Springer Tug

This is the latest model boat that I have built.

It is based on a Canadian type Pusher Tug.

The hull is GRP, The deck is 1/2" ply and the rest is scratchbuilt in Styrene.

I have made a Fishtail Rudder and this enables the Tug to turn 360' in its own length.

Powered by a 6v SLA battery, a single propeller.

AMBO Association of Model Barge Owners.

Racing takes place from Norwich down to Chichester and model lakes in between.

The ones with the sticky out bits at the front holding the two sails are called "Bowsprit Barges" and the ones without are called "Staysail Barges" and they race in separate categories.

All the model Barges sail without the aid of motors and rely on the skippers pulling in or letting out the sails as necessary.

These photos were taken at Herne Bay in Kent 2006

Jokes that make me laugh

This is one of Max Millars ( 1950 ish Comedian, He got banned from the radio).
A man goes home to lunch and says to his wife "I have heard that the Milkman has had sex with every woman in our street except one". His wife says " I bet it is that stuck up cow at number 41!"

Kite Festival at Palm Bay Margate Kent UK

I arrived around 0900hrs on the Saturday to a nice sunny day with light wind and an empty flying site, so after a look around I got out my light weight roller and managed to get up and away.


Not long after the wind virtually died, so I bunged it in the car and waited. Around 1000hrs some familiar faces turned up so caught up on the gossip.


When the Festival officially opened, the display teams etc did a great job trying to keep kites aloft.


I went home weary but happy at 1600hrs,


Thankyou to all that made this Kite Festuval a great success.





From Rokbottom of the Kent Kite Flyers.

A cheap cardboard and emulsion paint Didgerido to make.

Items required... 1 Cardboard Tube, the type you get from a roll of Curtain material ( scrounge from a Haberdashery Shop)..2 Newspaper or wallpaper...3 A tin of Emulsion Paint leftover from decorating...4 A yogurt carton...5 Paints to decorate..6 Most important Rubber gloves! and a paint brush 50mm.

Select a tube around 1.4m long with an internal diameter of 30mm.
Find a yogurt carton that has base the same diameter as the outside of the tube and cut the bottom off of it, and fit to the tube making sure it is a snug fit without using tape or glue as it will be removed as it is only a former. This will create the flared end to your Didge.

Tear the paper into strips around 50 to 75mm in width and as long as you think you can handle,tear rather than cut as the papers edge is thinner and the joints will not show up so much.

Into a flat tray (cats litter tray is ideal, keep the cat away from it while you are using it!) pour the Emulsion Paint to a depth of about20mm. Do all this where you can make a mess and won't get shouted at. Fix a broom handle or similar horizontaly in a vice then slide the tube onto it so that it will rotate freely.

This is where it gets messy, Dunk several strips of paper in to the paint to soak, Paint the tube with emulsion, Take one strip of paper and wind it in a spiral around the tube starting at the end without the yogurt pot making sure that the paper overlaps slightly in doing so.Continue adding more strips until you reach the yogurt pot and carefully cover this. Continue adding layers of paper and emulsion until you have added 8 to 10 layers!. You will not be able to do this all in one go.

Leave it to dry for a few days, then trim up the ends and remove the yogurt pot or if it is stuck then leave it in place.

The inside needs sealing so get a garden cane or similar that is longer than the Didge and tie to it a small piece off cloth (Iused a bit of J Cloth) to make a pullthrough, Pour some Emulsion in to the tube then insert the cane and coat the inside of the tube, then leave to dry.

To Decorate, I went to B&Qs and got them to make up a match pot of dark brown Emulsion and painted mine to look like wood, then with 2 different coloured emulsion paints with rubber gloves on I put my hand in the paint and put Hand prints on the Didge.

And yes it plays really good.

I will put a photo up when I take one.

Good Luck!

More from Cranborne

Thatched Round House
Inside
Jackie playing the Xylogphone

Didge Fest 2006 Cranborne Dorset

Afternoon Drumming Workshop













Inside the Round House













The Round House was built by the children and volunteers













The outside of the Round House, It can seat around 200.