Rob, I don't suppose any modern designers would produce such a book today, giving away "trade secrets" to potential rivals!.....Phill
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Rob, I don't suppose any modern designers would produce such a book today, giving away "trade secrets" to potential rivals!.....Phill
Nothing smart or secret in dwell angles Phill, it was in every workshop manual Mercury ever produced, long before the age of the computer.Quote:
Originally Posted by ron54
Shakey Bill and John Merryfield were fanatical rivals, did not even speak to each other.
Terry Patch was Shakeys mechanic --Jack Mountford was Merryfields spanner man,
Both were Mercury dealers---both were boatbuilders.
Merryfield had a Buggatti as a hobby-----Shakey had the Aston Martin that Lol Hopkins tucked him up with. Lol never did a straight deal in his life, he was bent as an eleven sided threepenny bit, and yes I told him that to his face.
Went round to Steves this morning and put the deck back on the mower, fired it up and everything works jest fine JR.
Sister Jan still quite poorly and still in hospital, sent me a one line text "feeling better, when will they let me out". Should know more on Monday .
We got the bank holiday LAMB ROAST tomorrow -----a pair of lambs--double decked over a massive pit for five hours, send you the piccies tomorrow night.
A couple of shots of "the graveyard, really the swim pool room, but now only used as a store room.
Must be fifty pieces chucked in here, ( for safe keeping ), happy bank holiday to one and all, MYGGWY .J.
Hamilton dropped a clanger with cold brakes but he's an animal at spa and the better driver so he should get a result today.
should be a great race bet hamilton is in the lead by the end of lap 1. Jackie your pool room looks like tutankhamuns ante room with all
his treasure piled up :smiletest:.
I like Bills book it's the same as Francis Chichesters gypsy moth circles the world you can pick it up open it at any page and it hooks you
within ten words keep meaning to get hold of Tim Biirkins book on the racing bentleys last read that at about twelve years old.
The Berkins Bentley was at Southwater Garage when I bought it ----was owned then by Bill Short who was Bentley race team manager in 1938.
You wanna know what this old racer was up to on bank holiday Sunday -----well, I went to a lamb roast next door to my friend and neighbour Steve's.
will post a couple of piccies now and tell you about it later---see how the day pans out.
Attachment 304477Steve next door has blackberries as big as plums-----in five minutes I picked enough for a pie that fed fifty folk------why the hell I should even mention this beggars belief.
My sister is home after having a thyroid removal, surgeon thinks he got everything, but I've heard that song before.
Was going to my son in laws place for a family Bar-B-Q. Tomorrow but the forecast is dire----rain from 4am to infinity and heavy stuff to boot.
Sam was supposed to come and collect her trophy but that's not going to happen, so I may deliver it to her ----it's not much further to her place, see what transpires.
Had a great time today, started the fire around 9-30 am and kept it stoked until 2pm----lambs were cooked to perfection----company was excellent------weather perfect-----partied until 5 but I was nodding by then, the heat and alcohol started to get to me. Came home for forty winks and never did make it back.
Final day of the last bank holiday before Christmas tomorrow ----but we got a whiskey trail to do in Scotland and the old farts before that. Let's just see what tomorrow brings. Y'all get a good nights sleep,MYGGWY .J.
Him upstairs certainly emptied the bucket on us today, heavy rainstorms all night and now it's settled to a steady downpour. Seemed it was always like this on bank holiday Monday when I was racing in the 50/60/70s, used to take the tent up to Iver on a Thursday night-----Friday was the fun day and we usually had a national event on the Saturday, with racers from all corners of the UK coming to participate.
Late on Saturday night we would travel to Fairford for one of their top nationals ( Champion of Champions etc,) . Then all trundle up to Chasewater for another National or an Anglo French match and you could guarantee it would piddle down all day, just like today. The kids loved Chase, it had a go cart track and swings and slides and roundabouts and thousands of people, I wonder what it's like today?
. Hi Jackie called there last year the go cart track has a motorway running through it and the large field we used to park on has all but gone.The small railway track is still there and the race circuit is just the same.The last time I was there was in 1985 I met up with Alfie and Andy Bullen they were testing a new Burgess boat with a V8 Johnson Andy was now the driver Alfie was around 54 yrs old by now must have been 1 yr older than you?Quote:
Originally Posted by jackiewilson
. Just trying to tweek your memory hear Jackie was it Quentin Van Marl just a guess? Someone else's name you could never remember was my old friend from the Fairford club his name was Pete Bolton he had a handlebar moustache he was the race starter for all the Bristol races if you watch on You Tube he is the one that drops the flag?Quote:
Originally Posted by jackiewilson
. Here again Jackie how come my old friend Lol Hopkins always gets a rough ride from you he was a good customer of yours' he was a let's say colourful character but so was Wicked Alf Bullen.Well Jackie think this one out both these drivers I drove with in many international races both heavyweights when I drove with Lol Hopkins he was around 235ibs over 6ft I was 170lbs well under 6ft and this was a time before power trim and I have a story to tell.Lol went over to Brugge in Belgium OMCs racing division to have his engine sorted they finished all the work then they always had their top engine technition to drive the boats to record speeds and propellers he was Dutch called him Jhan .I always thought this strange as he never raced boats well this was his last time he put himself in hospital and they had to recover Lols boat off the bottom of the canal.The next race for this boat was at Covenham the home of the Grimsby and Cleethorpes boat club run by your old friend Ron Burchell.I am not sure but you may have been racing in this race Jackie in the little black Molinari I can tell you it was the first race Tom Percival ran a Twister engine on a Abbate cat Bob Spalding was there with his black Milesmaster(Bob Cat) .Lols oufit was going ok he finished 3rd or 4th.He said its running good would you like to try it out so off I went boy did it accelerate but halfway down the straight I had to back off 'now this technition they had testing this boat in Belgium was 20 lbs lighter than me so he was toast.The very next year everybody had power trim?Quote:
Originally Posted by jackiewilson
. I new Terry Patch very well ' after he left working for Bill Shakespeare he worked for Marine Sales Taunton for many years used to travel to Europe with him and the racing team?He then started his own business a few yrs later?Quote:
Originally Posted by robert j garner
Yup that's the dingleberry------waste of a good skin he was. How the hell he ever got to be editor of powerboat I will never know. He wanted me to do the "Baja" race down in Mexico with him, told him things weren't THAT tough------the boat is still down there, don't know if he's still with !!Quote:
Originally Posted by 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.Quote:
Originally Posted by STEVERINO
think Terry's son took over the business sure it was called Outboard sevices, don't know about marine sales but there are still
a lot of engines around with DB marine on them so i presume that's dave brockington.
C'mon Steve, stop pretending, Lol was a "wannabe" villain-----Alfie already was, now he was always fair -----Dodgy, but fair, he never did me a bad deal but there were plenty people looking for Alf.
Lol used to play away from home a lot, Carol his wife was always very tolerant of his antics, until he buggered off and shacked up with a girl barely out of school.
He never bought an engine from me out in the open, always had to be under a viaduct or in the middle of a field, he never knew what a cheque was or a bankers draft. He always paid cash pulled out of his boots or the spare tyre compartment. I've seen him come up £50 short on a deal and he would search under the carpet and in the ash tray, but he would always come up with the money.
Character he was----boat racer? You know the answer as well as I do Steve, did tell you OMC did scrape the bottom of the barrel.
The very first "power trim" I ever saw was on Deiter Shultzes boat at the Idroscala in Milan, that was a mighty step for mankind------so big a step that Renato went mental and had the Italian Federation pull the electrics and make sure the motor was tied down in one position.
Bob Spalding and I were running the tiny Schultze with a 1000 BP and had the legs on everyone, it did get a bit hairy halfway to the top turn where the wind used to whistle across ways from the canal. I had four trim units in the shop by the following week, everyone wanted one.
Been raining nonstop for 20 hours with no sign of a let up, and a forecast that says it's here for a week. No workshop today, tomorrow, out to lunch at Brighton Marina then Thursday we got a funeral to go to----might get in there on Friday ,unless somebody else pops their clogs between now and then.
Sam came and collected her "Hole in One" trophy------think she was reasonably impressed------might have earned meself a few brownie points there.
Bank holiday all over 'till next year-----should be back to normal before long, will keep you in the loop as to what tricks this old boat racer gets up to, sleep well, MYGGWY J.
Just talked to Mark, he told me Craig never did get to run the boat at Pensacola ----did not even get the boat launched----the crane could not take the weight----pity, or maybe a blessing after seeing the "OUTER LIMITS"disaster.
Totally OBSCENE, awesome doesn't do it justice, outrageous and incredible, I never thought I would live to see the day an offshore race boat would top -------251 MPH -----well QATAR just did-----average speed was 244 mph-----251 before he shut down.
Think the throttle man might be Steve Curtis---- Clive's kid, he grew up around Hodges and James beard, him and Mark are around the same age . Think Steve has seven or maybe more world titles to his name. One hell of a performance-----time to rethink safety cells and capsules----you won't walk away from a shunt at 250 mph-----that's hurt speed.
rumoured to have a pair of 5,000 HP motors in a boat that weighs just 11,000 lbs, that is nearly one HP per lb.
humondigenous or what?
Time to rise and shine and make hay and use the day, enjoy yours too, j.
Nice but i would call them lake boats these days
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by 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.
Surely that's a bit like calling an F1 a canoe-----maybe so!!Quote:
Originally Posted by powerabout
The excuse is we need to be close to the shore to make the spectators happy.
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.
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.
Just goodnight and God Bless tonight if you don't mind people. J.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"Boyhood" should read -----BOTH -----bloody silly predicted text, -------about time Gates got his act together and sorted it.
Attachment 304845Attachment 304846Attachment 304847Attachment 304848
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 .
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.
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.
We had gallons, quarts, pints and gills until Brussels reared it's ugly head and demanded England had to go metric sometime in the mid 90/s I believe Johno. This was a licence to legalise inflation and confuse all those over 60-----even today older citizens refuse to accept the metric system.
If you buy a "Stanley" tape measure today, it still has feet and inches marked alongside the centimetres. In cooking most recipes are in pounds and ounces. Johno, if you can avoid it, do not get sucked into the metric system, I never had any problems with pounds shillings and pence or feet and inches, it was one of those big brother knows best situations, ,"COME TO HEEL ,DOG".
Hells teeth Johno we can't even agree how to spell guage, the way you spell it (gage) is a gauntlet challenge or a green plum ! Not to worry my boy, I shall endeavour to guide you through the mire of the English language which you colonials have mercilessly mutilated through the ages.
Attachment 304863Attachment 304865Attachment 304867
This is is the latest bit of nonsense ----comes out of some of the acacia wood rescued from Steves
Bar-B-Q. Nothing clever about this----just a general concept of a shape with a coat of polish. If you have to ask what it is I'm afraid I can't help you, let's just sat it's a TIFINO.
Once I get into the shop, I select a lump of wood and a bit of stainless and fiddlefart 'till something takes shape, it's very rare that I bin a piece, though the kitchen goddess would disagree on most of the stuff. That's why the pool rooms full of stuff I cobbled together over the years.
All the time I'm on my own things go along jest fine, then someone calls and wants something done and the train of thought stops and lots of the little grey cells take a hike, then I can dump the piece and start another, calling on other little grey cells.
Got a free weekend, staying home, kids go back to school next week.
Pretty soon have to think about looking for deals to Orlando, then chase those damn no good golfers to try and squeeze the entry fee out of em. Enough of all this for today time for bysie, MYGGWY , J.
Another day and God is taking a leak again-----chucking it down, her lying next to me has just reminded me she's doing a haircut and beard trim on me this morning, so to forget the car boot sale------it's not going to happen.
Jilly and her friend Allison went to the Chichester Festival Theatre last night to see GUYS AND DOLLS, said it was a wonderful production ------told her it would never match Brando and Stubby Kay's version, she was quite amazed when I sang the songs and narrated the story line to her this morning as she was sipping the tea I made her. Boy, am I ever good to that woman !!!!! She has no idea of how lucky she is. ,!!!!
Well, well, well, new Dutch manager, seven new signings and a couple hundred mill gone down the tube-------played three bottom of the league clubs, two points----kicked out of the cup by a village club with ambition (MK Dons)-----maybe £ 250,000 per week ( minimum ) is a tad high for the sort of tosh being dished out by the once proud, but now wallowing in the depths of no hope land----MANCHESTER UNITED. As my sainted mother used to say " EITHER PISS OR GET OFF'N THE POT" -----me myself wouldn't pay them in penny washers, or switch the telly on to watch 'em. "LOSERS"
They used to be the only club in England to watch for me, now I would sooner watch Southwater reserves, at least they still have passion and belief which is something Man. U. Lost along the way.