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Wow is the wind ever howling-----sun came up like thunder-----sky was red as a sore baby's bum that's sat in a Ferrari, all gone now and is overcast and threatening waiting for the juice.
Don't have a project in mind at the moment, but that don't mean a thing, will have to re-arrange the shop now I have a bit of space and then create a masterpiece. (Maybe).
God must have been drinking Guiness orCarlsberg in large quantities , seriously contemplated work on the Ark.
Dont want to get into it with Rich over a missile, was all a long time ago and I wouldn't bet the farm on my knowledge and memory.
catch up with you later.
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Told you the shops in chaos, 'twill be better once I get the dross moved out.
Was asked why I didn't want to go to Key West in November seeing as how it was only a week before the Old Farts and the rest of the clan would be down there. Simple really-----Jilly's birthday is on the 11th of the 11th-------last year I was in Tavares missing the said celebration, was told in no uncertain terms to better not miss it this year. Now I suffer from a rare disease, it's called "Scaredicatitus" and I can have the fear of God put up me on some occasions----------the 11th of November is one of 'em. That's the whole truth and nothing but etc, etc, etc, ------there's another 364 days to play------only ONE where I have to obey. Bottom line is I CANT PLAY BOATS ON THE 11 Th.
Its finally stopped raining. Tomorrow set fair, after that summers officially over.
Sam takes the trophies for shipping tomorrow , think it would be cheaper to just hire a Learjet for the week, but that's not on the wish list.
Thats it 'till morning, enjoy your bed, I will, MYGGWY J.
Day dawned nice-n-bright and the three foresters who come once a year to trim the hedges, prune the fruit trees and lop the deadwood arrived about 8am.
Borrowed one of their tall stepladders, clambered up on to the garage roof and proceeded to saw and lop all the overhanging branches, took about half an hour, struggled my way back down, put the ladder back then discovered I had lost My hearing aid SOMEWHERE.,!!
After some outstanding heated exchanges with her who cannot possibly be wrong and a solid hour searching for said device ----SHE walks out the house with the damned thing in her hand-------This what you're looking for Sweetie? Found it by your computer!!!
Ok peeps, have any of you been following the "MAGNUM MISSILE" thread in Outboard and Racing history? Been doing a bit of silent chuckling to myself-----even Stavros has missed the plot here.
There was a boat in the 66/67 Cowes Torquay race called "Maltese Magnum" -----did rather well if I remember rightly, then they went on to Toulon where I first met Billy Don PRUETT. There was a race in Isle -Des-Embiez with a bunch of all night partying. PRUETT went back to Italy with Ballesteros ---Aronow went back to Florida -----me myself went on to CASABLANCA to partake with a few other unknowns, now this is where the interesting bit comes in, there was an outfit racing there that looked a lot like a Torriggia to me-----the pilot was a a guy called Humph BO-Gart, mechanic was
Lorre Peters and the crew chief was a huge guy called Sid Greenstreet ----on closer inspection the boat turned out to be called "The Maltese Falcon"------whaddya think? Should I put this information on the Maltese Magnum Missile thread? Nah, I don't think so, I would probably get lynched at Tavares .
Well, that went down like a turd in a punchbowl, wasn't worth the effort, or you must have heard the story before. Won't even tell you the Casablanca race results . Will mention a few of the participants -------just those I remember
JC turned up with "Ring of Fire"------WS Holland was crew chief but had a tummy bug "Casablanca Crappers" is what the Moroccans called it.
DEANO M. was there with a stepped lay down Big Dee called AMORRE and a four pot Konig, crew chief a MR J Lewis and mechanic was a certain Foster Brooks. The boat was running pure alcohol and looked like he was a sure-fire winner but faded at the last.
Red Adair and J Wayne featured in the program somewhere, but my memories shot.
At the celebration dinner ( was always held at ricks place, same old Hoagy at the joanna) Prizes were presented by a blonde good looking kid, Lauren something or other---I forget.
Anyway, you don't want to hear any of these old boating tales----you all heard em a hundred times before. Restful and peaceful evening to you pilgrims, MYGGWY .J.
It rained all night and more besides, played about with a couple of carvings, if they turn up ok I'll post a piccie, if they don't I'll bin 'em.
S&F site's been down since I awoke and now it's time to rise and shine.
Good day in the shop, things went right for a change ---was happy with a couple of pieces I did, Just need three or four more coats of polish.
Did what I said I wouldn't -got involved with a couple of sites-----just leads to arguments and rows
I'm retired and happy----why rock the boat!!!
Hello again Jim, can't believe it's nearly off time again.Quote:
Originally Posted by OLEGATOR
Do you remember which Carniti it was you met? I would think it was Sergio, he was the active one, brilliant skier -----ran the motor works, Angelo Vassena was his ramrod.
1965 I brought one of those 14 foot tunnel boats back to England along with the most beautiful 15 foot V bottom and the 17 foot Tunnel. Put the little tunnel on top of the camper and the V bottom on the trailer with the big tunnel piggy backed.
Left the Torriggia factory in a blizzard which lasted all the way through the Alps, didn't stop till I reached Calais. Anyway back to the 14' tunnel, bought it because it was so pretty, it looked like a small RIVA all wood and see through varnish.
Put a 500 Mercury on it and entered it in a club race at Iver ( London club) it ran like on rails but a good 15' Bristol was a shade quicker, when the water roughed up and the wind started to blow it left the Vee bottoms for dead.
Was very short of cash at that time and sold it to Mike Rose up in Lincoln -----sold the V bottom to Freddie Miles------he ran it all over Europe with a 55Carniti and won every time out.
Sold the 17' tunnel to a guy who let me race it a couple of times both at home and abroad, again it just had the legs on a 16' Levi, but could run the slop much better, I never ever could get more than 62 out of it, no matter what I tried-------any old prop would touch 60 all day long, was only after working with Rolla I managed 62.
Jerimiah Cetti and Sergio Carniti were very close friends so I imagine the boats he told you about were Torriggias.
Thats your lot for tonight MYGGWY.J.
Jim, Welch has all the pictures of the 3 boats.
Just read through your questions Jim, Carniti built sewing machines before they built outboards, Sergio raced hydro's and built very competitive race engines, he must have come across Angelo who also raced hydro's.
Factory was in Oggiono, my eldest daughter Sandra lived there for a couple of years, husband Steve worked for BOOTSY for a couple of years.
Went and did it again ----got involved with Rich Luhrs in tunnel design discussions, am I nuts or what-----I know nothing about design-----only what works and what don't,.
Chucking it down and it's the car boot sale . DAMN AND BLAST IT.
Didnt every boat designer start as an artist?Quote:
Originally Posted by jackiewilson
Hodges was the builder with the pencil, wonderful craftsman, wouldn't listen most of the time but was a true carpenter, joiner, boatbuilder and designer. Was him that said " the eye is the most accurate of all measuring devices", to illustrate the fact he would stand you ten feet either in front or behind one of his boats, kneel down and say "look down that deck/gunwale / line, perfect ain't it, not a machine known to man that could measure that". Was before computer images.Quote:
Originally Posted by powerabout
ALL tunnel boat builders flew by the seat of their pants, if they were pilots like ,Scotti, Molinari, Seebold and Velden, they could raid their own brains, if they were like Hodges, Burgess etc. They had to rely on what they were told.
Typical of this is an example. I can give you, when Seebold extended the tunnel by a couple of feet beyond the sponsons, I said "Billy what are the after planes for, what good do they do" his reply was pure boatbuilder--------"Damned if I know Jackie, but they must do something".
That just about sums up tunnel boat development, hit and miss, find the C of G and take it from there, cardinal rules were no rocks or hooks, keep it honest. But that was back then, any of the new school will tell you -------in the old days, they didn't have the technology.
Well, I have to say from where I'm standing, it don't look like the new breed travelled very far in the last forty years.
C'mon wheelman where are you when I need you, PRUETT would have even been in my corner on this one. If your gonna take on T2x you need friends . ,!!
Gave most of my old boating pics to WILLABEE many years ago, he's a serious power boat historian, I just thought they would help with some of the European side of the sport. I only know my side of the story, Welch can put the jigsaw together, good example of that is on the "Magnum Missile" site, he just says it with pictures.
Never really thought the Magnum was a Torriggia in drag, although she was the best looker on the circuit ( the Torriggia I mean).
Jim, just before I let the 14' Torriggia go, just for fun, hung a 65 Konig on the back, changed the boat completely ------produced the fastest E class in the world, but it was a totally uncontrolable animal, it wouldn't set in corners, it just slid sideways and would float like a butterfly, even on the straight, upwind and downwind.
Bear in mind there was no power trim in those days, just holes in the tilt and wedges for height adjustment.I had already been paid for the boat so dare not bend it.
Was so impressed I got Dieter (Shultze) to build me a 15' tunnel for the Konig. Went to Salzburg, brought the boat back to England but could not get hold of a Konig for six weeks. Did have a brand fire new 1000BP, so I stuck that on the back, Bob Spalding ---Don Ross and meself took the boat to the Milan six hours on the Idroscala,actually saw 78 mph on the Keller but settled for a wheel that ran 72 mph all race long. But that's history and another different story entirely. G'night MYGGWY. J.
Absolutely spot on Jim, why can't I come out with little pearls of wisdom like that, I just get mad and ramble most of the time. But like you, I never saw a Shulze that looked ANYTHING like a magnum, but I didn't get to Havasu 'till 69.Quote:
Originally Posted by OLEGATOR
I don't Argue any more Jim, I only discuss, until I'm proved wrong, then I have a row, I believe it's called "Curmudgeoning" and it's my God given right!!!
Really looking forward to seeing you and Kenny in Tavares .
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Just to to show I have not been sat on my bum all day for the last couple weeks, first pic is a lump of Holly that I fiddle farted about with, 2nd is a couple of bits of acacia I fart fiddled with.
Sam came down with a trophy she wanted me to put a base on----in the end I did a double decker.
Here ya go ..... againQuote:
Originally Posted by jackiewilson
Now you've been an gone an done it William, every picture tells a story and considering the first one is over fifty years ago, I can remember damn near every detail of that race, reason being the boat behind me is the great John Merryfield with Jack Mountford as crew, kept him behind until the last turn when he switched to the outside, never forgot that move and it stood me in good stead over the years.
My boat was a blue fin built by Ron Walbold and I had the Merc set up about right, my crew man was a "Dancer" called LUCKY ENGLAND, he would chuck his body overboard at the turn and we had cornering down to a fine art. Was vital you had a good crew man, I sacked him after the race and took on a guy who stayed with me until we went to single sweaters two or three years later, that was Graham Burton, he was just 16 and was the best crewman ever.
Boat Merryfield is driving is a Hal Kelly design he had " Wobbly" build for him, it was quick so I bought it off him.
Merryfield also ran a Prout Catamaran with twin 35 hp Mercs on the back in the 1962 Boatbuilders trials, it did not impress.
He then got Sonny Levi to design the 16' Levi, one of the most successful V bottoms of all time, him and Len Melly went on to win the 1963 Paris six hours-----the last time a v bottom won anything.
Teas ready, gotta go, more later.
Middle picture was taken the morning after I arrived back from Italy with the three Torriggias.
I had no money at that time and the guy who financed it was an East Ender called " Trout ," a real London character-----I never made a red cent out of any of the boats-----but I still have both kneecaps, sailed a bit too close to the wind with that one.
The camper van was a Morris J. Took the engine and gearbox out of a hot MGB and stitched it into the van, gearshift was 6' long and went clean through the bulkhead, had overdrive on all four forward gears AND on reverse.
Took the sideboard out of the lounge (was a wedding present) fitted it over the wheel arch and installed the hob in the top-----voila, we had our very first camper van. That van went like sh-t off'n a Teflon coated shovel, I had eight gears for towing the boat, problem was 10mpg when you hustled. Just cruised at a steady fifty all the way back from Italy , all the passes were snowed in including the Gothard, had to take the coast road via Monte Carlo, Nice, hung a right at Marseilles , got around 27 mpg for the 1500 mile trip .
Third piccy is just off the coast in Antibes during the MYCCDA week of boat racing, broke a prop shaft , Velden ran me half way round the world trying to find a replacement.
Its 11-30 and high time I was zuzzing, MYGGWY . J.
Thanks Bill for posting those old pictures, time sure flies when your having fun, not possible that was fifty years ago.
Guess I always have to get a dollar ten out of every day, times that by 365 and then by fifty and you got a whole load of living and loving goin on.
No, I wouldn't swop my life for anybody else's , when the owl calls my name and collects, I can tell him about all the things I did along the way, the places I've been, the adventures I had ( and am still having) but more important, the people I met and the friends I made.
It's chucking it down out there, got a cup of tea in my hand Jilly brought up, the I pad in my lap, and all my friends I can reach in milli seconds, as Satchmo said "WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD".
Y'all have a great day, J.
Sod my old britches Pilgrim, you ain't nothing but an old " SCHMALTZ" and you and I know I am not referring to chicken grease! Tch-Tch-tch------gave me a great weekend chuckle!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by powerabout
I thought it was louis armstrongs cousin
( more likely to be related to marlon brando lol)
Man-o-Man that is one huckin fuge fother mucker, guess you would want him on your side in a bundle!! Still wouldn't walk down the street next to him with that nancy voice though .
Might get to test the vocal chords with Jim and Kenny ( the southern singing sisters of swing), trouble is, I only do Satchmo and have to be well and truly pissed before I go there.
WILLABEE turned up trumps again, as he always does, would be nice to see him in Tavares .
Will miss old ROTORY John, have to sit quiet when he's around, I can easily get out of my depth with him (he's got the Education, I just got the mouth!!
Speaking of mouth, anybody heard what Walt Yarborough ( Mouth of the South) is up to these days?------last time I saw him he was 200' in the air dangling from a parachute, being towed by a boat up at the lake of the Ozarks.
We had dinner at the Seebolds and Lynn made sloppy Joes and lost a falsie nail in the mix, guess who found it? As DEANO used to say. MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS ,!!!!!!!
Please don't quote me on this, but I thought I read somewhere that Walt has passed on - perhaps someone here has more information.
Could well be, but the last I heard his son was doing some commentating , was two or three years back, that old bugger with the hoodie and scythe seems to do a lot more calling than he used to.
I would say that pride and principles have no place in formula 1, there is only one reason to race anywhere-----"HARD CASH" The F1 circus is in danger of imploding, when Ecclestone and Putin can strike a deal while the Ukraine is still being invaded defies belief. Bernie gets to be a Billionaire and most of the drivers have bank balances in excess of a hundred million POUNDS STERLING , for that kind of dinero most would sell their souls. ( just my opinion).
Got a dozen of my neighbours coming for a Sunday lunch time buffet tomorrow, Jilly's been beavering away in the kitchen all day so I stayed out in the workshop pretending to be busy.
I know my place!
Just a month tomorrow and I leave for Tavares ----the old farts will no doubt turn up for the golf tourney in the 13 th november, just wonder how many will turn up on the 14th?
Knackered as usual so fond farewells and salutations, MYGGWY.J.
Sorry for no postee today folks, didn't even get to see the Putin GP, somebody mentioned Lewis won, but it was mostly a procession with rubber lasting the whole race, BORING.
WAS UP CRACK- o - sparrer as Madame wanted fresh bread and the Sunday telegraph , she was making pies, and salads and coleslaw -----meat pies--a whole salmon----coronation chicken ----blackberry and apple crumble-----chocky mousse ----quiches, wines from all points global, Australia, New Zealand , Napa Valley , and even France with a Graham's port for the dozen cheeses.
Anybody would think we were feeding the five thousand instead of just a dozen neighbours.
Must have been a success, they came at 12 and left at 5-30, I ran four of them back home, was belting down, the trip was every bit of the whole ninety yards.
Guess what I'm eating every day for the next week.
Good news is I actually sold one of my boat pieces, the one with the triple spinnaker and see through sail (R/J said I should make the sails balance) .
Did cost me a dozen bottles of wine, he was well hammered when he made the offer.
Have to tell you about the young mother with the three unruly kids that I bumped into in Sainsburys this morning -----that's like an English PUBLIX, they were running wild and she was chasing and hollering. "If you don't behave yourself and get back here right now---- you are definitely DEAD"
i just said---you wanna sell me the boy for a tenner----she came straight back at me with "Mister, if you got twenty five you can have all three and I'll throw in the buggy"------I damn near ran out the store?---me and my mouth, could you imagine what the kitchen contessa would have said?
Me done for the night,MYGGWY,J.
Monday, Monday, just love that day, another week gone by as we rush down the HELTER skelter of life, seems like only yesterday we were bathed in sunshine in a never ending summer!!!
Got no response from anyone about Walt Yarborough , Seebold was always pretty close to him, I'll maybe give him a call, we swop emails most days, the way old friends do.
Was really good to have my neighbours round for the afternoon, makes me realise how lucky we are to have so many friends.
Seebold sent me an email this morning on his Bristol interviews by " fast on water." You should take a peek ------Very Interesting.
Had a nice quiet day in the shop, started the day with a sharp up and a clean up, changed the bandsaw blade and cut some hardwood up for Jilly's Rose tower she wants me to make. Trouble is, all she has to do is look on line for what she likes, print off a picture-----"bet you can't make me one like that can you MR. Smartypants"------that's usually enough to light the blue touch.
Even Murphy raises his right paw to hide his huge grin before sneaking off into the undergrowth .
Just looked at Oscar P's defence saying he should do 3years house arrest and 16 hours community service per month !!! C'mon guys let's be fair he only pumped FOUR bullets into his girl friend, already found not guilty of murder-----only manslaughter and is of course totally devasted-----a broken man-----don't you think four hours a week community is a little harsh, he needs to get back into training so can earn shed loads of krugerrand and buy some more shooters!!
The bugger looks like he's going to get off scot free unless her dad accidentally let's off his elephant gun as he comes out of court.
Every assassin in the world will be queuing up for a SouthAfrican visa to plead not guilty.
I hoped there would be some sort of justice in S/A-------but it don't look much like it tonight.
Now we know why they delayed sentencing for three weeks!!
Rain still dissing Pown , really steady hour after hour, so the ground should be soaking it up and not just running off and flooding.
have a good nights sleep and MYGGWY . J.
Just a little snippet for the colonials-------Mercedes paid the 700 folks who are involved in the F1 race team, £10,000 bonus each, because they won the constructors championship.
World champion F1 driver used to be worth around £50,000,000, God only knows what it's worth this year----------I could bump a few out of the way for that sort of gelt .
I wonder what the extra speed of the Merc F1 cost Mercedes re what Red bull pay.
Germans have a habit of destroying racing classes by upping the anti too far
700 on the team, they must be getting close to 750million a year costs....
Can you buy a turbo Merc v6 with Kers?
Toyotas, poor result cost then north of $400m
Honda coming back to the table next year, bet a pound to a pincha they won't come empty handed, Ross Brawn been unemployed all year------now if you can get Adrian Newey you have the makings.?????
My guess is they retire or do something else
Engine is cheaper to run this year so maybe honda can now afford it?
Sorry I did not get back to you pilgrim, may not seem like it sometimes but I do have a life outside Scream & Fly and the bloody workshop.Quote:
Originally Posted by powerabout
Yesterday was private time.
Figure it's near enough Tavares time so won't bother Billy until then (about Walt. Yarborough ).
Finished the mahogany rose climbing tower----nothing special, just functional, damn thing will be covered in roses inside two years and nobody will give a flying fart about what's holding 'em up there anyway.
Will post a piccie of the punitive effort, it's not open for comment!!!
Back to normal (for me anyway) tomorrow -------car boot sale at the Ford airfield, bought sod all the last couple of times, still feverishly foraging for a decent spot welder, remember a time they were like poppies in a Flanders field, you couldn't give 'em away ------today they're rare as rocking horse sh-t. You happen to have one at a decent price, bring it Tavares .
Attachment 307986
Here's the promised piccie of the climbing rose frame cobbled together out of firewood that had a thousand nails embedded in it, just in for tea and pills, ------used to be tea and biscuits or a slice of Victoria sponge -------those days are long gone, it's now ----here's your medics and a mug , or tea and ticker fodder.
Gotta go ----welding up the dunces cap for the climber, stainless of course!,,
Made a right pigs ear of the dunces cap for the Rose climber, won't be posting pics, it now adorns the scrap bin. Worst part of it is, no matter what I tried, nothing worked. I'm using pure argon with the tig machine but it didn't come together-----shut the shop early and had a stiff one!
Have you seen that humongous floating island-----it's named OASIS OF THE SEAS, cost eight hundred million pounds carries nearly six thousand passengers and three thousand crew, beam is wider than a seven two seven wingspan-----must be like going to Billy Butlins holiday camp back in the fifties, taking a trip on oasis.
They sure are dragging the verdict out in dear old oscars P/s trial------this was supposed to be just the sentence -----guilty as charged or maybe just a bit guilty or maybe a bit innocent, Disney could not have conceived a plot as far fetched as this one. All bets are off on this one.
Four weeks tomorrow and the show begins in Tavares, if you ever even dreamed of boats then take a trip to lake Dora, if you want to talk to some real legends, they will be there, if you just want to take a swing at me for something I said, I'll be there, but I'm bringing my own bodyguard in the shape of youngest daughter Sam, ( Rottweiler )
Sandmans knocking, MYGGWY.J.
cant wait for a cruise ship to get ebola on board...
Jackie:
The Luhrs/Hinsdale TDO (Those Damn Outboards) team is bringing a motor home, 4 boats, 4 Rottweilers, 2 Russell Terriers.....and 2 sets of Golf Clubs...... We definitely have your back.