Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 We attended the nameing ceremoney of Haylings new lifeboat. It was paid for by a lady who has bought the last three. This one is named after her late husband.The tractor unit is a County . The new building cost 1.8 mil i think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rlangham Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Nice photos, those new Atlantic 85's are superb boats. The County's were/are used by the armed forces too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Nice photos, those new Atlantic 85's are superb boats. The County's were/are used by the armed forces too :tup:: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
younggun Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 nice pics CW thanks for posting :thumbsup: and for any sad gits who are intrested in the tractor ther is http://www.claytonengineering.co.uk/index.php?page=launch :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 A very educational link , thanks for posting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Right i'm going to highjack this thread!! It's about the life boat tractor you see... I worked in a boatyard where the whole tractor consept was dreamed up. Many years ago they had a problem launching small yatchs on a very flat beach. so a boat owner came up with a plan and designed a tractor with a hull round it. I think his name was Mike Bigley? Anyway the first one was not too good as it was a bit wide and floated out to sea on the first attempt so the mark 2 was made and fitted eith a propeller. It is based on a fordson major tractor and i had the pleasure of rebuilding it a couple of years ago. They offerd the design to the military as an amfibious tractor but nothing came of it so they went to the life boat guys and they said it was just what they were looking for but could you make one 4 wheel drive. And there you have it the county was modified. the rest is history. This tractor is still in service today after 30 years when they were looking to replace it, the lifboat guys said it would cost about £60000 for an ex lifeboat county. When we asked how much our fordson was worth they said it was priceless so we asked if they wanted to buy it....they said no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Thanks for that any more pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 More pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 And more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Yet more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Fantastic,have a bigger 3 blade prop if you need it.:rofl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Yes it really does float!! Shes not quite off the bottom there as she was leaking a bit after the rebuild. I took her out to sea about 400 yards but she sits REALLY low in the water made about 2 or 3 knots at a fast tick over any faster and it just cavitated. It did have a steering arangement on the prop but it got slurped into it. it will turn using the front wheels. I have got some vidio footage of the firts test after we rebuilt her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 It really is heavy and a pig to move round!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 More stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Did i mension i think this is the only floating Fordson in the world!! And possibly the most photographed tractor in the world. People just stare as it potters out to sea!:shocked: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Want one..........now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Offer enough money they might sell it!! £__000!!! They have got rid of all the yatchs now so it's a bit redundent just take it out for novelty value now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Is that Abersoch Rob? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 More stuff Sorry to open old wounds Rob but is everything in your part of the world named J---y ? :-D Great tractor by the way I think top gear would be keen to see the video footage as well as me ! :bow::bow::bow::bow: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Thats my mates boat, He used to to fishing trips and seal spotting trips. Yes it is in abersoch and it has been in a couple of vintage tractor mags too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Something went wrong... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Someone let me know if that worked cos my computer won't play them for some reason:??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowtracdave Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Yep - it works fine . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Great fun Robert, thanks for posting that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 God i sound like a right bobbin on that vidio. You have to shout as loud as you can over the din a tractor in a tin box makes:shake: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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