AndyFowler Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I thought you were combining a boat ride with the duties of an engine test mechanic Andy! Please ignore all the scribble then. I was all envious there for a moment! Can you explain your latest avatar? Looks like something in grey primer but can't see where it would fit on an Explorer..... Oh heck it's the jib isn't it!!! Stop pulling my leg mate ! I am going as fast as I can ! :-D From what CW has told me I would more likely have been on fire watch in that wizards couldron of an engine room and with him on the throttles ! :shake: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 How is your model that much faster then CW ? Did different users specify smaller engines and if so who where these users ? Where the others the same hulls ? Or are you just more of a lead foot ?:-D The History is ,The Design of the Hull is by Cmdr Peter Thorneycroft he joined forces with a small boat builders called Kieth Nelson,the name is a combo of the two sir names of the owners .They tried a shape on a smaller wooden boat which went slightly wrong in the build.The sea trials were so promising that they percevered till we ended up with the classic Nelson shape.The first Nelson 40 peter owned was called Grand Espoir.At the time of build they were making Gunboats for the abbu dabbi defence force.They made three 70ft vessels and two 40ft hulls.one of which is mine.The engines were the Cats ,3 in the 70 ft and 2 in the 40s.To advertise the boats Peter raced Grand Espoir which also had the Cats, in the Round the channell island race in 1968.He used these races as reliability trials as he would of been the biggest and slowest boat in these races.Luckly for him it blew up force 7 and most boats struggled to finish,so he won.A resident on the island was so impressed he had to have the boat and bought it there and then.Peter now pulled the hull that became Horatia of the line and used that to demonstrate to the MOD etc .First as a High speed rescue launch.He then heard of the First round britain race to be run so entered that, again for reliability trials,Again probably the slowest boat.Out of a fleet of 40 boats he managed to come 16th.after taking a maximum time after he fell of a wave and an engine mounting broke on one leg.later proved to of been fractured probably when unloading at the docks..One of the 70ft g/boats was entered and came 17th.Grand Espoir entered by its new owner came 13th. The result of all this success was a contract with Trinity House who run the pilot services.As well as other boats going to French/Dutch pilots and rescue services.The thames police had lots of smaller boats on similer lines.Vosper Thorneycroft eventually took over Kieth Nelsons.Horatia was in the deal.There is little evidence of what she got up to after that but trialls of various electronics etc is very obvious ,and some time spent in Northern ireland,maybe on gun running intercept.I have spoken to some of the old boys from vospers who remember night sight testing etc.i have also met some of the people who built her ,they are all getting on a bit now,one in particular who still lives in Bembridge who had very dodgy joints clambered over all the other boats to get to her and was nearly in tears,he never thought he would see her again.She dissapeard for many years untill vospers decided to sell the works at Southampton,Which is roughly where i came in.The boat is today exactly as it was made in 1968. Grand espoir is still alive i believe in spain,i viewed it when it was up for sale but the engines had gone and it had been messed about with so much its character had gone.So Horatia is the last original one left. Horatia was the iligitamate daughter of Horatio Nelson by Lady Hamilton. All the boats that followed had mainly Cummins V8 185hp,they trialled at about twenty knots,but after Trinity House had finished with them they were slower than that.most of the leisure boats that came later were also fitted with smaller engines.Some of the latest boats have speeds up to 28knts about a 1000hp.I think the main difference with these old engines is the shere grunt that means the speed can be maintained at higher speeds.I personally feel the boat has to be doing at least 15 knts before the hull shape comes into its own.and above 20 knts to really apreciate what a clever man he was.:sweat: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 From what CW has told me I would more likely have been on fire watch in that wizards couldron of an engine room and with him on the throttles ! :shake: NOS his time is coming soon. :whistle::captain::help::evil: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Thank you CW ! A full and informative answer as always ! Truly a wonderful craft ! Thank you for all the time you have put in on the forum sharing it with us land lubbers ! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Your Welcome mate put some more video on later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Looking forward to that mate ! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Well Deryck it was before the engine rebuild the 1st time so we had low compression on 4 pots,about 32 knts 0.75 of a mile to the gallon at max revs.We also had a race round the island one year ,i can cobble up some video of that if you like,still got more from the quarry.and AWDC to comebetter retire now so much to do work gets in the way.:-D Yes, retire now, you say work is a bit slow, rent the whole place to Lord Burley and he can fill it up with rubb... er restoration projects:idea: result everybody happy.:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 NOS his time is coming soon. :whistle::captain::help::evil: I'm sure up for that! I'd love to catch some mackerel at top speed :banana: Only NOW do you give us the whole story - not that we weren't interested before, but it sort of brings the old girl to life in a way :thumbsup: I might have missed it, but did you ever tell us what type of hull construction she is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Yes, retire now, you say work is a bit slow, rent the whole place to Lord Burley and he can fill it up with rubb... er restoration projects:idea: result everybody happy.:-D :rofl::rofl::rofl: good idea ,mind you the way Nicks going he will need more room soon.The good idea about renting the back out,well he is only £900 in areas gone mini cabbing.:argh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I'm sure up for that! I'd love to catch some mackerel at top speed :banana: Only NOW do you give us the whole story - not that we weren't interested before, but it sort of brings the old girl to life in a way :thumbsup: I might have missed it, but did you ever tell us what type of hull construction she is? I think i might of done in bits and pieces.When it was built the Hull was early Glass reinforced plastic.Because it was early days they used wooden build methods,lots of frames and braces.the bottom is 1 1/4inch thick. Peter was the first one to put a Diesel in a fibre glass boat,they all laughed and said it would shake apart but it didnt.The super structure is wood ,later it was GRP.The owner of Grand Espoir in later days was a Cmdr Agar he was the navigator on Horatia and his grandfather was the first person to sink a warship of a foreign power with an MTB. These people had friends who were war time buddys such as Tomy Sopworth.Peter Du Cane another brilliant engineer who worked for vospers.The Thorneycroft boat building side started on the Thames which is where the first MTBs were built.:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 :rofl::rofl::rofl: good idea ,mind you the way Nicks going he will need more room soon.The good idea about renting the back out,well he is only £900 in areas gone mini cabbing.:argh: I think that's what's known as 'Oh s..t'. Never mind, seemed like a good idea at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I think that's what's known as 'Oh s..t'. Never mind, seemed like a good idea at the time. Well you just have to shrug your shoulders nowadays ,not entirely his fault,sad thing is i sold both my bikes to make room for him and the s1 lives outside.:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 More trialls tomorrow weather looks good any one in the area is welcome.Gosport marina L7 pontoon.Leave after lunch.get some film this time as we have a camera man on board.Make smoke:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Have a good day, hope it goes well,love to be there but a bit too far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Have a good day, hope it goes well,love to be there but a bit too far. :tup:: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Hopefully some video soon,once i sort this u tube out:argh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Did you have a good day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 (edited) we did mate weather was great.how do you get u tube link on here:argh: Best i can do for now http://www.youtube.com/trafforde Edited February 22, 2009 by catweazle (Banned Member) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 we did mate weather was great.how do you get u tube link on here:argh: :???:???:??? I think you are confusing me with somebody else.......probably about 50 years younger:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormin Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Hopefully some video soon,once i sort this u tube out:argh: What happened to HMVF TV? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Something went wrong... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 (edited) How did you do that 4 should be on by now:argh::sweat::sweat::sweat:cheers. Edited February 22, 2009 by catweazle (Banned Member) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 What happened to HMVF TV? Switched off a couple of weeks ago........wake up at the back:n00b::-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 CW, find this at the top of the Youtube page and copy this bit as-rrJt22rI click the red Youtube button top right of the reply window Click between the middle brackets and paste Post reply and test, should work. Still cant do it need idiots guide.i dont get that address on my page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Sorry CW, the youtube link I posted for some reason does not appear correctly when posted, this makes rubbish of the entire post so I will delete it, and try again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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