Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[STEVERINO]

iAre Marine Sales Taunton still in business.? Is Dave Brocklington still alive and well, he was a very nice man and easy to get along with. Always thought they were in Chard for some reason.

Hia Jackie I`m back Dave Brockington is very alive and well lives in Besiare France Languedock country you can spell it better than me you lived not so far away yourself?.Dave split the company up registered the new name D B Marine Sales`his old partners Mike Brown and Butch ran Marine Sales from Chard didn`t last that long.Dave was one of the best Mercury Techs in the uk`after Bill Shakespeare got killed Bob Glen gave them all Bills OMC factory engines for Edwards to use and I used to co drive for them.In 74 I decided I wanted to run my own outfit i new Alfi had loads of OMC V4 spares from his old engines` he was now over in Brugge racing for OMC` so Dave built me an engine out of Alfis old parts the deal was use it in 3 International races then Alfi had it back and sold it.Well it was a good engine it beat both Alfi and Edwards in quite a few races so everybody was happy including yours truly?I have another story about Dave in 1978 Garbrecht had given Edwards a 2.4 Mercury engine the team had been at the Mercury Factory at Liege with all the American contingent testing engines for the Paris 6hr race.The sunday morning of the race Edwards went out to practise when they took the boat out of the water Dave gave it a once over and found it had picked up a piston Mercury had no spare powerheads only new pistons so Dave stripped the engine tried to tidy the bore out as best he could had it all back together` meanwhile the race had started Edwards and Halsa started 10 minutes behind everybody and the engine finished the race.

[jackiewilson]

Saw Berger Halsa at the Miami Boat Show about five years ago, he was sporting a gold Rolex and a massive gold necklace and bracelet, he still looked "The Bizz".
Remember he turned up in Paris with that lay down hydro tunnel, went like sh-t off a Teflon coated shovel for a while till he broke a couple of ribs from the pounding ----nobody could take that kind of beating hour after hour, can't remember if he finished or not. He did not do a lot of partying on the Sunday night.
OMC were different to Mercury, they would throw motors and spares around like confetti Shakey and Velden were prime examples of the amounts of kit that was floating about----Mercury were Timothy tight arse when it came to dishing out kit.
When Mercury vacated the Torriggia factory there was a shed load of equipment that would not fit into the Mercury truck so it was dispatched to the bottom of lake Como, it's about 1,000' deep at that point, so there was no chance of anyone fishing for it.
Rain stopped about an hour ago, much more and we would be sprouting flippers, tomorrow is sunshine and showers,, me I don't care, it's a workshop day. The only one I get this week, got the funeral on Thursday------I hate funerals, gonna give em up after this one, I always get cranky and depressed, before, during and after. Rain does nothing to alleviate the feeling either. Things can only get better so let's look forward to tomorrow , get some rest, MYGGWY . J.

[jackiewilson]

Nice but i would call them lake boats these days

Surely that's a bit like calling an F1 a canoe-----maybe so!!

[powerabout]

The excuse is we need to be close to the shore to make the spectators happy.

[jackie wilson]

Just read of the death of Mike Fiore, from injuries received when his "Outer Limits" boat flipped during the shoot out at the Lake of the Ozarks, what a terrible tragedy this is. I can do nothing except offer my sincere and heartfelt condolences to his friends, family and workmates.

[jackiewilson]

Tried to create something from early morning to noon but the day had already turned to worms and my heart wasn't in it, could not get the picture of the outer limits boat going over out of my brain.
Been churning over ideas for how to cope with the impact at those high speeds.
A pod suspended within the cell itself to absorb the impact-----would have the effect that the tyre wall has at car circuits-----something has to be done, but what ?
Planes have gone beyond help in the safety cell theory, but cars and boats are travelling at comparable velocity and I believe car cells are more advanced than boat capsules. That is my theory, and I have never ever spoken about it before to anyone. Mind you I was Dead set against the idea of being strapped into a cell in the first place,Hodges and I had some fairly intense heated arguments over it----was I ever wrong about that one.
So I closed the shop doors at about three and didn't go back.
Waiting for my extra large CC7. Somehow, I feel it's necessary ------just this once.

[jackiewilson]

Just goodnight and God Bless tonight if you don't mind people. J.

[jackiewilson]

7am and it's chucking it down-----believe it's called Sod's law ----I never wish my time away, but shan't be sorry to see the arse end of this one, rain is just the icing on the cake, that's all you need at a bloody funeral. Service starts at 11, should be back by two.

[jackiewilson]

Yeah well, as I said earlier, glad that days done, but I have to say it turned out "memorable".
Rain stopped and the sun deigned to shine at bang on eleven, it had been abject misery up to that point, the hearse was a stretched Bentley which surprised me but the service was the usual dismal, miserable event that funerals usually are.
Funeral "party" was held in the PRINCE REGENT SUITE on Brighton racecourse, stunning location, views clear out to sea and you can see forever----it's the highest point on the Sussex downs.
Typical funeral fare, chicken tandoori wings, onion bahjees and curled up ham sandwiches and cheese and lettuce wraps-----Uhg. Chef was obviously from Mumbai.
Needed a pee, so trundled to ye toilet, stood at the trough contemplating my navel and was joined by a poor white haired geriatric who proceeded to inform me of his nocturnal habits-------"have to go at least 3times a night"-----told him I still only needed to go the once, thought to meself, " what the hell you doing at a funeral party holding your Tallywhacker in both hands and a conversation with a soon to be ex person, time to bid this lot farewell .
Now, this is where the day gets better, I've known Kieth for about 12 years or more, he has a boat down in the south of France and is also chief engineer on the Shoreham lifeboat. He asked if I would like a look round the new TAMER class boat, I jumped at the chance. Spent all afternoon being shown the intricacies of this magnificent craft.
Holy bloody shamoli, has technology moved on or what?---no helm, just little knobs and levers and a screen that makes my Mac look like a blackboard. Six crew with room for a doctor should the need arise. A pair of 1200 HP twin turbo CATS. A sealed cockpit, self righting, composite craft, all four million dollars worth. Was gobsmacked, have been promised a trip out on the next exercise.
Thats why it turned into a great day.
Have decided I just want to fade away or vaporise or be scooped up by aliens, definitely do not want misarsed and weeping people going on about what a sh-t I was etc, etc, etc, as good old Yul used to say. Anyway, I did what was called for, and I'm sure all of you can relate to what went on today, all that's left is to wish you all well and sleep tight,MYGGWY ,J.

[ron54]

Lifeboat fellers are a special breed. Many years ago I used to drink in a pub on Brixham harbour.. got talking a chap few years olderthan me we put the world to rights as men in pubs do,told me he was an engineer of some kind, no mention of boats at all. We got talking about fear and what caused us some alarm to which he ventured "spiders"........I thought this a bit odd for a grown man but thought no more of it.A year or so later I was watching "This is your life" on the telly...The main man was my spider hating drinking buddy from that night.He was the then cox'n of the Brixham Lifeboat being honoured for his services to lifesaving.

[jackiewilson]

Gary Stray at GIECO married my eldest grand daughter Louise and is a collector of all things " Aeronautical ", loves flying, specially old WW2 planes-----last time I was at the car boot sale at Ford aerodrome I came across an altimeter and an air speed indicator from a Lancaster bomber, boyhood in pristine condition. Five minutes of hard bargaining and they were mine. Sent a text to Gary and he was quite chuffed at said purchase.
Now I have been searching for a spot welder for the last six months and Gary thinks he can find me one, so I feel a swop coming on here, unless any of you peeps out there have one skulking in a corner that needs a home ? If you have-----don't be backward coming forward, if you get my drift.

Feel that things are back on an even keel and the workshop beckons, you all enjoy the day now and never lose sight of the objective. J.

[jackiewilson]

"Boyhood" should read -----BOTH -----bloody silly predicted text, -------about time Gates got his act together and sorted it.

[jackiewilson]

Thats a couple of pics of the ww2 Lancaster bomber guages I got at the car boot fair yesterday morning around 7 am,. Been busy as buggery in the shop today, Steve next door came in twice needing help, then Keith who lives opposite wanted a length of tanalised timber put through the planer-----finish had to be 79.2 mm. ( typical Keith, he's an engineer). Doing an interesting boat "tifano", might get a piccy of it tonight if you behave yourselves -----Bon----appetite mes Amis .

[jackiewilson]

So they're making Wayne Rooney captain of the England Squad----what's the big feckin deal then?
He' s the only one one not nearly senile or a teenager, in fact he's the pick of the dingleberries. Now get rid of the manager and bring in an English footballer on the brink of retiring who will bring a bit of flare and adventure to the national team. The team has done sweet F.A.since 1966 so whatever's done has to be an improvement.

Hamilton needs to stop bleating like a new born lamb---forget his colour and get his arse in gear and perform, he has the pedigree to do it----just do it.

had a good day in the shop today----long may it continue.

[Rotary John]

Can't believe the fuel gage reads in gallons instead of liters for an English made plane and gage. Must have been American flyboys in the pilot seat who would think a liter is what dogs have.