Mike Field
25th January 2014, 09:08 AM
I'm sorry to tell fans of Percy Blandford that this designer of so many of our kayaks and other boats passed away (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10590350/Percy-Blandford-obituary.html) on 11 January, aged 101.
I built a wood-and-canvas PBK27, Kareela,to his design in 1960 (some photos elsewhere on the forum). She's a 13' cruising kayak, and the plans were purchased from the Melbourne Scout Shop that year for 18/6. I built her complete with sailing rig, leeboards, pedal-operated rudder, and trolley -- the whole kit and caboodle. Everything worked perfectly and still does, over half a century later. I've paddled and sailed Kareela on Port Phillip Bay, on Western Port, in numerous rivers and lakes, and indeed in Bass Strait, and she has never once given me a moment of concern. I owe Percy a great debt of gratitude, and I was pleased to be able to pass a message to him to that effect just a couple of years ago.
Mike
I built a wood-and-canvas PBK27, Kareela,to his design in 1960 (some photos elsewhere on the forum). She's a 13' cruising kayak, and the plans were purchased from the Melbourne Scout Shop that year for 18/6. I built her complete with sailing rig, leeboards, pedal-operated rudder, and trolley -- the whole kit and caboodle. Everything worked perfectly and still does, over half a century later. I've paddled and sailed Kareela on Port Phillip Bay, on Western Port, in numerous rivers and lakes, and indeed in Bass Strait, and she has never once given me a moment of concern. I owe Percy a great debt of gratitude, and I was pleased to be able to pass a message to him to that effect just a couple of years ago.
Mike