Visiting the FALCON factory and shop

[Manos]

I arrived in Cape Town after a 11 hour flight from the UK. I was picked up by Patric. A driver that did not know the meaning of the words 'SLOW', 'BE CAREFULL' and 'DO NOT OVERTAKE', and luckaly I arrived in Swelledam where I received a very warm wellcome from the Heyneman family

[Manos]

After the usual hellos and large amounts of coffee I was taken around the shop to have a look.
There I saw the very first racing FALCON that is now dicommissioned

[Manos]

Pieyter showed me in the workshop (where they also modify engines, repair props, do the electrics of the boats etc) an almost 20 year old FALCON tubes made out of PVC and no wear on this one what so ever (the boat is under the yellow hood).

[Manos]

an area where they keep the F3, the dicommissioned F3 and some 650SRs. All this is in the shop. Haven't been in the factory yet

[Manos]

The cockpit of the F3

[Manos]

Later we took the road to the factory. The factory is located just a few kms west from the shop.

[Manos]

It was very busy. X-RIB have ordered a huge amount of RIBs. So who ever says that they do not like FALCONs I think they need to re think as most of the RIBs in there were destined for the UK (18 I think).
Some 640 SRs and some 700RSRs. So people if you have ordered the grey (military grey colour 700RSRs and the 650SRs from XRIB here you xcan see your boats been made).
Enjoy

This is where they do the fibre glassing

[Manos]

These are the 2 military grey 700RSRs ordered by RIB-X just waiting shipment

[Manos]

A 640SR for RIB-X

[Manos]

a blue 640SR . who ever ordered a blue 640 from RIB-X this is your boat.
The area at the back is where they do all the gluing of the PVC

[Manos]

Showing us how they do the lamination. The chap in the red jacket is FALCON's rep in Greece.

[Manos]

One of my 640s

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some more RIBs

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Couple of my RIBs

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Customising a 640SR.
I have added a sundeck forward. Pieter is setting up the boat to see how it would look like so that they produce it.
You can just see the ply wood forward standing on a crate

[Bilge Rat]

Manos - Nice one there has been a lot of talk about Rib-x over the last few months and its now nice to see where and how they are made.

Rat

PS that geeza in the orange beeny looks like the bloke who mugged me and knicked my laptop 2 months ago !!! he was wearing an identicla beeny !!!!

[Manos]

The inside of an 640

[Manos]

Underneath of a deck

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and some griding work

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... the fibres they use.

Cheers Mr Rat