Moonraker Boats.

[oldgit]

Local Lotus car club recently had a get together and the guest speaker was Graham Arnold.Although now retired for many years he still runs the lotus owners club and came along to give us a chat on a pet interest of his the R101 and R100 airships.His main point was why one of the above was a disaster and the other quite a success story.However towards to the end of the evening he came round to the subject of how come Colin Chapman got into buying JCL boats.This story may or may not be true.
Colin wanted to appear at the LBC and was told to clear off,all space booked ages ago and got the feeling he was not welcome.So the story goes he looked to see what companies had got space at the show and finding that JCL had got space went and bought the company.Chapman did not think much of the Moonraker,noisy.slow and loads of vibration etc and went on to try a design a boat with the faults eliminated.

NV.

 

[byron]

News to me that one, he'd have been better off getting his cars to stay in one peice. MikeT might know he had one many years ago. Don't see that he made many changes when he took over... same engines etc.

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[oldgit]

He thought the moonies were a lost cause.According to Graham Arnold,on Mambas etc they put stuff like rubber mounts on engines/gearboxes and put rubber joints in any rigid copper pipework to try and damp vibrations.


NV.

 

[Nick2]

I've got some original Moonraker/Maruader/Mamba brochures if anyone needs a photocopy. Seemed to remember that the latter were real "star wars" stuff to a kid like me. Now a bit dated but interesting to slightly older kid like me.

Nick

My boat is here and out of the water in time for winter....

 

[oldgit]

Still a few of them around.Came across one in Medway on its way up to Maidstone. Based in Essex I think..Also went to look at one a couple of years ago with a view to purchase but to much of a heap.

NV.

 

[Nick2]

Marauder still looks good but Mamba etc oddball IMHO

My boat is here and out of the water in time for winter....

 

[oldgit]

Re: Mamba Boats.

The Mamba I went to look at was not designed by anyone who had ever tried to come alongside anything ever.You could not see a b****y thing except to the front.
Like being in a tank turret with a tiny slot for ahead vision only.

NV.

 

[Terje]

Dear Nick

Danish Moonraker Owners are indeed interested in Moonraker brochures. If you are in possession of one, which isn't on our web-site www.moonraker.dk (Library - Catalogues) please give me a call either in this forum or by mailing me on t.dehn@get2net.dk
best regards
Terje