Richardsons 45 flybridge

[Guest]

Congratulations Clive and Mrs Ricko. ...We stopped a 4 and bought a TV. .. much cheaper mate....

[teadaemon]

If you're going to bother with having templates (and the investment is only going to get a marginal return for the numbers of boats built in this situation, I'd guess), then cardboard is not the material to be using, I'd be looking to use sheet steel. Having said that, the modern way would be to have the dimensions of all the parts recorded electronically, and get the pieces cut by a company with a CNC router. Again, this is probably a method that only becomes economical for larger numbers of boats, but I know at least one company that makes kits for wooden boats using this method.

 

Incidentally, for non-structural, interior use, it's already possible to get pre-kerfed plywood, ready to cut to size and bend. Robbin's Timber in Bristol have been selling it for years, there are probably plenty of other suppliers too.

 

Now much as some of you may like it, I'll pass on the posistion of NBN Trade Ambassador to China

 

Final thoughts - Pretty much anything is possible, and just because something is done one way it does not mean it has to always be done that way - never be bound by 'the box' get out of it and sit on it if you must to figure out the other way.  

 

Boats are complicated because of their relatively small dimensions to work in and the fact very little on a boat is symmetrical so each bit needs to be made and fitted by somebody by hand - that skill and their time costs but do you really need to employ a boatyard to work with plywood or risk cocking it up cutting it yourself? I've never done it - but I have thought about it a lot and came up with an idea of getting a pallet of  rigid cardboard sheets the same size as your plywood sheets would be.   Make templates using this cardboard on the boat which would be far easier to work with and cut, or start over if you went wrong - simply working from one area of the boat to the next using a number system so each piece has its own place as part of the wider plan.

 

Then employ someone who knows their tools and how to cut wood precisely to cut the plywood as per the cardboard templates.  Instead of several hours labour and costs for the measuring  then cutting plywood sheets then taking said sheet into the boat, glassing it in and so on then doing the next bit (many hours work you would be paying for) with the template method all the sheets for your entire project can be cut - perhaps in a single day - then you can take all the time you want (no cost) to 'build' (or fit) the parts properly where they belong using the number system devised from the cardboard template sheets.

 

A cheap way for non-structural plywood areas to look better than having 45 degree angles - say to make a nice curved bottom around the base of seating - get the plywood, then cut very precisely many grooves through the layers of wood to just a few mm short of cutting right through the whole sheet.  It will now be floppy with only the thin outer veneer holding it together.  You can now follow the contours of what you need - epoxy the reverse cut side of the ply, secure in place and the epoxy will cure and the piece will now be forever rigidly molded to the curved shape

[teadaemon]

While I'm at it, many congratulations on the new addition Clive.

[LizG]

Congratulations - likewise I have three daughters!

[andyg]

Hi Clive, I notice you have pulled one of the crystal horizons for this season, does this mean there will be a third commodore ??

[boatmadmike]

Any more pictures yet Clive

Mike

[C.Ricko]

Hi Mike, 

I tried to get some decent pictures but I don't have a great camera and it is a very busy place at the  moment, in a week or two most of the major internal bits will be made and you will see how she is taking place  as at the moment lots of the work is on and off the boat again but will all be assembled soon and I will get something up on here.. 

[BroadScot]

Hi Mike, 

I tried to get some decent pictures but I don't have a great camera and it is a very busy place at the  moment, in a week or two most of the major internal bits will be made and you will see how she is taking place  as at the moment lots of the work is on and off the boat again but will all be assembled soon and I will get something up on here.. 

Surely Clive you have moved on from a Box Brownie camera!

 

 

Iain.

[JawsOrca]

Clive you should get a webcam, it would fascinating to watch the builds of the boats in near real time..

[C.Ricko]

I will get my sketchpad out and draw you what is going on...

 

as for a webcam, there are too many industrial spies around waiting to snaffle our innovation..

[LondonRascal]

I think there is a bit of a misconception that webcams need to be very expensive fancy affairs – take the Norfolk Live ones which cost about £1,400 just for the camera!   I am not sure if people watching Barnes Brinkcraft’s sponsored camera would be more likely to make a booking with them because of the webcam, but I do think having one can lead to more engagement with customers, it is after all an eye into the workings of a boatyard.

 

When you post images to Facebook of the latest build progress, or even just some of the classic fleet in for winter work it always attracts a lot of commentary – people seem to like talking about and seeing the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff. 

 

However much of the same can be achieved with a £40.00 webcam off Amazon plugged into a second hand desktop computer and left in the corner of a shed – or one can buy pretty cheap stuff from Ebay (new) from China those being Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) cameras in the hundreds of pounds range.  They are not IP cameras so cost less but with a cheap converter called a Balun you can plug the Composite video (BNC-Male Coaxial cable) in one end and out the other you can use Ethernet cable to send the signal great lengths along the cable without loss of picture quality – and then into something like a DVR with a web interface to get the images online.

 

It certainly does not need to be used for new build stuff, it could be used as an overview of the yard – or even installed as a controllable ‘log in only’ way for those with private boats moored to check on their boats.

 

Finally, you could do something unique... Put a big mast up with a high gain WiFi antenna on to the top of one of the buildings – get the PTZ camera etc as I mentioned above, along with a battery and a solar panel (maybe a small wind turbine the sort you get on top of live aboard boats).

Now stay with me here I know its sounding awfully technical and crazy – but you seek permission to put said box of tricks, nicely contained in a camouflaged box for example on the island in the middle of Barton Broad. It has the WiFi link back to base since it will have a line of sight antenna back there and it is powered though the wind turbine and solar panel.  Self contained goodness.

 

In reception you then have a big screen on the wall with a ‘CCTV’ controller joystick (you know up down, left right affair) and customers who arrive to take over their boat can take control of the camera and pan around the Broad – the image can equally be sent out live (without control given) to people on the web – it could even be embedded on the Broads Authority’s website as a way of promoting the wild beauty of the area.

 

I reckon that is perfectly doable if a bit ‘Heath Robinson’ without costing a crazy amount the only real issue I can see would be permission to sight the camera on the Broad.

[JawsOrca]

Why not build it, Robin. 

 

Seriously, build a prototype, test it (stick it in your garden for a while I reckon) and then bring it up to the Broads when you're happy with it. I think you'd need a 4G uplink rather than WiFi, but a PV should power it?

 

it would easily fit into your norfolk broads live format (although you maybe in trouble with the other norfolk live) but the more webcams the better.. You may even make money on the advertising revenue  

[LondonRascal]

I’ve not got the time and money to build something quite as sophisticated - but the logic I am pretty sure is sound – maybe not the WiFi but I was trying to be the most frgunal in my example. 

 

I am not too worried about the Norfolk Live.org, though I nabbed the better Twitter ID [broadslive] in my opinion than theirs and web domain. I then used their larger presence on the web to run my Google banner ads on their site to promote my live streams

 

I often wonder about doing it again, but it takes a lot of time with cables setting up things, cameras software and data not to mention drive the boat give commentary or play music #stress! I’ve also lost two webcams, one to salt spray in the north sea and the other being trodden on by me and they are right up there with a three pin plug in the pain provided to your foot upon doing so!

 

Righto best stop taking this topic off urm topic.

[smellyloo]

Is it me?  or is this brave new world of private webcam survailence getting to be a bit like "Big brother is watching".

 

Imagine the embarassment if old Smellies garden antics were broadcast on the web .... shudder!!!

[boatmadmike]

Ok Clive

I'll watch the space for updates.

Is it true that you only building one crystal horizon instead of two and you building a third commodore.

Put my mind at rest....

Mike

[C.Ricko]

Hi Mike, 

The second Crystal was only going to be in the fleet quite late in the season so by the time it was taxed it would hardly have been worth it... the boat will still be built this year but not go in the fleet until next year..

we will not have a 3rd Commodore in the fleet this year but will put our efforts into getting the second out on hire a couple of weeks earlier in the peak weeks...

 

I hope this helps put your mind at rest!

[boatmadmike]

Hi Clive

Thanks for the information and yes it has put my mind at rest

Mike

[Broads01]

Great to see brand new boats going to Acle Clive.

[diesel falcon]

Hold everything, anybody fancy a dip in salhouse broad!!, a flybridge should have one of these!

 

 

any chance Clive??

 

http://www.funair.com/ADJUSTABLE-YACHT-SLIDE-p/sys450.htm

[C.Ricko]

already sorted. 

[Oddfellow]

You would need to be very careful with that one, Salhouse is so shallow, you can stand up in the middle. Perhaps if such a slide were to be used, a hellipad for the air-ambulance needs to be installed also 

[C.Ricko]

:rolleyes:already sorted..

[Siddy]

Just got a letter from Richo's giving a approx air draft of 8ft.

 

How does 8ft work with average high levels at Ludham Bridge?

 

Any more updates, info or pics.

[boatmadmike]

Any more new pictures off commodore yet Clive

[dnks34]

Hi to all, new member here but not new to the broads being both hirers and privateers and lived in the Norfolk and Suffolk area for the last 6 years.

We heard about the new Commodore recently and having researched online and found this thread we decided to book Commodore for a week afloat later in the year which we are all very excited about.

It looks like Richardsons are definately setting standards with the latest boats they have produced and we look forward to seeing any more build pictures that Clive might have time to post up for us all here!

All the best to all!