Any idea what this is??

[Ferryman]

A very weird creation we saw today but strangely up together and new looking?? ........
A woman walking past said the crane was for lifting his bike on board! Very strange and the doors to the cabin are tiny.

[GuyC]

It's not my cup of tea. It looks like someone has built a boat with the hull the wrong way up. As it appears to say above the cabin doors - Marmite.

[Fenlander]

A bit more about it here, built and/or designed by Contrast Marine. I think it's a lightweight timber construction being about 60% of the weight of some similar length RIBs...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_P1LkRRpRg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xZKA7rPNdU&app=desktop

[Fenlander]

Bit more here (from 1min40sec) of its construction. It may not be pretty but much admiration to bring that concept from design to on the water from a "garage".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myV3LhttDEI

[willk]

It looks like a 1:2 scale model. Of an XO:



Unfortunately as with all scale models there are 1:1 world compromises - like it being a toy boat...

[Ferryman]

Amazing that you found that video - I think it looks like the beach between Selsey and Bognor.
I’d have to crawl to get into the cabin and then probably need to be surgically removed!! [emoji23]

[willk]

Having watched the video - I'd speculate that the boat actually IS a scale model. He's clearly a genius, with all the attendant issues.

[Matt]

I can respect a design, even if it's not my cup of tea.

Originally Posted by Fenlander

It may not be pretty.....

[ribber]

Well if that's what Grandad has designed and built in his garage, it's truly amazing. Not only the boat, but to build a means to launch the boat over his shingle beach with style....brilliant. Those children must be so proud to have such an awesome Grandad.

[Fenlander]

The design credit is given to Lawrence Peckham (Naval Architect) who has worked with Spirit yachts in Suffolk. It seems he had a company, Contrast Marine, which had an online presence around 2015/2016.

The boat was put up for sale not too long after build/launch which takes a little of the gloss from the story that the guy built exactly what he needed for his own location and circumstance. I think asking was around £25k.

https://hamble.boatshed.com/contrast...at-224512.html

I hope he went on to build something else nice to get use out of the James Bond launch device.


*I definitely have too much time on my hands over late coffee time.

[Matt]

I am very guilty of building things and then immediately becoming bored of them and moving on to the next project. I'm less good at the selling though, so I just end up tripping over loads of stuff.

[Fenlander]

>>>guilty of building things and then immediately becoming bored of them and moving on to the next project. I'm less good at the selling though

I grew up through childhood with a dad that jumped from one interest to another rapidly but was almost too good at selling so one week he might have a cupboard full of every bit of photographic kit (old days remember) you could imagine inc darkroom gear... then I'd come home from school to find that all gone and a garage full of classic motorcycles had arrived.

Then in my 20s I picked up influences from my now late father-in-law who was totally the opposite with more considered interests and who rarely sold or disposed of anything.

Now close to my retirement years I've ended up somewhere between the two which works for me.

[Matt]

I don’t quite dump the old project. It’s just “done” and I move on the next one.
Interest in the old one doesn’t wane, it’s just it’s done.
Fortunately I’m not too bad at finishing projects, even if it does take a while.

I fancy doing a cafe racer version of a CBX1000.
Find an old basket case one (be a shame to do it to one already in good nick)

[Fenlander]

>>> fancy doing a cafe racer version of a CBX1000.

Funnily enough that's associated with one of dad's mad interest periods. Over a couple of years around the late 70s he bought most bikes in the Honda range brand new... 400-4, 500 twin, 500 V-twin, 550-4, 750-4, CBX1000 and Gold Wing.... then promptly gave up biking.