16 Oct From panic to prizes (and pints) – K6 fixed Just In Time
Those who worked in manufacturing and supply chains in the 1990’s may be familiar with the then buzzwords ‘Just In Time’. It’s not usually something we’d recommend with your beloved boats and important events, but in this case we were pleased to help save the day.
Pete Vincent says “K6 owner, George Barker was packing his boat up at Oxford SC on a Sunday, ready for the K6 Nationals starting in Weymouth on Friday of that week. Unfortunately, but also luckily, he noticed that one of his shroud U bolts was very loose and easy to move around by hand. He opened the side tank hatch and discovered that the wooden support block built into the underside of deck, which the U bolt was bolted through, had absorbed water and fallen apart”.
George rang Pete on Sunday night and he offered to get at least a temporary new support pad in place.
He arrived with his boat on Monday morning and by the end of Monday we had made a new reinforced fibre glass plate to go under the deck; we used the deck as a mould to get the right shape.
On Tuesday we made an angled wedge for the U bolt to go through, so it was at the right angle.
We bonded everything in place on Wednesday and re-fitted the U bolt on Thursday morning.
George picked it up midday on Thursday to travel to Weymouth and be craned in that afternoon.
The first race started at midday on Friday and after 7 races over a long weekend he and crew Bertie finished 3rd overall.
And Pete? By late Thursday he was enjoying a pint of Doom Bar at Brixham YC!
Congratulations George and Bertie and Cheers Pete!
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