Scammell owners and enthusiasts beano to the Seaside !

[AndyFowler]

Thanks Cat(The Caterpillar Tamer)Weazle , what a fantastic boat and a fantastic day with a group of fantastic mates ! :-D:-D:-D:-D:-D:-D

Edited March 14, 2009 by AndyFowler

[AndyFowler]

Thanks Tony for driving and supplying the flag :-D

Edited March 14, 2009 by AndyFowler

[AndyFowler]

Thanks Bernard for showing that driving a boat is no different from driving an Explorer !:-D And thanks to the two old girls that did all the hard work and didn't miss a beat all day !

[N.O.S.]

Here's Captain Fowler!!

Edited March 14, 2009 by N.O.S.

[N.O.S.]

Later demoted to Able Seaman Fowler for wrapping a rope around one of CW's propellers :nono: :-D

 

Big big thanks to CW for arranging this trip (and to PW for letting him come out to play) :thanx:

[AndyFowler]

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: Thank you Tony ! Possibly the campest Captain you'll ever see !:nono::nono:

[Richard Farrant]

Just noticed the name on the caps that CW and Bernard are wearing..........

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

THanks to you all for the great company,it was nice for Andy (engineer) and myself to relax after all the hard work we put in,made it all worthwhile.Many thanks for the fuel sponsorship from Marton Dump Trucks.The future for her is uncertain,but whats not is the fact that she ran faultless today making all our day great, combined with the weather and not to much wind means if it was the last run its one i wont forget.

You blokes were great,and thanks to Jack for the forum without it we would never of met and the day would never of happened.Cant wait for the rest of pictures ,what no black smoke?cheers CW.

[Degsy]

Just noticed the name on the caps that CW and Bernard are wearing..........

 

 

Yes I noticed that, do you think there is something CW isn't telling us:???:-D

[Richard Farrant]

Yes I noticed that, do you think there is something CW isn't telling us:???:-D

 

Perhaps they fixed his dodgy engine

[Jack]

WOW now that looks like a great day out chaps! Bloody nice one CW.

 

Now more about where you went and what happened!!!!

[Jack]

And we certainly need some caption of the guys behind the wheel........and one of NOS - is he in a hurry to get into the cabin or out of the cabin???

[Stormin]

Looks like it a was a fine day to be at sea.

Not too rough for the land lubbers I trust.

Looks like a great time was had by all.

[gritineye]

Cap'n CW spots a victim just ripe for some harassment and goading, and a wee bit of showing off!

 

 

And he doesn't give up easily, but due to an engine problem or maybe a restricting exhaust system his victim ain't playing :confused:

 

 

We circled him a few times just to make sure but he didn't rise to it.

[gritineye]

As it was a bit calm we nipped across in front of a pilot boat just so they would have some fun too, :cool2:

 

[gritineye]

Just like Formula One, show the logo at all times.

 

[gritineye]

The hovercraft passengers trip benefited from a bit of a swell too.

 

 

Edited March 15, 2009 by gritineye

[Stormin]

Cap'n CW spots a victim just ripe for some harassment and goading, and a wee bit of showing off!

 

Thought you meant the ferry at first. :rofl:

 

Don't laugh those Seacats would surely give Catweazle a run, 35 knots when I was on one last.

[Stormin]

The hovercraft passengers trip benefited from a bit of a swell too.

 

 

 

Didn't think any hovercraft were still running!

Is it just Dover they were retired from then?

[gritineye]

Don't you just hate all these commercial breaks! :argh:

 

[Stormin]

Don't you just hate all these commercial breaks! :argh:

 

 

They'll be wanting a banner add at the top of every page soon!

[N.O.S.]

That was an interesting boat - a high speed RAF launch, built postwar but to a wartime design. Two Rolls C6 engines lurk under those menacing sloping engine covers.

 

But apparently no match for Horatia, they have raced before. And as Bernard says, on this occasion - despite persistent harrassment - they would not rise to the challenge.

 

To put this into context, with CW at the helm Horatia seems to turn from an elegant retired racehorse into the nautical equivalent of a slightly mischievous puppy full of the joys of life. So a large proportion of the time spent outside the harbour (best behaviour required) is spent lolloping around seeing who else is out and about, continually circling other critters (boats) and sniffing at their bottoms, trying to goad them into a playfull chase.

 

On our trip from Portsmouth across to the Isle of Wight and Cowes (wow - that crossing went fast!!!), pretty much anything seemed fair game. But for some reason the small cross-harbour ferries were given a wide berth (perhaps they have a nasty bite), and the big Cat ferry was treated with respect (or was it that Horatia was too busy chasing one of the big Isle of Wight ferries at the time?:-D)

 

Unfortunately we passed one of her good mates (a harbour Pilot boat) during the departure from harbour, where speed and movements are strictly controlled within narrow lanes, so both Horatia and Pilot boat were on leashes. However the friendly gestures from the Pilot crew made it quite clear that a meeting in more open waters would result in a serious chase! :-D)

 

Interestingly we saw a lot of Horatia's relatives on the water - these Pilot boats share an identical hull design to her, as do some of the Naval launches. It appears that such a great design has been hard to better in all these years.

 

And that was what amazed us all - the superb ride of Horatia. She simply cuts through the water, no hint of being constrained by the sea, no roll. She just takes a straight line wherever pointed, powered through the swell and tide by those purring Cats.

 

Designed for high speed she obviously does not like 'walking to heel', but is so maouverable - and the clean ride, helped by the lower "bits of timber along the hull that stop the water squirting up the side" - gunwhales?" leaves you with a great sense of security. I didn't even spill any coffee on CW's Wilton carpet!

 

When is the next trip!!!

Edited March 15, 2009 by N.O.S.

[gritineye]

The amazing end to this day was when we were in the pub last night and I was telling friends about this day out, the landlord was listening with interest.

 

It turns out he is often in Gosport marina on various friends boats and assumed I was talking about being on board that RAF launch, which he had often wondered about, this led to him getting his photo album out and we went on another trip to the Virgin Islands with him, we've known him for years, and didn't know he had this interest, perfic end to a perfic day.

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Thought you meant the ferry at first. :rofl:

 

Don't laugh those Seacats would surely give Catweazle a run, 35 knots when I was on one last.

Thats right Norman,since the last fuel increase they are running a bit slower gives us a chance,top speed 40 knts i think.We went on one ready to film the black smoke when they open up but due to the fuel restrictions it never happened.:argh:

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Didn't think any hovercraft were still running!

Is it just Dover they were retired from then?

i dont know of any others running on.