CKD Boats - Roy Mc Bride

Aries wind vane Mk3 for sale in Cape Town

2025-07-08T09:04:00.004+02:00

For many years I have been a blue water sailor and enoyed using my Aries vane gear on the transatlantice crossings that I made. Over time I have restored them, I have such a vane gear almost ready to reassemble, when ready it will be offered for sale. The Aries vane gear is the Mark three item, they are well known and respected, its in Hout Bay near Cape Town but I can ship to most places via Fedex. Contact me for information and pricing.

British Seagull Sport boat

2024-07-24T14:55:00.005+02:00

Dudley Dix at www.dixdesign.com has drawn a special version of his very popular Argie 10 plywood kit, this was a result of my asking for an Argie 10 that was suitable as a power craft.

As an owner of a 1967 British Seagull 102 series 5 horse power outboard, I am keen to see the growth of racing and community meetings to promote that brand of two stroke engine.

Dudley has prepared a set of panels to build a lighter and faster version of his Argie 10, its lighter as builders will make it from 4mm okoume marine ply, not the 6mm plywood.

Plus the sailing fittings and internal Joinery, such as the dagger board will be left out of the build, a weight of just twenty (20) kgs is expected?

Its easily Car Toppable so can be carried on a family car with roof racks.

Contact me for both plans and a CNC cut plywood kit.

Picture is for reference, it shows the standard Argie 10.

Cape Canso 23 by www.dixdedign.com

2024-07-02T14:25:00.002+02:00

News today is that we have the order to produce a Cape Canso 23 yacht kit, cutting will start this week!

The Cape Canso 23 follows the tradition that started with the well known and popular Cape Cutter 19, than the Cape Henry 21 designs.

Longer and faster than both of the others, this one can be fitted out with a four berth layout or a three berth layout with the option of a heads cubical.

Boats are already sailing, in Canada and in Australia.

We have processed the order for a similar craft and to ship to Knysna, South Africa.

A bulkhead station for the Cape Canso 23.

This was a Cape Canso 23 kit we packed a week back.

Ready to ship to the client.

Contact me for the plans and for the kit options.

At roy@ckdboats.co.za we can ship World wide .

Twin Optimist dinghy kit packing

2023-11-30T09:43:00.004+01:00

Great care is taken with any order we pack, done to a shipping requirement standard we are sure the order will arrive in the same condition as packed.

plastic sheeting went over the parts we

see, then soft packings and cardboard to

hold the parts in place, when the plywood

lid was screwed into place, 16mm steel

band strapping secured the crate as well.

We offer the freight and shipping cost at the net cost to ourselves, packing we charge for materials and labour,

Optimist double order for export being packed

2023-11-22T12:50:00.002+01:00

Two Optimist kits will be packed for shipping by sea next week.

The test pack layout shows me how high the final packing crate is to be?

We make the crate strongly and with a good quality 12mm thick WBP plywood, which can be reused in the clients workshops at a later date.

2023-11-14T10:44:00.004+01:00

We have been making and shipping the well known Optimist dinghy design and as a plywood CNC kit set for nearly two decades.

We can also supply Optiparts such a mast and boom, floats, mast lock etc etc

Shipping World wide is often done, this twin pack of meranti wood will be shipped to Switzerland soon.

This is a double Harken deck gear set, both to be shipped out with the two Optimist kits we are working on now.

Each order can be designed to your requirements.

Dixi Dinghy plywood kit transport

2023-10-25T12:44:00.003+02:00

The Dixi dinghy is our smallest kit, when the parts are cut from the 2500 x 1220mm xx 6mm okoume plywood it easily fits in a mid sized car.

This car is a VW Polo TSi as we can see its got place to spare, an Argie 10 will fit easily also!

Contact me for pricing.

Optimist North Sail racing

2023-10-09T10:59:00.003+02:00

We have a very nice North Sail, used ( I was told ) in International Racing, was it Barcelona?

It would suit a builder of one of our Optimist kit sets, priced at less than half of a new sail and just U$100.00 or R2000.00 in South Africa.

This sail has been used very lightly and shows no marks or related damage.

We can ship a kit and this sail to most places ?

This North Sail has since been sold and with another two Optimist Dinghy to a builder we have supplied before in Zurich, Switzerland.

The Wood Epoxy Optimist dinghy kit

2023-10-08T08:36:00.004+02:00

We started making the Optimist as a plywood kit quite a while back, since when they have sold to places like New York, San Francisco, Zurich and a good few other destinations.

We have sent a number of them to the same builder in Zurich, more may be on the way soon, this is one of that builders work and from one of our plywood kits.

With each kit we supply is a detailed builders guide, a building jig to our own design, options can be Optiparts, Harken deck gear, North Sail, etc etc.

Floats can either red or grey, supplied by Optiparts. We can also supply the Optiparts masts sets and related parts.

At this time we use imported French made marine plywood , its light weight and stronger than some other makes?

We started production of our Optimist wood epoxy dinghy kits back in 2004, so next year will be the second decade of production for us.

Please contact me for pricing and delivery.

Proteus 106 plywood kit set packing.

2023-09-19T08:09:00.004+02:00

We are shipping a Proteus 106 kit set to a professional boat builder in Italy, he will do the assembly for his client who resides in Germany.

We have supplied the correct standard of pine wood packing crates, steel band strapped they are very secure.

Packing and shipping can be arranged here so that you the customer does not have to worry about such details, we can ship to most places in the World.

Sarita was a Proteus 106 built from a kit we supplied, in this picture she has been launched and awaits the fitting of her mast.

This is Sarita with her mast fitted and returning to harbour.

We have recent quotes from North Sails, Sparcraft and Harken, please ask if you require them.

Explorer 18 design by Dudley Dix

2023-08-12T15:43:00.004+02:00

Dudley is offering plans to his Explorer 18 day boat now.

The plywood sections can be CNC cut by CKD Boats and shipped World wide.

We can offer in both Okoume marine and Far East hardwood plywood.

The marine ply option uses 14 sheets of 9mm and 1 sheet of 4mm okoume plywood, total price is U$2073 or Rands 39,385 ex Cape Town, shipping is possible and at our cost.

Plans are U$300.00 which is Rands 6000 at todays R.O.E

Aries wind Vane self steering, air vane

2023-04-16T08:37:00.002+02:00

As a part of the manufacture of parts suitable for the Aries Wind Vane self steering gear I am now producing the plywood Air Vanes in imported marine plywood.

The ply is special in that it is a five veneer ply and stronger than the original three ply build.

Now being CNC cut and shaped to a pattern taken from one that Nick Franklin of Aries in Cowes I.O.W supplied me with.

In stock now, as are the Vesconite Hi Lube bushes.

Aries Vane Gear bush kit

2023-02-20T13:03:00.001+01:00

They can now be supplied as a made to order kit using special Vesconite Hi Lube material, the Vesconite will far outlast any other product on the market?

Please contact me on pricing, I can ship Worldwide using Fedex.

Hillman Imp new parts

2023-02-02T09:55:00.001+01:00

I have been producing a range of new parts for the Hillman Imp for some years now.

Please supply your email address if you would like a copy of the last PDF that I produced on parts available.

There are also recycled original parts such as this transaxle clutch fork, a later version.

Delivery by Fedex is working well as they are very quick to deliver and cost effective too.

An indication is from last week, an Imp saloon rear side window glazing rubber, Cape Town, South Africa to Budapest, Hungary in just five days!

Aries Vane Gear servicing

2023-01-31T07:11:00.002+01:00

For many years I have been servicing Aries Vane Gears.

This one has been serviced and has new Vesconite Hi Lube bearings fitted, Vesconite is ultra had wearing and not likely to wear out.

The owner of this one wishes to sell it, please contact me for the contact details or pricing on a Vesconiite bearing kit.

St Ayles Skiff in kit sets

2023-01-20T11:00:00.001+01:00

The St Ayles Skiff we cut and supplied to the Hout Bay Yacht Club is in regular use, a second craft is now being considered?

Shiping locally or World wide is possible.

Aries Vane Gear cleaning service

2022-12-28T13:04:00.001+01:00

Over the years, well decades the Aries Vane Gear becomes stained with salt and grime from its many miles steering your yacht.

When an Aries Vane Gear comes in to me for new bearings I can offer a cleaning service of the various metal parts.

Aries vane gear model three down tube bearings

2022-12-27T14:39:00.001+01:00

Made in the UK originally

in PTFE which is a really slippy plastic, I now make them here in South Africa with a Durban made product named Vesconite High Lube.

The Vesconite will outlast the PTFE and be very Slippy in service also.

Check the web site at www.vesconite.com

Argie 15 sailing built by Jaap.

2022-12-27T11:05:00.001+01:00

The Aries mark three vane gear

2022-12-27T10:56:00.002+01:00

What does the Aries mark three vane gear look like?

This picture shows the Mk3 version, there may be others with some slightly changed fittings, the hinge assembly on the water paddle being one, the air vane clamp may be another.

Genuine Aries vane gears ( there are copies) should have the words Aries Cowes I . O .W in the main frame assembly.

This Aries was cleaned and restored by myself, it was then packed into a shipping container and sent by courier to its new owner.

Aries Vane Gear stainless steel cross shaft bearings

2022-12-27T10:46:00.004+01:00

The early Aries Vane Gears were made to Imperial sizes, so the measurements were in inches.

The stainless steel cross shaft that supports the swing arm measures 1" ( one inch ) I have made a set of standard Vesconite bushes to suit that, this will require the bronze or stainless steel gear machining out also.

Aries Vane Gear re made spare parts

2022-12-27T09:41:00.003+01:00

Having the Aries Mk3 in for a service has allowed me to copy ( it is in inches ) exactly the required dimentions that need to be machined to.

An old bearing to the stainless steel down leg is on the left, a new pair of bearings are on the machine.

The Vesconite High Lube material in the lathe will next be cut to make a second set of bearings for another Aries Vane Gear.

Aries Vane Gear bushes in Vesconite High Lube plastic

2022-12-27T09:07:00.002+01:00

Aries Vane Gears will work better and for longer if the bushes ( bearings ) are made from Vesconite High Lube material.

The Aries Vane Gear mark three version I have in for service right now has had a set of bushes made, they are ready to fit soon.

I can accept orders from Worldwide, delivery is by Fedex and payment can be by Pay-Pal or a bank draft?

Aries Vane Gear spare parts

2022-12-27T08:58:00.001+01:00

It is thought that over 20,000 Aries Vane Gears of various types were produced?

Who has them and where are they, there were many models and types over the years!

Some we see here in Hout Bay near Cape Town and from time to time I am asked to service them for their owners.

In the past would ask a local engineer to machine bearings from Acetal, that person is no longer available to me, so to be able to continue to service Aries gears I have bought a Maximat V10-P lathe.

With this lathe I can now machine in house and deliver faster.

A test part for another use was on a sample of Acetal.

I can also machine none Aries parts as well?

An Argie 15 kit build in New Zealand

2022-12-27T08:49:00.004+01:00

We shipped an Argie 15 kit down to Ian in Picton, New Zealand.

Ian made a really fine job of his build and uses the result for both power and sailing ventures.

Bill Petigrew took the image.