13 Marine

[Richard B]

The, err, two "events" are unrelated

[Bilge Rat]

I'm saying nothing on this matter

[Wayne Rogers]

You were right Richard, it was a made up name for reason's unknown.

[codprawn]

Talking of toluene did you know it is an octane booster for petrol - cab be used up to at least 50% and it isn't taxed.................

[Jonny Fuller]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Talking of toluene did you know it is an octane booster for petrol - cab be used up to at least 50% and it isn't taxed.................

Octane booster!

Wicked, so you ribnobbers can buy 45 gallon drums of the stuff, clean ya tubes, hands, personal stereos, cars etc. with it, and tip the rest in the fuel tank! cool.

Manos ain't as completely and utterly stupid as a I thought.

Mebbe that's why his falcon is 20mph quicker than anyone elses.

[brucehawsker]

As a qualified Chemistry graduate (Merton, Oxford 1979) who managed to cause a small fire before he went to university while at ICI in Runcorn, then a somewhat bigger bang at the Dyson Perrins lab at Oxford, and whose tutor thus recommended a theoretical Part II with no practicals involved.... who then went to the City of London for 20 years.... but who has not forgotten all his practical chemistry......

We used to swill around in toluene and benzene and carbon tet while doing medium scale organic preps in the open lab and bare hands. Safety was a white coat, to stop your jeans getting holed! Never gave it a second thought. I am still alive, and 'relatively' sane in my late 40s....

but i have just bought a rib

Seriously, guys, toluene is nasty stuff. Never use it in poor ventilation, do use plenty of strong soap and hot water to wash your hands down afterwards (in a ventilated area, not a small utility room with the door shut), mind splashes onto eyes (USE GOGGLES), avoid letting toluene sit under your watch strap etc..

Don't mix solvents unless you know what you are doing. Mixtures can get hot or worse! But.... used sensibly and carefully you should be fine with most industrial solvents. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE WRAPPER,

[Jonny Fuller]

I hope you're not suggesting you know more than Manos

[brucehawsker]

Would I dare!

Some info on the backround to Solent.

Heard from Lee yesterday that he acquired a hull as part of a customs seize some years ago. Origins unknown. Lee went to Tohatsu and wanted to do a JV effectively modifying the hull in 7 critical areas. Tohatsu said why bother, just stick with exisitng hull. Lee agreed to this. So they made a mould, but Lee kept the original hull. As the history unfolded through the 'One Design' racing project, Tohatsu resisted any changes, and Lee became frustrated. I think there were some quality control / deck strength / client service issues. Lee and Tohatsu parted company in rib sales. Tohatsu sells out of Lymington the original design. Lee made a new mould incorporating his 7 critical changes (I think one or two were not to the hull, but I am unsure) and launched Solent Ribs. I think he has built 40 ribs to date, of which mine is the latest.

So.... Lee tells me the Tohatsu and Solents are different, not greatly, but more than enough that his product is not felt to be a rip-off by Tohatsu.

I am sure Lee would talk about his changes in more details if anyone wanted to know.

All I can say is that the boat I have feels very close to the 6.5M Scorpion that I liked so much but is now no longer being built. And, kitted out with a trailer, the Solent is currently sub the £20k mark - but not for long, I think...

Cheers

Bruce

[Rogue Wave]

Why would customs seize a mould....was the releasing agent Charlie or something.

(No it was Derek!!! )I think the copyright law says that the splash mustn't fit back in the original mould so any design change is truly critical. So sticking an extra spray rail in makes it legal. The beef isn't with Solent Ribs as such it's the denial of where the design came from.

Interestingly enough I think that Solent did some real work modifying the hull for diesel use and I am hearing that Tohatsu have reversed splashed it and are now using the Solent design.

Solent is better than Scorpion for value and possibly build quality but I fancy that the Scorpion is a slightly better animal in the sea, but I could be wrong .

However the important thing is you have got your rib and now get out there and enjoy it and look forward to all the good times youre gonna have

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by brucehawsker

We used to swill around in toluene and benzene and carbon tet while doing medium scale organic preps in the open lab and bare hands. Safety was a white coat, to stop your jeans getting holed! Never gave it a second thought. I am still alive, and 'relatively' sane in my late 40s....
Don't mix solvents unless you know what you are doing. Mixtures can get hot or worse! But.... used sensibly and carefully you should be fine with most industrial solvents. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE WRAPPER,

Yes and I remember not too long ago using mercury without too many precautions - letting it run around in your hand to see it behave like "quicksilver" - now if they spill a drop it's treated like a major NBC alert!!!

On a similar subject they have now introduced something that DOES warrant such precautions - new fridges. Due to concerns over the ozone layer they have banned CFCs from fridges so what do they use - Ammonia! Seriously nasty stuff - heard the other day about an intensive care unit being evacuated because a fridge leaked - with CFCs you wouldn't know - with ammonia you most certainly would!!!

[Wayne Rogers]

Thanks for that information Bruce,I've got to the bottom of the 13 marine issue aswell.I've been told that they don't exist, and they only had the logo's made up for mine to give the impression that it was more of a racing Rib.Funny the things people do.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

Solent is better than Scorpion for value and possibly build quality but I fancy that the Scorpion is a slightly better animal in the sea,

but just not as quick I am sure JK could get 55 mph out of mine

Pete

[brucehawsker]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

Solent is better than Scorpion for value and possibly build quality but I fancy that the Scorpion is a slightly better animal in the sea, but I could be wrong .

The question is how much better, and at what price? And no new 6.5m from Scorpion.....

[brucehawsker]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

Why would customs seize a mould....was the releasing agent Charlie or something.

They seized the hull, not the mould

[Rogue Wave]

Originally Posted by brucehawsker

The question is how much better, and at what price? And no new 6.5m from Scorpion.....

Hey I am not getting into a pissing contest here Bruce, I have always said that Solent Ribs were very good value and good ribs.

[brucehawsker]

Sorry, was not intending to offend. Please forgive me. I merely wanted to comment that the pricing gap between a Scorpion and a Solent 6.5M (were Scorpion still to make a 6.5M) would be large, and the benefit of the Scorpion over the Soelnt would have to be large. Having been in Blue Ice, and having chartered a 6.5M Scorpion, I am a great great fan of Scorpions. But for me Solent was the best 'second-best' since the 6.5M was no longer built by Scorpion and I could not afford one if it had been.

Again, no intention to offend - sorry.

Would love to take an old model 6.5 Scorpion and our new boat on a run one day and see just how the differences exhibit themselves. No doubts the Scorpion would do better.

Cheers

Bruce

[Rogue Wave]

Bruce but I am not offended at all, I was just pointing out that I wasn't having a go at the Solent's. The only reason i have a Scorpion/Opti is that it came my way at the right price and I always figured it was Buddhas way of apologising for making me buy a Camel rib.

I haven't actually driven a Solent 6.5 I have driven the 7.5 a fair bit and I have driven the similar but not identical Tohatsu 6.5.

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by Pete7

I am sure JK could get 55 mph out of mine

I think that even downhill my car would striggle to tow it at more than 50

John