Whitstable Oyster Festival

John Kennett · 31 July 2005, 14:54

Spent an interesting day in Whitstable yesterday, rigging the firework display for the finale of the annual Oyster Festival. Landing craft and pontoon supplied (coincidentally!) by a RIBnet member -- thanks Neil!

Also saw Mike running his Bayblast operation, walking out to the RIB towing his passengers in a small inflatable! Unfortunately I wasn't close enough to get a decent picture, but he reminded me of the butler in the old Colmans mustard advert

John

Alex Brown · 31 July 2005, 17:36

nice pics John - do you have capped off launching tubes at the bottom, or are they open? - reason why I ask is that when we've helped local company setup, they've always looked for a solid base, like a steel barge, and weren't happy about launching off anything else incase it went through the hull

-Alex

John Kennett · 31 July 2005, 18:31

The tubes are always closed at the bottom, normally with substantial wooden bungs which either screwed or nailed in place. Most are used in racks with solid bases which helps spread the load.

The landing craft was fine for our purposes, but for very large shells then a steel barge would be more appropriate.

What's the pontoon in your picture? How deep do the spud legs go?

John

Alex Brown · 31 July 2005, 21:43

I do like those shells when they go off - a really nice sound

The barge is called the Delilah, what you see on the top aren't spud legs though - they're just steel beams, for what reason they're there I don't know.
We've helped ferry fireworks out to that barge for a couple of years in a row now - I think the next event just off the town in the river is towards the end of august.

-Alex

Simon B · 02 August 2005, 11:02

France sometime between the wars....

"What! No Moutard? Well you know what you've got to do then!"

Cracking advert!

Jon Brooks · 02 August 2005, 11:04

JK

And you never popped in for a coffee?

You could have had the guided tour

Regards

mike · 03 August 2005, 20:00

I resemble that remark!

It was nice to see you there at the weekend, we were indeed taking clients out by avon 4.2 sib, in the abscence of anything resembling safe and adequate facilities at Whitstable we were having to make do, the beach was chosen after a detailed reserch and we found it worked well, untill that was the heavens opened and the wind got up to a very nasty f5 onshore which resulted in a total lack of guarantee that clients would remain dry!
the next day we were forecast the same but being sods law it did not arrive and I spent 12 hours wishing we had gone for it anyway!

The foreshore there is so littered with rubbish that we could not risk bayblastII up close as there are poles and concrete everywhere.

BIZZ now very good running beyond game plan.

roll on a marina we could run all day everyday and cannot wait !!
ps amazed to see the landing craft still afloat after the side went pearshaped! was that one of yours????

John Kennett · 03 August 2005, 21:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike

ps amazed to see the landing craft still afloat after the side went pearshaped! was that one of yours????

No. That was the result of an incident the week before, and was nothing to do with me!

Luckily Neil doesn't seem to be the sort of person to let things like that get in the way and had managed to make a running repair with some chequerplate, lots of screws and about half a dozen tubes of Sikaflex!

John

Bilge Rat · 04 August 2005, 17:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Kennett

No. That was the result of an incident the week before, and was nothing to do with me!

Luckily Neil doesn't seem to be the sort of person to let things like that get in the way and had managed to make a running repair with some chequerplate, lots of screws and about half a dozen tubes of Sikaflex!

John

he is a resourceful fellow, shame about his lack of hair though

Swifty · 05 August 2005, 23:15

I heard one of the nav lights got ripped off the Ribcraft also...

Another little fix it job for Neill aka Tim.

Bilge Rat · 06 August 2005, 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swifty

I heard one of the nav lights got ripped off the Ribcraft also...

Another little fix it job for Neill aka Tim.

Tim.... cant confrim this as by the time myslef and Bettsy got back to Whistable the ribcraft was off the water, we had been down the Medway attempting to make it to the end of the tidal range at Allington for lunch and beer between tides and ended up running aground within site of Allington as the tide was fast dropping, limped back to the Medway bridge marina with a wrecked prop, lunch, beer and a prop change later we were on our way back.

Did however bump into Mike running passengers out at the Thames barge race and Baldrick floating about at sand end in Alex's over engined 4.5 Zodiac, then spotted a yacht aground at the entance to the Swale

looked like the crew were highly pissed of to be spending the next 5 hours on the mud.

Swifty · 08 August 2005, 21:57

Sounds like an interesting day!!! Shame about the prop, if you watched the echo sounder closely you may have seen the propellor falling off

Went out yesterday (Sunday) from Chatham Marina and met up with Parky, Hannah, Richard and Clare in Queenborough for lunch and beer. Carried on down to Whitstable with the intention of turning back when the first tank ran out. Managed to Get to the YC but only just! Parky took the piss about Chatham to Whitstable (about 30 miles) on 25 litres of petrol. After swapping tanks and a quick visit to the loo we turned back for Chatham.

I have put the boat into the marina for the holidays. Quick drive to the marina and I can lock out and go boating within the hour, Its very conveniant. Wouldn't want to keep it in all the time though, as it can be a bit limiting.

Speak to you later.
Tim'mers.