MOTOR-BOATS

Hokitika Guardian, 9 December 1931, Page 7

MOTOR-BOATS

DISPLAY OF SPEED CRAFT. * LONDON, October 4 22. An interesting section of the Motor Show at Olympia is that dealing with water craft. All the British launch and speed craft builders are displaying their latest constructions from the cruiser costing about £2500 to the latest useful outboard motor attachments costing a few pounds. Some of the firms have agents in New Zealand. Nowadays a man with a light touring car may strap his small boat on the splash-board of his car, carry on outboard motor oil tile luggage grid, and set out for a holiday on' land anci w'ater. There are light wooden dinghies that can b& towed nehind' a car, but a very ingenious boat has been made which takes a few seconds to fold flat, and this can be strapped to the side of a car. One person can open or fold the boat in less than thirty seconds by means of a single lever. It folds up to 10 inches thick, and when opened is a buoyant little craft for fishing, duck shooting, and it looks as though it could ride a heavy sea. Sails can be affixed or an outboard motor. The cheaper type of folding boat is priced at 28 guineas. Another type with sails, and centre-board costs 46 guineas. Assuredly the holidaymaker can have very pleasant times to-day. In this connexion it may be mentioned, in the Motor Show itself) there is a folding trailer bungalow with two rooms which can he had for £l6O. Some details of one of the best outboard motors may be interesting, This is priced at £24, and is designed not only for pleasure purposes, but also as ft heavy duty engine for fishermen, It weighs 481bs, has single oylinder; max. imum revolutions, 3000 per minute; and has a horse-power of three to four. The petrol tank holds live pints—. enough for about two hours’ running Greater horse-pou’er engines with four cylinders arid electric starters are priced up to £97 10s. For less serious work on rivers there are outboard motors at 16 guineas.

For the outboard racer there are strange little craft in which the occupant of the boat lies flat along the bottom while he skims the surface oi the water at 40 miles an hour. It is pointed out that the wood of a boat keeps its life if taken out of the water when not in use, whereas if constantly in the water it waterlogs with consequent unsatisfactory performance of the' boat. To obviate this a ‘boat hoist has been invented which is simplicity itself. Light block and tacicie is attached to two rings on the top of the boat or to canvas slings, and by means of a lever and a gearing arrangement one mart may raise a fairly heavy craft from the water. The mechanism enables 1001 b to be raised with a lib pressure of the hand. For a, hoist to raise a 60001 b boat the cost is £6O. The smaller' type cos>t £32. It is maintained, perhaps rightly, that the machine will pay for itself in a year by keeping a boat in perfect condition,

THE HYDROGLIDER. An interesting speed launch is being exhibited by a South of England firm. The principle is not new. It is a roomy launch with comfortable seats for a dozen people or more. In the stern is a large fire-proof compartment in which the main fuel, talnks aire( situated. An aero engine driving a special four-bladed air screw is mounted with its centre line about four feet above the after deck. The performances of this hydroglider exceeded expectations. It is admitted thait the noise of the air propellor is the unpleasant feature of the boat, but in other ways it is a most useful craft. It begins to “plane” at low speeds and travels cleanly through the water. It can be handled easily and turned very sharply at high speeds. In the tropics and on unknown waters, and in shallow streams w'here there is sand, mud, and vegetable matter in the water, this method of propulsion is obviously invaluaible>.