Are you dead set on buying a Blokart- or would you and your son like to try building your own?

welder (arc or mig)
cut off saw, angle grinder and basic handyman skills are all you need.
build 2 landyachts and you can have a race!

have a look at the construction section- at the top there is a bunch of "sticky" threads about building your own.

any questions- just shout!

stephen.

ok stephen ,sussed the thread thing thanks
would still be interested in some feedback on what to buy and where,does anyone know if your allowed to use them in Sandy Point Vic area

regards Sudsy

Yep! Sudsy,
Get into the shed and clear some floor space and get too it.. If you are any good with a pen and pencil and a few basic Geometry tools then a good place to start is from a print out of Paul Days LLF mini and re-draw them to scale.. It may seem like reinventing the wheel but I found it quite handy to get my head around what had to be done and when.. Lucky Stiff having a bit of Wind Surfer gear laying about and no doubt you have the connections to gather up other broken or no longer used gear.. Grab what you can and keep a stock.
Look around Recycling Depots etc for good waste materials etc and once again pick up what you can where you can. About the only thing you will need to buy that might cost $$$ Is decent wheels and Rib Pattern Barrow Tires.. There are a few Land Yachters in Vic and I am just over the puddle from you and like has already been said "Just Shout" and I've no doubt you will be bombarded with information and Advice..
Ron

PS, Keep your eyes open for disused Airfields and there is a Salt lake out in the middle of Victoria Lakes Tyrrel and Hindmarh should be worth a look.

Well! Sudsy, I doubt that you will sail conservatively as SPEED is Somehow addictive. I doubt that there is a quantity that can be put on Crash Pain, It is a Relative thing[}:)].......Depends on how you crash or what you crash into. For instance I've been sailing for 18 months to 2 years and crashed only twice. No I've not been going at it slowly, if you look at the design of Club 88 and Occum's Razor you will see why. C of G is at Axle height or lower. Having said that crash one at about 50kmph Capsized, seat belt held me in place and very nearly required help to escape a Land Yacht on it's side. No pain but a little damp.. Second Crash speed unknown (Very Fast) Out of control and the machine failed to make a complete turn. No Pain and very very WET knee deep in The Bass Straight----------Well there was a fair bit of pain to my Wallet as I soaked my Helmet Cam and GPS Data Logger. How ever if one Crashed at High Speed into an oncoming Land Yacht, Rocks, Pedestrian or Motor Vehicle I'd say one could suffer a great deal of PAIN, however one should take great care where one sails and avoid these situations..

Full Sails and more speed,
Ron

the minis we build are suprising safe, but it always helps to build with safety in mind.
a good lap belt and hard hat are really the important bits.
ive dunked at 90+ kph and you just slide to a stop, obviously try to avoid sailing close to solid objects

Vic,
You are seriously found of doing that stuff, aren't you. That series seems vaguely familia ? Different machine I think.. The idea is to encourage Sudsy.. Not scare the Bejesus outta him[}:)]
Ron

Thanks Ron and aus 230, starting to get my head around the sport by spending alot of time following threads on the forum and the Blokart website.While Im definately not loaded the Blowcarts look fairly reasonable price wise compared to say dirt bikes,my problem is I reckon I need 2 of em to get sons and maybe daughters interested.Stephens Idea of building is good .Where I anticipate using them I will have to cart them over a couple hundred meters sand dune to set up.

regards sudsy

As far as capsizing goes- I am too busy laughing when it happens!
when you get a bit "tippy" just back off with the sheet rope a bit.

I have capsized a few times on grass, mud lake bed, salt lakes and never been hurt yet- only time I had an ouchy was at Lake Gnangara- hit a deep wheel rut at speed, lost all steering- landyacht pivoted around, got airborne and hit the ground pretty hard.
landyacht was fine- but it reminded me where my kidneys were for a couple of days.(better padding instead of bare plywood might have helped too!)

Biggest worry with new sailors and kids in landyachts is keeping thier feet inside- no matter how hard you tell them, they will try using thier feet as brakes, or first few times on 2 wheels they tend to panic a bit and put thier feet out.
Either a closed body- or ankle straps to the mast step solve the problem.

stephen

@ sudsy

Now you need to understand mate that most people who get involved in this sport, be it for pleasure, fame or fortune, are certifiable maniacs.

So when you see a series of photos like these you have to think:-

If anybody can do that to a thing that looks as though it has just come from outer space and then stand up and shed a tear over the wreckage, it appears to be quite a safe vehicle. I might get one.

aus230 said...

No the same machine, the point is that these machines are very safe even when they prang as you are held away from the ground by the mast and wheels

Probably the worst I have see was crazy Trav . Sailed at night and jumper a causeway on Lake Lefroy again no injury . (lesson use lights on obstructions at night



Sob,....Sob...............Why do they keep breaking just when I am starting to have fun????




If that frigging wall that I launched off and the one behind me weren't there I could have sailed from the point there clear to the other side.




I'll pull it out with the council dozer and knock holes in those two walls while I am at it.
)

G, day guys thanks for feedback
Peter ,newlands arm about 4 hours away, why? and no 2nd hand yachts for sale in vic.
Leaning towards building, but never been good at delayed gratification, so anything might happen yet ,a good blokart salesman could probably stitch me up pretty easy.
Thanks for photos, I have a feeling you guys arent telling me something re stacks , surely something that looks that much fun at that much speed has more physical consequences than just broken gear .I have a couple of mates who were into hangliiders in the early days ,[ you guys sound like your cut from the same cloth,] and they were {are] definatley mad .

cheers sudsy

Hey Sudsy's kids,

Tell your dad not to be such a woos and start building- and give him a hand while he is at it,

My ten (at the time) year old son was in a borrowed landyacht at Lake Lefroy, tacking out from the causway, screaming back towards the causeway, doing huge broggies drifting sideways trying to spray his mum with salt- just like ice skaters do with thier blades.

After 10 or so big broggies, Brodie had a lot of salt on his sunglasses and couldnt see where the causeway was- didnt turn in time- hit the causeway, got airborne and smacked fair into the side of a parked 4 wheel drive.

No one even batted an eye, no damage to Brodie or the Hummingbird landyacht (apart from a bent pedal) less than 2 minutes later Brodie was out doing broggies again.

dont be scared of pranging- even if it hurts- scars are something you can say you earned and are great for showing off, besides.......chicks dig scars!

Stephen.

ok guys thanks for the rev up , bloody hell , a woos and a chicken and I havent even started yet ,
youngest son liked your story stephen

Thanks for that Peter . I will give him a call tomorrow , whatever happens will probably build one as well, as I do understand and appreciate what you guys are getting at

Sudsy,
Take Lachy's advice one step further and look at chooks pages and how he mad half a dozen in one hit.. [}:)]Seems they are cheaper by the dozen[}:)][}:)]. Seriously though you may get started and find that friends and neighbours get interested as well and that is where a set of jigs come in real handy.. Chook can attest to that I think.. PM him and get acquainted.
Ron

thanks Ron and Lachlan, been on chooks thread about building a few at once,obvious advantges .That photo of him with the pulse jet is a crack up ,funniest photo ive seen in a long time ,cant wait to show it to a couple of similar type mates .The interest i'm generating round this neck of the woods is unbelievable ,Ive got 5 blokes real interested and I'm not even trying .
cheers sudsy