I made the decision today it was time to start building dinghies again. I have had a few people asking for a dinghy for themselves, so I said I would start taking orders. I need gelcoat, layup resin and more chopped strand mat. I seem to have plenty of tissue cloth and polish.
So first task is to re polish the mould. Thats the hard, time consuming part of this job. The polish needs to be applied, then you wait before buffing up to a shine. I have tried a power buffer, but I prefer using my own hands. Thats why I say its hard work!
Will try and post some photos as I go through each stage of building the dinghy. I always intend to do this but I get so involved in the whole process I keep forgetting to stop and take a photo. I am determined to take photos this time!
Sunday, 3 May 2009
Wednesday, 15 April 2009
fibreglass dinghy mould
I have decided to start building new fibreglass dinghies from my mould again. I took a break for the winter and now that the weather is warmer and heating the workshop will not be too bad, I think I will start building dinghies! The decision was taken when I got a phone call yesterday from a boat owner asking for a dinghy. He had noticed my advert at one of the nearby marinas. I told him I did not have a dinghy ready but probably would have in about 3 weeks. So he may well be my first customer this year!
My first job is going to be polishing the dinghy mould. I really need it to be like glass! I found last year that if any area was not shiny it caused the shell to stick slightly. So extra special care is going to be required this year. Several extra layers of polish should do the trick!
I will let you know how it goes.
My first job is going to be polishing the dinghy mould. I really need it to be like glass! I found last year that if any area was not shiny it caused the shell to stick slightly. So extra special care is going to be required this year. Several extra layers of polish should do the trick!
I will let you know how it goes.
Sunday, 7 December 2008
new websites
I have been busy adding another website - www.marinegps4sale.co.uk to my other sites. This new website is all about GPS receiver units - both handheld and fixed. The site has information about GPS and access to used GPS units as well as new equipment. I have added some video on a few pages that show how to use GPS both handheld and fixed. This equipment is sometimes called chartplotters and lots of other hardware can be attached to add to the navigation system. So please click on the link and check out the new website - hopefully it will be of some use to you - maybe you will be able to buy a GPS receiver unit at a bargain price!
Thursday, 28 August 2008
More websites
I have taken a break from making the dinghies. Instead I've been busy making websites; lots of sites. Some are related to my main interest - boating. Others are sites that I will enjoy writing about on a regular basis and will add to my income, in some small or large way. So far there are 4 sites concerned with boating of some sort, www.dinghy4sale.co.uk and its USA equivalent, www.dinghy4sale.com; www.sailorpower.co.uk which advertises used outboard motors; and my latest site - www.secondhandsails4sale.co.uk.
The other websites such as www.affiliateauctions.co.uk, advertise several affiliate programs associated with ebay. In a departure from boating I thought my wife might like to get involved in building a website which interests her. So she chose www.letspartyparty.co.uk, which tells you a lot! My youngest daughter, who is in her final year at university has also inspired me to change the focus of a previous website I had, selling ebooks. www.know-how-ebooks.co.uk has shifted from advertising ebooks to featuring cheap business management textbooks. The site also has other textbooks advertised that students would find useful.
So you can see I have been busy these last few days and hope to tell you more about each of the websites as I add content etc to them.
The other websites such as www.affiliateauctions.co.uk, advertise several affiliate programs associated with ebay. In a departure from boating I thought my wife might like to get involved in building a website which interests her. So she chose www.letspartyparty.co.uk, which tells you a lot! My youngest daughter, who is in her final year at university has also inspired me to change the focus of a previous website I had, selling ebooks. www.know-how-ebooks.co.uk has shifted from advertising ebooks to featuring cheap business management textbooks. The site also has other textbooks advertised that students would find useful.
So you can see I have been busy these last few days and hope to tell you more about each of the websites as I add content etc to them.
Sunday, 24 August 2008
second website
I have been busy adding a second website, www.sailorpower.co.uk, just to keep me occupied these long summer evening!
This new website helps people locate and buy used, second hand outboard motors. All the main outboards are advertised, mercury, evinrude, johnson, yamaha, as well as the old 'favourite' british seagull engines! Spares are also featured for all of the above mentioned.
Also on the site is a brief history of outboard motors, who invented them and the main players. Some development work is also discussed, especially the reduction in emissions and the now wide spread use of 4 stroke engines.
I hope you will visit the new website and find something useful on it. I will be adding more content articles to 'sailorpower' over the coming weeks, so add it to your favorites to visit it again.
This new website helps people locate and buy used, second hand outboard motors. All the main outboards are advertised, mercury, evinrude, johnson, yamaha, as well as the old 'favourite' british seagull engines! Spares are also featured for all of the above mentioned.
Also on the site is a brief history of outboard motors, who invented them and the main players. Some development work is also discussed, especially the reduction in emissions and the now wide spread use of 4 stroke engines.
I hope you will visit the new website and find something useful on it. I will be adding more content articles to 'sailorpower' over the coming weeks, so add it to your favorites to visit it again.
Hi, its been just over a month since my last post. The reason being the holidays and a break from making dinghies. However, I have just sold my latest dinghy! As usual it was not straight foreward. You know, advertise it, someone phones, comes to see it, then says they will buy it, then takes it away. No, no, not with me. There is always some complication.
This time out of the blue I got a 'phone call from someone who needed a dinghy, quick. He said he would be around to view the dinghy after dinner, and arrived at 8pm. Within 5 minutes he decided to buy the fibreglass dinghy. But had only £15 as a deposit and no means to transport it. We looked at his car, a Ford Focus, and could see no way of adding a roof rack to it. However, he said he had a small trailer that with some adaption could take the dinghy. I heard myself volunteer to make two spars to add to the small trailer, a bit of drilling and bolting. So we arranged for the next evening that he would bring the trailer up and I would add the spars.
The next evening I had everything ready and shortly after 7.30pm he arrived. He was towing a 3 ft by 3ft (1m x 1m), box trailer similar to those you see transporting garden rubbish to the dump! A super quick operation of marking out, drilling and bolting the spars onto the trailer and it was ready to take the dinghy. A couple of straps and some rope was enough to secure the dinghy, upside down on the trailer. Money was exchanged and the new owner was delighted with his purchase. With plans to use the dinghy for fishing next week, he was off down the road! Another happy customer.
OK it involved a bit of extra work on my behave but it all adds to the whole experience, doesn't it? One of these days someone is just going to view a dinghy and take it away without any hassle! 'Till the next time.
This time out of the blue I got a 'phone call from someone who needed a dinghy, quick. He said he would be around to view the dinghy after dinner, and arrived at 8pm. Within 5 minutes he decided to buy the fibreglass dinghy. But had only £15 as a deposit and no means to transport it. We looked at his car, a Ford Focus, and could see no way of adding a roof rack to it. However, he said he had a small trailer that with some adaption could take the dinghy. I heard myself volunteer to make two spars to add to the small trailer, a bit of drilling and bolting. So we arranged for the next evening that he would bring the trailer up and I would add the spars.
The next evening I had everything ready and shortly after 7.30pm he arrived. He was towing a 3 ft by 3ft (1m x 1m), box trailer similar to those you see transporting garden rubbish to the dump! A super quick operation of marking out, drilling and bolting the spars onto the trailer and it was ready to take the dinghy. A couple of straps and some rope was enough to secure the dinghy, upside down on the trailer. Money was exchanged and the new owner was delighted with his purchase. With plans to use the dinghy for fishing next week, he was off down the road! Another happy customer.
OK it involved a bit of extra work on my behave but it all adds to the whole experience, doesn't it? One of these days someone is just going to view a dinghy and take it away without any hassle! 'Till the next time.
Saturday, 19 July 2008
Dinghy number 3 is nearing completion. I took a trip to my local marina today to place 2 adverts for boaters to see. The notice boards were pretty busy but with a little rearranging - the A2 size advert for the visiting circus - just had to go! Anyway hopefully some 'phone calls over the next few days will see the latest dinghy sold. I had sort of agreed to try and test out each dinghy in the local sea but dinghy number 2 was a bit of a rush, so that was the plan scuppered. Maybe if I have time this dinghy with get a try out with the family.
When I was at the marina I visited the chandlery to buy a pair of galvanised rowlocks for the dinghy. This has been my third pair from the chandlery. Very expensive - £ 8.80 for a pair of 3/8" rowlocks! I should really be more organised and buy them on ebay. The exact same pair of rowlocks are £ 3.00 a pair plus £ 1.50 postage. That is almost half the price of the local chandlery! Need to plan ahead in future.
In fact so much of the materials I need for building these dinghies could be purchased from ebay, I could be saving myself a fortune!
That reminds me click on my link to visit my website at http://www.dinghy4sale.co.uk/ where lots of gear and equipment can be seen and bought.
I will report back when dinghy number 3 is sold. No doubt it will not be a straight forward transaction, mine never are!
When I was at the marina I visited the chandlery to buy a pair of galvanised rowlocks for the dinghy. This has been my third pair from the chandlery. Very expensive - £ 8.80 for a pair of 3/8" rowlocks! I should really be more organised and buy them on ebay. The exact same pair of rowlocks are £ 3.00 a pair plus £ 1.50 postage. That is almost half the price of the local chandlery! Need to plan ahead in future.
In fact so much of the materials I need for building these dinghies could be purchased from ebay, I could be saving myself a fortune!
That reminds me click on my link to visit my website at http://www.dinghy4sale.co.uk/ where lots of gear and equipment can be seen and bought.
I will report back when dinghy number 3 is sold. No doubt it will not be a straight forward transaction, mine never are!
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