD HATTER

Sailing model rc boats and yachts at Leonardslee 2009


CLICK HERE FOR MAP

Everyone was looking forward to this years glorious event, and we were hoping that the wonderful weather wed been having lately, would hold out for us.
It had been raining heavily over night, but as Grandmas friendly tea-leaves had so rightly predicted it would be a hot, sunny Sunday.
Carrying my delicate, hand built yacht, I carefully negotiated the white-knuckled, hair raising, Herculean boatmans descent to the lake side, I was told that there was a very real chance of being ravished by post-natal depressed Wallabys, or being smothered by unloved, suckling Joeys, or even being heckled by a large group of tea drinking Dabblers. So after I unpacked my boat, I sat down quietly, and started to sip, my smoothly infused, hot mug of tea, huddled inside the safety of an incognito Gazebo, whilst I watched, listened and learned.

Many species of butterfly decided to emerge from their ultra modern, crystallized, mono-pod homes today, to celebrate the Dabblers wonderful Midsummer Madness Boating Regatta, and were seen quickly flitting about the colourful, local talent, and well-tasty flowers, that were growing in profusion by the beautifully maintained lakeside, in a glorious and ecstatic extravaganza of newly found hope, pristine nervousness and carefree, diaphanous excitement.

Myriads of ELECTRONIC BLUE Damsel fly were also seen to be falling in love, flirting, and chasing Dabblers and their boats all around the lake.
In the background could be heard tiny Revelations of Life, in all their awe-inspiring Sunday worship, with their audible faint tunes from various melodies of enchanted bird song, sung from deep within the wooded, green vespers, of their untouched, leafy-domed cathedrals, that magnificently surround the Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens.
But above all this colourful rich tapestry of self-preservation, and patchworked scenes of lovely, pure, natural mayhem, was heard the loud vocal chatterings, coming from the visiting, rowdy crowd, of delighted, happy Dabblers, who had brought a boat or two to sail.