I tried this blogging thing back in 2005. I had spent 2002-2003 travelling around the world. I started by going to work in an isolated fishing resort for the summer, then spent 6 months exploring China, Hong kong, New Zealand and Indonesia. At that time I was way more computer illiterate. I was just learning how they worked and trying hard to master the keyboard. Typing was a time consuming, laborious process and internet connections were usually dodgy or outrageously expensive. I kept in contact with friends and family by posting an online diary of my travels and experiences. When I found out about blogging, I copy and pasted all my emails to a blog which I then immediately lost track of.
I often wondered where it had gotten to, and stumbled upon it tonight. So I present to you ......the Adventures of Cyberangel
http://theadventuresofcyberangel.blogspot.com/
Im sorry but apparently the concept of paragraphs didnt occur to me when I was writing it, if I can get back into it I will try and edit it to make it an easier read. I lost thousands of pictures that I had taken on my travels when my computer caught on fire about 2 minutes after I finished downloading them all( and yes, I had already formated the camera :( ).I think I still have a few kicking around on cd,s somewhere, so will try and track them down and add them to the posts .
It was another time of transtition for me. I had just gone through a bancruptcy after BC medical took massage therapy off the plan. Just when life seemed totally bleak, the universe stepped in and gave me the time of my life.Im glad I documented it and wished I had this technology when growing up as I have had many adventures in life. Oh well never to late to start and Im sure I will have many more adventures to entertain you with.
Happy travels, Rhianna xxoo
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Global Warming??
Not here thats for sure! We are breaking winter records of all kinds these days. Victoria had the most snow in all of Canada? Victoria... who would of thunk?
This is the first time in ages that all of Canada has been under snow all at the same time. We have been getting walloped in Vancouver. Three major dumps of snow in one week.
Snowy Docks
Huge avalaches of snow slide off the roof of the shop every now and again with a thundering crash. One of the areas it likes to let go is right in front of the main gate to the property. I would hate to get caught under it as it is enough to break your neck if it hit you dead on.
David has been out every day trying to shovel the snow off the roof of his floathome. The extra weight was pushing the place down very close to the water. With 2 feet of snow on the roof and another 2 feet on the way,he spent a precarious two days perched on a ladder trying to dislodge as much as he could. It did the trick and he is up about 3-4 inches from yesterday. There is still alot of snow left up there but the immediate danger is over.
Unfortunatly one of the other tenents here wasn't so lucky. He left for a few days to do some visiting over the holidays. We woke up this morning to find his boat at the bottom of the river.
There is so much snow and ice, that trying to salvage it at this point would be dangerous and extremely hard work. I feel for the guy, it was his home with all his possesions on board. Im sooo glad my boat isn't in the river. The danger from the ice and snow is great right now. My 18 ft boat is still in the water and Ive had to go out every day and shovel all the snow off it. The back bilge area is full of frozen water. I will have to keep a close eye on things as it starts to melt.
My boat had been completly cleared of snow yesterday, this is what I woke up this morning
We took a break from shoveling last night and went to Watermania, a nearby swimming complex. We spent a few hours soaking in the hot tubs and taking turns in the steam and sauna rooms. Took a few breathtaking rides on the water slides and finished the night by going to see "The Yes Man" at the movies. It was a good laugh and a good reminder as to how we miss opportunities in our lives by turning down offers and opportunities that come our way.
I turned down about 20 party invitations before I finally said yes and went to the party where I met David...and look how much that decision changed my life! So next time you are offered something and go to automatically say no...take and chance and say yes...something wonderful might happen.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all. xxoo Rhianna
This is the first time in ages that all of Canada has been under snow all at the same time. We have been getting walloped in Vancouver. Three major dumps of snow in one week.
Snowy Docks
Huge avalaches of snow slide off the roof of the shop every now and again with a thundering crash. One of the areas it likes to let go is right in front of the main gate to the property. I would hate to get caught under it as it is enough to break your neck if it hit you dead on.
David has been out every day trying to shovel the snow off the roof of his floathome. The extra weight was pushing the place down very close to the water. With 2 feet of snow on the roof and another 2 feet on the way,he spent a precarious two days perched on a ladder trying to dislodge as much as he could. It did the trick and he is up about 3-4 inches from yesterday. There is still alot of snow left up there but the immediate danger is over.
Unfortunatly one of the other tenents here wasn't so lucky. He left for a few days to do some visiting over the holidays. We woke up this morning to find his boat at the bottom of the river.
There is so much snow and ice, that trying to salvage it at this point would be dangerous and extremely hard work. I feel for the guy, it was his home with all his possesions on board. Im sooo glad my boat isn't in the river. The danger from the ice and snow is great right now. My 18 ft boat is still in the water and Ive had to go out every day and shovel all the snow off it. The back bilge area is full of frozen water. I will have to keep a close eye on things as it starts to melt.
My boat had been completly cleared of snow yesterday, this is what I woke up this morning
We took a break from shoveling last night and went to Watermania, a nearby swimming complex. We spent a few hours soaking in the hot tubs and taking turns in the steam and sauna rooms. Took a few breathtaking rides on the water slides and finished the night by going to see "The Yes Man" at the movies. It was a good laugh and a good reminder as to how we miss opportunities in our lives by turning down offers and opportunities that come our way.
I turned down about 20 party invitations before I finally said yes and went to the party where I met David...and look how much that decision changed my life! So next time you are offered something and go to automatically say no...take and chance and say yes...something wonderful might happen.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all. xxoo Rhianna
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Things I'm Grateful For
1. That Im not living on my boat at the moment. Its seriously cold here. I never thought I would see this.....
The Fraser River filled with ice.
We went down to check on things last night and were shocked to see how much ice had come down the river.The sound of it grinding against the shore and the boats was seriously spooky. Tana's video of it crashing into their marina was terrifying to watch
2. All the water hoses have been frozen for a week.David keeps taking them apart and thawing them out, but they refreeze overnight. I am so grateful we still have running water in the shop.
3. My friends Shelly and Todd have invited us over for Christmas dinner. Yahoo, she is an awesome cook and has a wonderful cozy home, I can't wait to be there. My favorite part about Christmas is the decorations and sharing food and good times with friends and family.Im grateful to Shelly for providing that for us, I dont have it in me this year to transform our pile of half-finished projects into something that looks festive.
4. My awesome cat that has been braving the subzero temperatures ,to spend the night in the living room and do battle with all the wild creatures trying to get in here.
Racoons, squirrils and a host of rodents have had to do battle with him , but the food stash is still safe.
The Fraser River filled with ice.
We went down to check on things last night and were shocked to see how much ice had come down the river.The sound of it grinding against the shore and the boats was seriously spooky. Tana's video of it crashing into their marina was terrifying to watch
2. All the water hoses have been frozen for a week.David keeps taking them apart and thawing them out, but they refreeze overnight. I am so grateful we still have running water in the shop.
3. My friends Shelly and Todd have invited us over for Christmas dinner. Yahoo, she is an awesome cook and has a wonderful cozy home, I can't wait to be there. My favorite part about Christmas is the decorations and sharing food and good times with friends and family.Im grateful to Shelly for providing that for us, I dont have it in me this year to transform our pile of half-finished projects into something that looks festive.
4. My awesome cat that has been braving the subzero temperatures ,to spend the night in the living room and do battle with all the wild creatures trying to get in here.
Racoons, squirrils and a host of rodents have had to do battle with him , but the food stash is still safe.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Bah Humbug
I dont know whats the matter with me lately, Ive been in a real funk. Maybe its my imminent 50th birthday looming, or menapausal hormones or maybe its just a bad case of SAD (seasonal affective disorder)but I cant seem to get excited about much these days.
I love my boat but the extensive repairs needed on it are sucking the life out of me. More and more I picture myself chopping it up for firewood and moving back into an apartment or something. I really want a home of my own,one thats everything I ever dreamed of but as I took the grasshopper role in the drama of life, I am ill prepared finacially to accomplish that.
I dont know why this is so important to me. It must be all the moving I did growing up. The sense of constant instability has made me crave that which I could never have,a stable home that I could retreat to and feel nurtered within. I can picture it, just cant seem to manifest it.
I feel like I live in a paralell universe where I look through the windows of peoples lives and see them in their own home surrounded by family, children,friends,contemplating their retirement with winters in the tropics and wonder how did I manage to miss it all?
No long term marriage ,no children, no stablity, no home and no retirement for me.
I have had other blessings in my life like travel and many interesting experiences but now the grasshopper wants to come in and put her feet up by the fire.
It seems I am at another crossroad in my life but have no idea where or what to do next. Every time I try and take control of my destiny, it never goes as planned. I love the surprises the universe throws at me and try to not deal on my attachment issues but its an exhausting way to live. One foot over the edge of a cliff is what it feels like. I need/want/desire more balance in my life. A crystal ball would be nice too.
Im sorry, dont mean to sound like a moaner,I have lots to be grateful for in life,just feeling a little directionless right now and figured by getting this off of my chest I can shake this off and move on. I must make like a feather and see where the winds of change blow me next. Hopefully its a soft landing!
I love my boat but the extensive repairs needed on it are sucking the life out of me. More and more I picture myself chopping it up for firewood and moving back into an apartment or something. I really want a home of my own,one thats everything I ever dreamed of but as I took the grasshopper role in the drama of life, I am ill prepared finacially to accomplish that.
I dont know why this is so important to me. It must be all the moving I did growing up. The sense of constant instability has made me crave that which I could never have,a stable home that I could retreat to and feel nurtered within. I can picture it, just cant seem to manifest it.
I feel like I live in a paralell universe where I look through the windows of peoples lives and see them in their own home surrounded by family, children,friends,contemplating their retirement with winters in the tropics and wonder how did I manage to miss it all?
No long term marriage ,no children, no stablity, no home and no retirement for me.
I have had other blessings in my life like travel and many interesting experiences but now the grasshopper wants to come in and put her feet up by the fire.
It seems I am at another crossroad in my life but have no idea where or what to do next. Every time I try and take control of my destiny, it never goes as planned. I love the surprises the universe throws at me and try to not deal on my attachment issues but its an exhausting way to live. One foot over the edge of a cliff is what it feels like. I need/want/desire more balance in my life. A crystal ball would be nice too.
Im sorry, dont mean to sound like a moaner,I have lots to be grateful for in life,just feeling a little directionless right now and figured by getting this off of my chest I can shake this off and move on. I must make like a feather and see where the winds of change blow me next. Hopefully its a soft landing!
Have You Ever Wondered.....
..how Olympians in obscure sports get their training? Ive have always admired the speed skaters and figured if there was ever a sport I might have been good at, that could have been it. But not once in my whole life have I ever seen a speed skating rink... or a bobsled track or cross country skiers packing rifles.
How do the youth of our country get the opportunity to try their hands at these sports. When they choose the best in the country to represent us, how do they know they have the best if 99 percent of us never even got to try out?
The other day I attended the grand opening of the Richmond speed skating oval built for the upcoming Winter Olympics here in Vancouver. Its a beautiful building with a stunning roof crafted from reclaimed pine beetle destroyed trees.
A vast expanse of ice
A closeup of the roof
I stood in awe looking at the vast expanse of ice, picturing myself racing around it. Excited at the chance to finally have a go at speed skating, I went to all the information booths they had set up to see if I could finally find out how I could get some training in this particular sport.
Not one person had the answer. They are planning to allow public skating at the oval until the Olympics start but all the skating lessons are for traditional ice skating and the skate rentals are for regular ice skates not the longer blades they use for speed. Im am soooo dissapointed.
After the Olympics are over they are going to change the interior of the oval to accommadate a more traditional style rink with the rest of the space being used for basketball courts or other sports. I wish they would offer the general public a chance to try their hand at speed skating, who knows the next gold medalist could live right around the corner.
How do the youth of our country get the opportunity to try their hands at these sports. When they choose the best in the country to represent us, how do they know they have the best if 99 percent of us never even got to try out?
The other day I attended the grand opening of the Richmond speed skating oval built for the upcoming Winter Olympics here in Vancouver. Its a beautiful building with a stunning roof crafted from reclaimed pine beetle destroyed trees.
A vast expanse of ice
A closeup of the roof
I stood in awe looking at the vast expanse of ice, picturing myself racing around it. Excited at the chance to finally have a go at speed skating, I went to all the information booths they had set up to see if I could finally find out how I could get some training in this particular sport.
Not one person had the answer. They are planning to allow public skating at the oval until the Olympics start but all the skating lessons are for traditional ice skating and the skate rentals are for regular ice skates not the longer blades they use for speed. Im am soooo dissapointed.
After the Olympics are over they are going to change the interior of the oval to accommadate a more traditional style rink with the rest of the space being used for basketball courts or other sports. I wish they would offer the general public a chance to try their hand at speed skating, who knows the next gold medalist could live right around the corner.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Still Dreaming
I stumbled upon a program my brother had given me years ago called Punch Super Home Suite. Its a program that allows you to design a home.You can make a blueprint, then see the framing stage and the completed stage.It gives you a menu of furniture,walls,floors,windows,doors,appliances, and outdoor plants to choose from so you can decorate it and see how things fit and how colors go together.The plants have an option that allows you see how big they wil grow over a selected amount of time. There is also a built in cost calculator that shows you how many 2x4 ect you need so you can figure out your material budget.
My favorite part is the 3-d visual they give you. You can walk through the place and see the furniture,walls,windows ect or you can fly over it as it spins around ,giving you an aerial view.If you do this before you put the roof on, you can see inside the rooms.
Lots of fun.
All my life Ive been planning my perfect house. Ive drawn a gazzilion rough scetches on scraps of paper. This is sooo much better! I really want a floathome.Much as I love my boat,when I said I wanted to live on the water, I had always pictured a floathome, not a boat.This boat was a bonus I never expected and it would make an awesome cabin to escape to, but for full time living, I want real size appliances,a workshop and some space to entertain.
The place Ive designed is for a 40x30 float with a 30x30 home and a 10x30 deck. I had orignally designed an attic bedroom and on-suite but this programs limitations would not allow me that option.Ive redesigned it to fit on one floor with the option of using the attic for some storage with a pull down ladder.Having a staircase to get upstairs was going to take up too much room.
With my space all mapped out, Ive been scouring craigslist for deals for the house.So far I have a jaccuzi tub, matching toilet,another toilet if I deside on an upstairs onsuite all for free and a gas full size stove and 4 beautiful interior doors for the grand total of two hundred dollars. Ive seen some good deals on gorgeous french style windows from heritage houses and am keeping my eyes open for deals on appliances and fixtures.
Kind of silly to be collecting all this stuff ahead of time, but it takes time to find the good deals and by the time I find a free float, Ill be ready.
I wiped out on the docks last week and gave my self a huge bruise on my hip and wrenched my back and neck.
I was in too much pain to do much work on the boat, so I spent my time designing the floathome.
I find thats it good to put your dreams on paper,make them real,put a solid intention out there to the universe so it knows exactly what you want. I did that years ago,making a detailed list of my perfect man. David matched that list almost to the T.
So be careful what you wish for, be very specific and make it concrete(a list,drawing,model ect) Intention is everything! May all your dreams come true if its in the best interest of the universe.
My favorite part is the 3-d visual they give you. You can walk through the place and see the furniture,walls,windows ect or you can fly over it as it spins around ,giving you an aerial view.If you do this before you put the roof on, you can see inside the rooms.
Lots of fun.
All my life Ive been planning my perfect house. Ive drawn a gazzilion rough scetches on scraps of paper. This is sooo much better! I really want a floathome.Much as I love my boat,when I said I wanted to live on the water, I had always pictured a floathome, not a boat.This boat was a bonus I never expected and it would make an awesome cabin to escape to, but for full time living, I want real size appliances,a workshop and some space to entertain.
The place Ive designed is for a 40x30 float with a 30x30 home and a 10x30 deck. I had orignally designed an attic bedroom and on-suite but this programs limitations would not allow me that option.Ive redesigned it to fit on one floor with the option of using the attic for some storage with a pull down ladder.Having a staircase to get upstairs was going to take up too much room.
With my space all mapped out, Ive been scouring craigslist for deals for the house.So far I have a jaccuzi tub, matching toilet,another toilet if I deside on an upstairs onsuite all for free and a gas full size stove and 4 beautiful interior doors for the grand total of two hundred dollars. Ive seen some good deals on gorgeous french style windows from heritage houses and am keeping my eyes open for deals on appliances and fixtures.
Kind of silly to be collecting all this stuff ahead of time, but it takes time to find the good deals and by the time I find a free float, Ill be ready.
I wiped out on the docks last week and gave my self a huge bruise on my hip and wrenched my back and neck.
I was in too much pain to do much work on the boat, so I spent my time designing the floathome.
I find thats it good to put your dreams on paper,make them real,put a solid intention out there to the universe so it knows exactly what you want. I did that years ago,making a detailed list of my perfect man. David matched that list almost to the T.
So be careful what you wish for, be very specific and make it concrete(a list,drawing,model ect) Intention is everything! May all your dreams come true if its in the best interest of the universe.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Life Last Week
Well last week was a full one for sure.
Tuesday I spent seven hours at the hairdressers getting a perm that had about four hundred rods in my head. It was an exhausting ordeal but Im now as curly as a lamb.
Wednesday I worked on the boat, then off to do 3 massages
Thursday morning we got up and the sun was shining, the sky was blue and I couldnt face one more day on this industrial dusty island.I kidnapped David from his zillion and one chores and we went on a road trip.
We started with eggs benny brunch then headed up the road to Squamish ( on the sea- to-sky highway midway to Whistler, the sight of the 2010 Olympics)I haven't been up that way in years and had forgotten how beautiful this province can be.It was a splendid day, no traffic at all and gorgeous views of snow capped mountains, lush forest and dazzling sea scapes.
We checked out a cool marina in Lions Bay, where all the boats are kept out of water in a three story covered hanger. When you want to go out, they grab your boat with a forklift, put it on a trailer and have it launched in ten minutes. Nice setup,no docks to worry about, no damage to boats in the water, no worries about sinking boats ect. All nice and neat and protected.Stacking them three high made optimal use of the space as well. I was very impressed. David wanted to check out the area up here for some water space to put his houses for the olympics with the idea of renting them out as accomadation.
We then made our way to Brandywine Falls for an ozone fix.My lungs hadn't felt that good in months.I could breathe all the way down to my toes, sweet fresh moutain air, got to love it!. Spent a little time tree hugging and soaking in the greenery, then it was off to Squamish.
Brandywine Falls
We found the slough where they moor their boats. Its totally gorgeous,tucked in beside the Chief mountainside.I could live there!
On the way home we stopped downtown to visit Davids friends at their new tattoo shop they just opened. I havent been on Granville street after dark in about 20 years.Felt like a teenager again. I forgot how vibrant that part of town is. So different from Richmond that rolls up its streets at dusk.
One of the tattoo artists had air-brushed this very cool painting on the shop wall. Its a little on the evil side but I thought it would be cool to do something like this on my hull.Just not the image I would chose for myself, but love the effect.
Friday I spent installing some boards on the boat and did some massages in the evening,not getting home until alomost midnight.
Up early Saturday morning and spent the whole day working on the boat.A quick shower and it was off to a friends house for one of the best jams Ive ever been too.
Awesome music going on in three different rooms. Didnt get home from that until 2 am.
Up at 8am for a full day of massages at the clinic on Sunday. Got home around 8:30 pm and was curling up in bed ready to call it a night when we got a frantic call saying Davids Tugboat was out in the middle of the river.
We raced down to the docks to find that a hundred foot section of concrete dock with the tugboat tied to the outside had been hit by a huge deadhead tearing it away from its moorings. The current was roaring as it was a 13 foot drop in tide that night and we couldnt do anything to pull it in. With no choice but to wait for the tide change all we could do was attach a mechanical come-along to a rope and tie it off to hold all it in place. Too scared to leave it and sleep, we spent a long night watching and waiting for the tide change.It finally started to shift around 4:30 in the morning.We then spent a grueling three hours pulling it all back in and getting it properly secured again.
Eight am and we finally crawled into bed, wet and exhausted.Slept pretty much the whole day away.Ordered take out food for brupper ( breakfast,lunch,supper), then it was off to do a few more massages.
Tuesday was another full day of work, nine massages.Then it was off to the other side of town to buy myself a new laptop. My old one finally hit the floor one too many times and died on me last week. Came home and spent several hours downloading software until I couldnt see straight anymore.
Yesterday was a day of a zillion errands, all over town.Hardware store, gorceries,drugstore,4 computer shops,the water store, laundry, dishes and a home cooked meal, then back to work for another 3 massages.
Whew Im tired just writng about it all.Time for a break, ...haha ya right.David is barking at me to get up and get busy.Sigh ...here we go again!
Tuesday I spent seven hours at the hairdressers getting a perm that had about four hundred rods in my head. It was an exhausting ordeal but Im now as curly as a lamb.
Wednesday I worked on the boat, then off to do 3 massages
Thursday morning we got up and the sun was shining, the sky was blue and I couldnt face one more day on this industrial dusty island.I kidnapped David from his zillion and one chores and we went on a road trip.
We started with eggs benny brunch then headed up the road to Squamish ( on the sea- to-sky highway midway to Whistler, the sight of the 2010 Olympics)I haven't been up that way in years and had forgotten how beautiful this province can be.It was a splendid day, no traffic at all and gorgeous views of snow capped mountains, lush forest and dazzling sea scapes.
We checked out a cool marina in Lions Bay, where all the boats are kept out of water in a three story covered hanger. When you want to go out, they grab your boat with a forklift, put it on a trailer and have it launched in ten minutes. Nice setup,no docks to worry about, no damage to boats in the water, no worries about sinking boats ect. All nice and neat and protected.Stacking them three high made optimal use of the space as well. I was very impressed. David wanted to check out the area up here for some water space to put his houses for the olympics with the idea of renting them out as accomadation.
We then made our way to Brandywine Falls for an ozone fix.My lungs hadn't felt that good in months.I could breathe all the way down to my toes, sweet fresh moutain air, got to love it!. Spent a little time tree hugging and soaking in the greenery, then it was off to Squamish.
Brandywine Falls
We found the slough where they moor their boats. Its totally gorgeous,tucked in beside the Chief mountainside.I could live there!
On the way home we stopped downtown to visit Davids friends at their new tattoo shop they just opened. I havent been on Granville street after dark in about 20 years.Felt like a teenager again. I forgot how vibrant that part of town is. So different from Richmond that rolls up its streets at dusk.
One of the tattoo artists had air-brushed this very cool painting on the shop wall. Its a little on the evil side but I thought it would be cool to do something like this on my hull.Just not the image I would chose for myself, but love the effect.
Friday I spent installing some boards on the boat and did some massages in the evening,not getting home until alomost midnight.
Up early Saturday morning and spent the whole day working on the boat.A quick shower and it was off to a friends house for one of the best jams Ive ever been too.
Awesome music going on in three different rooms. Didnt get home from that until 2 am.
Up at 8am for a full day of massages at the clinic on Sunday. Got home around 8:30 pm and was curling up in bed ready to call it a night when we got a frantic call saying Davids Tugboat was out in the middle of the river.
We raced down to the docks to find that a hundred foot section of concrete dock with the tugboat tied to the outside had been hit by a huge deadhead tearing it away from its moorings. The current was roaring as it was a 13 foot drop in tide that night and we couldnt do anything to pull it in. With no choice but to wait for the tide change all we could do was attach a mechanical come-along to a rope and tie it off to hold all it in place. Too scared to leave it and sleep, we spent a long night watching and waiting for the tide change.It finally started to shift around 4:30 in the morning.We then spent a grueling three hours pulling it all back in and getting it properly secured again.
Eight am and we finally crawled into bed, wet and exhausted.Slept pretty much the whole day away.Ordered take out food for brupper ( breakfast,lunch,supper), then it was off to do a few more massages.
Tuesday was another full day of work, nine massages.Then it was off to the other side of town to buy myself a new laptop. My old one finally hit the floor one too many times and died on me last week. Came home and spent several hours downloading software until I couldnt see straight anymore.
Yesterday was a day of a zillion errands, all over town.Hardware store, gorceries,drugstore,4 computer shops,the water store, laundry, dishes and a home cooked meal, then back to work for another 3 massages.
Whew Im tired just writng about it all.Time for a break, ...haha ya right.David is barking at me to get up and get busy.Sigh ...here we go again!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Im a Girl So...
changing my mind comes with the territory. After spending a small fortune and several days on the plywood scheme, I changed my mind at the last minute and installed the boards instead. The plywood had started to warp quite badly from curing in a cold damp room and looked like it was going to be a hassle to install neatly,so I decided to try going with the boards after all. The reason I wasnt going to in the beginning, was I thought I was going to have to steam them all to make them fit tight. Lots of clamps, glue and a zillion screws later and they are in and looking fine if I say so myself.I'm very proud of the finished result and much happier to have real boards in there.
My arms are still going numb every night, so I am trying to avoid lots of repetative work on the boat. To that end, I hired a young man to come over last Saturday and grind the paint off the bottom. It was a chore I was dreading doing as it would require laying on my back and holding the heavy grinder over my head.
It was the best hundred bucks Ive ever spent. He did a great job and got it all done in one day. While he was here, I had him and David work on getting all the through-hulls removed.( Most of them had to be cut off as they were so rusted)David got most of the routering finished so Im having my helper back this Saturday to pull out the last of the caulking and to start filling the seams with fairing putty. Whoohooo...finally progress being made.I had my doubts that this would ever get done, but now that we are this far along, Im starting to feel hopeful.
The main challenge left now, is to figure out how Im going to rebuild the side decks and get the last boards just under them installed.There are a few patches that need to be installed, one over the big drafty hole behind the bed and I want to cover the two holes in the back of the transom. Im not sure what their original purpose was, but all they seemed to do was be a doorway for rodents to get onboard.Once all that is done, I'll go over the whole boat with a grinder and sander to smooth out any bumps and then the fiberglassing can start. I have no idea what I'm in for there but hopefully it goes well and quickly. I would love to have this done by the end of the year. Wishful thinking perhaps, but its amazing how much work gets done with a few helping hands.
My arms are still going numb every night, so I am trying to avoid lots of repetative work on the boat. To that end, I hired a young man to come over last Saturday and grind the paint off the bottom. It was a chore I was dreading doing as it would require laying on my back and holding the heavy grinder over my head.
It was the best hundred bucks Ive ever spent. He did a great job and got it all done in one day. While he was here, I had him and David work on getting all the through-hulls removed.( Most of them had to be cut off as they were so rusted)David got most of the routering finished so Im having my helper back this Saturday to pull out the last of the caulking and to start filling the seams with fairing putty. Whoohooo...finally progress being made.I had my doubts that this would ever get done, but now that we are this far along, Im starting to feel hopeful.
The main challenge left now, is to figure out how Im going to rebuild the side decks and get the last boards just under them installed.There are a few patches that need to be installed, one over the big drafty hole behind the bed and I want to cover the two holes in the back of the transom. Im not sure what their original purpose was, but all they seemed to do was be a doorway for rodents to get onboard.Once all that is done, I'll go over the whole boat with a grinder and sander to smooth out any bumps and then the fiberglassing can start. I have no idea what I'm in for there but hopefully it goes well and quickly. I would love to have this done by the end of the year. Wishful thinking perhaps, but its amazing how much work gets done with a few helping hands.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Progress Update
Well pretty much all the caulking is out now. Ive been picking away at it a few hours at a time over the last week and yesterday David spent the whole day on it. He has started routering all the seams to prepare them for being refilled with fairing putty.He has another good day of work to do before that job is all done.His hands are killing him as are mine ( ripping out caulking is HARD work)so it will get done in a few days when we have recuperated.
In the meantime, I got my plywood patches all covered in resin ( along with half the shop and a nasty resin burn on my chin). I ran out of catalyst, so off to the shops today to get more so I can install the patches tomorrow.
The bottom of the boat still needs to be grinded to remove the old paint and some boards need to be cut to fill in the places the patches dont cover. Then all the seams filled with putty and sanded.Once that is all done, the hull of the boat will be ready for fiberglassing.
Before that happens though, I still have to deal with rebuilding the side decks and window frames.So much to do, so little time, even less strength and energy. SIGH!!
As a diversion from all of this, we went out to a Halloween party Fridy night.What a blast! My friend Taylor had just moved into a 7 bedroom mansion in the tony North Vancouver heights.It has a spectacular view of the city, a living room the size of a barn and a gorgeous fireplace in the kitchen.There was a full band set up in the living room, a large dance floor space and all were dressed in costume.
I had noticed a large piece of fabric draped from the ceiling and was trying to guess what it was.I thought it was a hammock but was floored when I found out what it really was. Taylor came out dressed in a long flowing white dress, unhooked the fabric so it hung straight down from the ceiling. She then separated it into several pieces which she put around her wrists and ankles. Suddenly she was flying through the air on the coolest swing Ive ever seen. She could rearrange the fabric in different ways and do different poses that looked like floating ballet.Too cool, I want one.Apparently there are courses here in town to learn how to do it, I cant wait to try it out.Im not the most graceful person around, so doubt Ill ever make it look as good as she did, but looks like so much fun, Im willing to give it a go. Good thing David has a large open style house,its the perfect place for practicing something like this.
Taylor on her swing
The beautiful kitchen fireplace
Me and a few of my friends in costume
In the meantime, I got my plywood patches all covered in resin ( along with half the shop and a nasty resin burn on my chin). I ran out of catalyst, so off to the shops today to get more so I can install the patches tomorrow.
The bottom of the boat still needs to be grinded to remove the old paint and some boards need to be cut to fill in the places the patches dont cover. Then all the seams filled with putty and sanded.Once that is all done, the hull of the boat will be ready for fiberglassing.
Before that happens though, I still have to deal with rebuilding the side decks and window frames.So much to do, so little time, even less strength and energy. SIGH!!
As a diversion from all of this, we went out to a Halloween party Fridy night.What a blast! My friend Taylor had just moved into a 7 bedroom mansion in the tony North Vancouver heights.It has a spectacular view of the city, a living room the size of a barn and a gorgeous fireplace in the kitchen.There was a full band set up in the living room, a large dance floor space and all were dressed in costume.
I had noticed a large piece of fabric draped from the ceiling and was trying to guess what it was.I thought it was a hammock but was floored when I found out what it really was. Taylor came out dressed in a long flowing white dress, unhooked the fabric so it hung straight down from the ceiling. She then separated it into several pieces which she put around her wrists and ankles. Suddenly she was flying through the air on the coolest swing Ive ever seen. She could rearrange the fabric in different ways and do different poses that looked like floating ballet.Too cool, I want one.Apparently there are courses here in town to learn how to do it, I cant wait to try it out.Im not the most graceful person around, so doubt Ill ever make it look as good as she did, but looks like so much fun, Im willing to give it a go. Good thing David has a large open style house,its the perfect place for practicing something like this.
Taylor on her swing
The beautiful kitchen fireplace
Me and a few of my friends in costume
Does This Ever Happen to You?
I have had a weird relationship with all things electrical all my life.I first noticed it as a child when not one watch I ever owned would keep time.
I dont just mean they were a few minutes off either.I could set my watch at noon and half an hour later it would read 9am or some such thing.What kind of watch goes backward at light speed? Funny enough when I would look at the watch it was always ticking forward at a normal rate, take my eyes off of it for a few minutes and it would read hours of difference. I gave up and have never worn a watch since.
In my life I have had a VCR that would turn itself off and on whenever it felt like it, a desktop computer that would turn itself on ( usually at 3 am scaring me half to death), a toaster that would only toast one side of each piece of bread,a million unexplainable computer glitches that magically sort themselves out after 10 computer geniuses have given up,and strangest of all, a mysterious black box that shows up on my tv screen. The box blanks out about two thirds of my tv screen and the only way to make it go away is to hit the volume button once. This sometimes cures it for the night, sometimes it comes back constantly for hours.Even stranger is sometimes this black box gets writing in it, like someone is using it for a computer screen, only the writing never makes any sense. Sometimes it looks like Russian, the other day it was an url repeated over and over. Strangest of all, is this is the second TV Ive owned that has done this at two different addresses.
Oh yeah, and I can blow out street lights just by driving past them. Happens all the time to me. The street I lived on in Richmond was pretty much in darkness the whole time I lived there. They would replace the bulbs only to have me drive by the next night and blow them all again. My record was seven in one night.
So Jamie(MV Katherine Jane) while I can commiserate with all your recent woes with modern technology, until you have had me on board to really screw things up, you ain't seen nothing yet. Hope it all sorts itself out soon for you.
My TV screen with its annoying black box, no writing in it today.
I dont just mean they were a few minutes off either.I could set my watch at noon and half an hour later it would read 9am or some such thing.What kind of watch goes backward at light speed? Funny enough when I would look at the watch it was always ticking forward at a normal rate, take my eyes off of it for a few minutes and it would read hours of difference. I gave up and have never worn a watch since.
In my life I have had a VCR that would turn itself off and on whenever it felt like it, a desktop computer that would turn itself on ( usually at 3 am scaring me half to death), a toaster that would only toast one side of each piece of bread,a million unexplainable computer glitches that magically sort themselves out after 10 computer geniuses have given up,and strangest of all, a mysterious black box that shows up on my tv screen. The box blanks out about two thirds of my tv screen and the only way to make it go away is to hit the volume button once. This sometimes cures it for the night, sometimes it comes back constantly for hours.Even stranger is sometimes this black box gets writing in it, like someone is using it for a computer screen, only the writing never makes any sense. Sometimes it looks like Russian, the other day it was an url repeated over and over. Strangest of all, is this is the second TV Ive owned that has done this at two different addresses.
Oh yeah, and I can blow out street lights just by driving past them. Happens all the time to me. The street I lived on in Richmond was pretty much in darkness the whole time I lived there. They would replace the bulbs only to have me drive by the next night and blow them all again. My record was seven in one night.
So Jamie(MV Katherine Jane) while I can commiserate with all your recent woes with modern technology, until you have had me on board to really screw things up, you ain't seen nothing yet. Hope it all sorts itself out soon for you.
My TV screen with its annoying black box, no writing in it today.
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Continuing Deconstruction Of My Boat
Well Im still at it. David kept pointing at the patch job and telling me all the caulking had to be taken out,so I finally got around to doing that. All proud of myself because I spent about 3 hours doing it only to find out he meant the whole boat not just the patch job. That was another job I wasn't expecting and a brutal one to say the least.I spent eleven and a half hours working on that the other day and got about half the job done. I figure Ive done about 730 feet of caulking removal so far. All I can say is OUCH!! Each board has an inch of candlewick-like stuffing between it covered over with some kind of silicone-like substance that is stuck on there for life. I had to pry it all out one inch at a time. My arms were killing me when I finally called it a night.I didnt sleep a wink as my right arm went totally numb and tingly with a burning pain from hell that kept me wide awake. Thankfully that resolved itself the next day but had me scared for awhile.
I took the next day off and rested all day. That evening I went to the Parade of Lost Souls, always a treat for the senses and then off to a friends for a good jam session. It was awesome to get out, its been way to long since Ive had anything resembling a social life.
Originaly, I had intended to replace all the rotten boards with new ones, but that was looking like the job from hell, so decided to do something I swore I wouldnt.Im putting in large plywood patches instead. I spent the last two days making patterns from white board and cutting out 3 layers of plywood to fit the two big holes.
Today I finally gathered the courage to suit up and paint them all with fiberglass resin. While it was drying, I put in the rest of the new ribs.It all sounds so simple on paper but each job has many steps and lots of prep work to get all the tools and supplies together and the space prepared for the task at hand. When I look at the boat, not much seems different but I have spent endless hours on it. I can hardly wait till it starts going back together, the more I remove from it, the less it looks like something that will ever float again.
David has offered me one of his Dickinson diesel stoves for my boat. It needs a serious good cleaning/rebuilding and I would have to rip out the existing area where the wood stove is and rebuild it to fit the stove. Then I'd have to figure where to put fuel tanks and vents ect. I guess part of my mind set with this boat is worst case senario and the world goes to shit, can I survive on it? I could be off the grid with diesel and propane but in a complete shutdown of services I would still be in trouble. A woodstove with a cooking surface and a water coil would be ideal, but hard to find in the size I need to fit my boat. I do have a propane furnace which means just one kind of fuel for hot water, cooking and heat but thats alot of propane connections on one boat, kind of scary. Whats a girl to do?
The transom removed
A view of some boards with the caulking removed and one that still needs work
The gaping hole in the transom filled with a sawdust and glue mixture
The plywood cutouts all laid out ready for flooding with fiberglass resin
I took the next day off and rested all day. That evening I went to the Parade of Lost Souls, always a treat for the senses and then off to a friends for a good jam session. It was awesome to get out, its been way to long since Ive had anything resembling a social life.
Originaly, I had intended to replace all the rotten boards with new ones, but that was looking like the job from hell, so decided to do something I swore I wouldnt.Im putting in large plywood patches instead. I spent the last two days making patterns from white board and cutting out 3 layers of plywood to fit the two big holes.
Today I finally gathered the courage to suit up and paint them all with fiberglass resin. While it was drying, I put in the rest of the new ribs.It all sounds so simple on paper but each job has many steps and lots of prep work to get all the tools and supplies together and the space prepared for the task at hand. When I look at the boat, not much seems different but I have spent endless hours on it. I can hardly wait till it starts going back together, the more I remove from it, the less it looks like something that will ever float again.
David has offered me one of his Dickinson diesel stoves for my boat. It needs a serious good cleaning/rebuilding and I would have to rip out the existing area where the wood stove is and rebuild it to fit the stove. Then I'd have to figure where to put fuel tanks and vents ect. I guess part of my mind set with this boat is worst case senario and the world goes to shit, can I survive on it? I could be off the grid with diesel and propane but in a complete shutdown of services I would still be in trouble. A woodstove with a cooking surface and a water coil would be ideal, but hard to find in the size I need to fit my boat. I do have a propane furnace which means just one kind of fuel for hot water, cooking and heat but thats alot of propane connections on one boat, kind of scary. Whats a girl to do?
The transom removed
A view of some boards with the caulking removed and one that still needs work
The gaping hole in the transom filled with a sawdust and glue mixture
The plywood cutouts all laid out ready for flooding with fiberglass resin
Saturday, October 11, 2008
How I Waste Time to Avoid Working on the Boat
Ive been playing an online game called TextTwist.You get 6 jumbled letters and try to make as many words out of them in the alotted time.My best score in one run is 14,600. Im totally addicted and play half the night.Not getting much work done but sharpening up the rusty brain skills, all good.
http://sympatico.zone.msn.com/en/texttwist/default.htm?dr=t
Go ahead , try a game, its free, but dont blame me if you dont get anything else done for awhile:)
Ive always had a facination with hobbity looking houses and ever since I went to see that funky floathome a few weeks ago, Ive been checking out other cool architecture online.
One of the sites I stumbled across is about Fairy Houses. The concept is to build a tiny house out of natural objects and place them in your garden or in the woods for fairies to inhabit. It sure got my creative juices going, wish I had the time to try and make a few. Heres one site that sells them premade but I suggest you google image fairy houses to see what other people have created.
http://www.twigwizardry.com/Fairy-Houses.php
Here's a site about handbuilt houses. This is the gallery page showing a variety of houses, if you click on Home it shows the authors house.There are some great links to other sites with similar buildings and info on sustainable architecture as well
http://www.simondale.net/house/gallery.htm
Then there is always "Some Turtles Have Nice Shells", all about truck homes and converted buses ect. Lots of inspiration here too.
http://www.housetrucks.com/maindex.html
Check this one out for sure. Called "Flying Concrete" It shows the most beautiful creative ways of using concrete sprayed over forms Ive ever seen. The possibilities are endless with this stuff.
http://www.geocities.com/flyingconcrete/new.htm
The Quiet Earth Project, is a bloggish account of one womans dream to build her own straw bale house.Some good information and links on here as well
http://www.gwaliaessences.co.uk/story.htm
So playing games and dreaming of fantasy houses have been my way of not going crazy in this time of stress and aggravation.I think its working so far :)
PS Im so sorry, I can't for the life of me figure out how to make the links automatic, so you will have to copy and paste to check them out.
http://sympatico.zone.msn.com/en/texttwist/default.htm?dr=t
Go ahead , try a game, its free, but dont blame me if you dont get anything else done for awhile:)
Ive always had a facination with hobbity looking houses and ever since I went to see that funky floathome a few weeks ago, Ive been checking out other cool architecture online.
One of the sites I stumbled across is about Fairy Houses. The concept is to build a tiny house out of natural objects and place them in your garden or in the woods for fairies to inhabit. It sure got my creative juices going, wish I had the time to try and make a few. Heres one site that sells them premade but I suggest you google image fairy houses to see what other people have created.
http://www.twigwizardry.com/Fairy-Houses.php
Here's a site about handbuilt houses. This is the gallery page showing a variety of houses, if you click on Home it shows the authors house.There are some great links to other sites with similar buildings and info on sustainable architecture as well
http://www.simondale.net/house/gallery.htm
Then there is always "Some Turtles Have Nice Shells", all about truck homes and converted buses ect. Lots of inspiration here too.
http://www.housetrucks.com/maindex.html
Check this one out for sure. Called "Flying Concrete" It shows the most beautiful creative ways of using concrete sprayed over forms Ive ever seen. The possibilities are endless with this stuff.
http://www.geocities.com/flyingconcrete/new.htm
The Quiet Earth Project, is a bloggish account of one womans dream to build her own straw bale house.Some good information and links on here as well
http://www.gwaliaessences.co.uk/story.htm
So playing games and dreaming of fantasy houses have been my way of not going crazy in this time of stress and aggravation.I think its working so far :)
PS Im so sorry, I can't for the life of me figure out how to make the links automatic, so you will have to copy and paste to check them out.
Rhianna's Folly
I alternate between wanting to work on the boat and wanting to cut it up for firewood.When I first pulled her out of the water, the thought was just replace a few rotton boards, slap some fiberglass on and be on my way.What a dreamer I am!
When we finally got all the paint scraped off( a huge job I wasnt expecting to do as the book I read said you could fiberglass over it, but was later told no..if I tried that, the paint would turn to goo under the glass and ruin the seal), we found alot more rotten wood.Once that was removed,we discovered alot of the ribs were rotten as well. I am now faced with an expensive rebuild of the boat.If I am to do it right, I would have to somehow remove the concrete in the bottom of the boat, gut the interior in the process, replace all the bad ribs and replank the boat with 30 foot continous planks.NOT going to happen folks.
We have cut out rib sections to replace the rotten bits and painted them with red lead paint to protect them from rot. Even though the hull will be fiberglassed and technically waterproof, the interior of the boat still gets moisture in it from showers, cooking ect., so I'm trying to provide maximum protection for the exposed wood.Once they are installed, I will be attaching red cedar boards to them. One whole side of my boat will look like a giant wood puzzle,made up of many joined pieces. I am worried that this will severely affect the sea worthiness of the boat, even with a solid fiberglass shell. I have visions of the boards separating at the joins and bulging out through the glass.Im taking a huge chance doing it this way.
I orginally intended to remove the decking on the back deck and refinish it, but the screws were all rusted and not coming out. Some of the boards were looking worse for wear, so in the end they all got cut off with the saws-all.Another expense I wasn't counting on is the price of new boards to redo the deck.
David has been very busy with his own projects as of late and hasn't had much time to help me. This has slowed me down considerably and progress has been slow. I really needed to feel like I was accomplishing something, so yesterday I installed a new tongue and groove floor in the bedroom. Not exactly a priority project, but one that I had wanted to do and was capable of doing myself. The wood for the floor had been left on the boat by the previous owner. I had been storing it for the last year, so finally decided to pull it out and see what exactly I had. I am quite happy with the finished result, much better then the piece of plywood that was the floor.Now just have to sand it and one day stain and varnish all the floors. That will wait until the construction is pretty much done, too much dust everywhere right now to do a good job.
Every other day , I want to walk away from this project. Not because I dont think its worth it but because of the massiveness of it all. Its not just one thing that needs doing, its everything from one end to the other.The more I do,the more I find that needs doing.I feel like Im digging a hole to China.
The Good
The Bad
The Ugly ( a huge rotten hole in the back board of the transom, we stuffed it with wood shavings mixed with glue)
The back deck stripped of its wood
An interior shot showing some of the new ribs
The new bedroom floor ( whoohoo)
When we finally got all the paint scraped off( a huge job I wasnt expecting to do as the book I read said you could fiberglass over it, but was later told no..if I tried that, the paint would turn to goo under the glass and ruin the seal), we found alot more rotten wood.Once that was removed,we discovered alot of the ribs were rotten as well. I am now faced with an expensive rebuild of the boat.If I am to do it right, I would have to somehow remove the concrete in the bottom of the boat, gut the interior in the process, replace all the bad ribs and replank the boat with 30 foot continous planks.NOT going to happen folks.
We have cut out rib sections to replace the rotten bits and painted them with red lead paint to protect them from rot. Even though the hull will be fiberglassed and technically waterproof, the interior of the boat still gets moisture in it from showers, cooking ect., so I'm trying to provide maximum protection for the exposed wood.Once they are installed, I will be attaching red cedar boards to them. One whole side of my boat will look like a giant wood puzzle,made up of many joined pieces. I am worried that this will severely affect the sea worthiness of the boat, even with a solid fiberglass shell. I have visions of the boards separating at the joins and bulging out through the glass.Im taking a huge chance doing it this way.
I orginally intended to remove the decking on the back deck and refinish it, but the screws were all rusted and not coming out. Some of the boards were looking worse for wear, so in the end they all got cut off with the saws-all.Another expense I wasn't counting on is the price of new boards to redo the deck.
David has been very busy with his own projects as of late and hasn't had much time to help me. This has slowed me down considerably and progress has been slow. I really needed to feel like I was accomplishing something, so yesterday I installed a new tongue and groove floor in the bedroom. Not exactly a priority project, but one that I had wanted to do and was capable of doing myself. The wood for the floor had been left on the boat by the previous owner. I had been storing it for the last year, so finally decided to pull it out and see what exactly I had. I am quite happy with the finished result, much better then the piece of plywood that was the floor.Now just have to sand it and one day stain and varnish all the floors. That will wait until the construction is pretty much done, too much dust everywhere right now to do a good job.
Every other day , I want to walk away from this project. Not because I dont think its worth it but because of the massiveness of it all. Its not just one thing that needs doing, its everything from one end to the other.The more I do,the more I find that needs doing.I feel like Im digging a hole to China.
The Good
The Bad
The Ugly ( a huge rotten hole in the back board of the transom, we stuffed it with wood shavings mixed with glue)
The back deck stripped of its wood
An interior shot showing some of the new ribs
The new bedroom floor ( whoohoo)
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Labor Day and Then Some
Well time to update here, so much goes on all the time, its hard to stay on top of it all.
A few weeks ago, the Pacific Express ( the boat that caught on fire a few months ago) moved up beside the Bowie.She was eased out backward,
then the nose swung around by a small skiff, with a few guys hanging on to a stern line to keep her in line.
It was deja vu for a minute seeing it sitting sideways in the river.
A couple of days later,the bow line snapped and the whole front end swung right back around, narrowly missing crashing into Steve and Brocks boats.It stayed like that all day with just a small nylon cord holding it to the Bowie. I kept expecting it to snap from the weight and send the Express down the river. That would have been a disaster!
There was a nice empty space in the marina for about five minutes,
then David had his new barge pulled around and tucked into it.
A couple of days later he added another 200 feet of concrete docks he just purchased. We now have so many docks, there is no room for boats.Its now a dock marina, lol.
Labor Day we decided to take a break and head to the PNE ( Pacific National Exibition),a combination agricutural fair and rides and exibitions.I havent been in about 15 years, boy have the prices ever gone up. We paid 50 dollars a person to get in which was supposed to include free admissions to the rides, but when we got in there it turned out the pass was only good for certain rides. All the new rides were extra and the cost was outrageous, twenty-five dollars a person for a 60 second or so ride! Too rich for me, so we mostly just went on the various roller coasters, all of us suffering from whiplash after finishing with the old wooden one...its rickity beyond belief, never mind the free fall drop,just listening to those old boards creak and groan was terrifying enough.
For some unknown reason we decided to go on the log ride. What a mistake, I got completely soaked to the bone.I walked about 10 feet in sopping wet jeans when I realized I wasnt going to last long like that. So, more money spent shopping for some dry clothes. Another small fortune was spent sampling the fair food and playing some games trying to win a pocket bike. I think I can offially say, Im too old for the PNE. My last ride was on the rollar coaster which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, I think its time we both retire.
A few days after that, Davids tug boat got hauled out of the water and put at Shelter Island Shipyard.
The rubber was cut off the front, the rust sanded off the hull, a coat of primer expoxy put on, the old wheelhouse cut off and a bunch of welding done to the hull and deck. While he had it out, he had a diesel mechanic come by and sort out his cooling system problems and rewire everything properly.
He had quite a scare today when a fire started in the hold while welding. It was between a steel and wood floorboard that made it very difficult to access to put it out. David spent over 4 hours trying to get it to stop smoldering all the while hoping nobody noticed and called the fire department. It finally stopped smoking and there seems to be no real damage done.
A few days ago he went out to the Marina where the Lightship is now. It was quite the facinating place with an old BC ferry filled with ancient old trucks and boats inside,
a nice 70 foot wooden rumrunner I wouldnt mind a look at
and a field filled with all kinds of cool toys like this old dozer boat
and this fun looking boat with a big fan on the back.
While he was there he came across this huge old tire which after much effort was loaded onto the truck and taken back to the shipyard to be put on the front of the tug
While David was busy with all his rearranging of things, I went off to Saltspring Island for two days to take a course. I was finacially challenged so needed cheap accomadation. I found this cute cabin for 30 dollars a night. Its basically a bed with four walls and roof and a tiny deck to sit out on.
The facilities consisted of an outhouse just up the path.
/It was super cute and quiet there. I went to the local swimming pool for my showers and managed to swim 400 meters in the pool. Ive been thinking I would like to try doing a mini triathalon and had been wondering what 400 meters would feel like. It wasnt too bad at all, I was averaging 45 seconds a 25 meter lap.I rewarded myself with a good soak in the hottub.
Hows this for compact, its a mini fridge, 2 burner stove and a sink all in about 2 square feet.This was in the kitchen where I was taking my course, I of course was facinated by it.
When I got back I played hooky for a few days and went to the beach to enjoy the last few days of summer. Its been a spectacular September so far, lots of sunshine and heat.
Yesterday I suited up and spent the day painting the tugboat with a horrible epoxy mixture.
it was so thick I had to goop it on and smear it around until it got too thick to work with by which time it was going on like melted stringy cheese.I dont think I needed the mask to work with it, but they were fiberglassing a boat next to us and the fumes where killing me so I put it on so I wouldnt have to smell them. Im not looking forward to doing my boat in the shop. I had no idea fiberglass smelt so bad, this will be torture.
A job well done I think.
I should be able to apply for a job in a shipyard soon, Im sure picking up alot of new skills. David is going to teach me how to cut and weld when it comes time to put the new wheelhouse on. I cant wait to try that!
Today I dressed up in yet another very attractive outfit to finish grinding the paint off my boat. Too this gorgeous outfit I added orange ear defenders and googles.
Im sure Pamela Anderson could find a way to look cute and feminine while doing this work, I however just look like an alien bug. Oh well, the work is getting done and thats all that counts.Every day is labour day here!
A few weeks ago, the Pacific Express ( the boat that caught on fire a few months ago) moved up beside the Bowie.She was eased out backward,
then the nose swung around by a small skiff, with a few guys hanging on to a stern line to keep her in line.
It was deja vu for a minute seeing it sitting sideways in the river.
A couple of days later,the bow line snapped and the whole front end swung right back around, narrowly missing crashing into Steve and Brocks boats.It stayed like that all day with just a small nylon cord holding it to the Bowie. I kept expecting it to snap from the weight and send the Express down the river. That would have been a disaster!
There was a nice empty space in the marina for about five minutes,
then David had his new barge pulled around and tucked into it.
A couple of days later he added another 200 feet of concrete docks he just purchased. We now have so many docks, there is no room for boats.Its now a dock marina, lol.
Labor Day we decided to take a break and head to the PNE ( Pacific National Exibition),a combination agricutural fair and rides and exibitions.I havent been in about 15 years, boy have the prices ever gone up. We paid 50 dollars a person to get in which was supposed to include free admissions to the rides, but when we got in there it turned out the pass was only good for certain rides. All the new rides were extra and the cost was outrageous, twenty-five dollars a person for a 60 second or so ride! Too rich for me, so we mostly just went on the various roller coasters, all of us suffering from whiplash after finishing with the old wooden one...its rickity beyond belief, never mind the free fall drop,just listening to those old boards creak and groan was terrifying enough.
For some unknown reason we decided to go on the log ride. What a mistake, I got completely soaked to the bone.I walked about 10 feet in sopping wet jeans when I realized I wasnt going to last long like that. So, more money spent shopping for some dry clothes. Another small fortune was spent sampling the fair food and playing some games trying to win a pocket bike. I think I can offially say, Im too old for the PNE. My last ride was on the rollar coaster which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, I think its time we both retire.
A few days after that, Davids tug boat got hauled out of the water and put at Shelter Island Shipyard.
The rubber was cut off the front, the rust sanded off the hull, a coat of primer expoxy put on, the old wheelhouse cut off and a bunch of welding done to the hull and deck. While he had it out, he had a diesel mechanic come by and sort out his cooling system problems and rewire everything properly.
He had quite a scare today when a fire started in the hold while welding. It was between a steel and wood floorboard that made it very difficult to access to put it out. David spent over 4 hours trying to get it to stop smoldering all the while hoping nobody noticed and called the fire department. It finally stopped smoking and there seems to be no real damage done.
A few days ago he went out to the Marina where the Lightship is now. It was quite the facinating place with an old BC ferry filled with ancient old trucks and boats inside,
a nice 70 foot wooden rumrunner I wouldnt mind a look at
and a field filled with all kinds of cool toys like this old dozer boat
and this fun looking boat with a big fan on the back.
While he was there he came across this huge old tire which after much effort was loaded onto the truck and taken back to the shipyard to be put on the front of the tug
While David was busy with all his rearranging of things, I went off to Saltspring Island for two days to take a course. I was finacially challenged so needed cheap accomadation. I found this cute cabin for 30 dollars a night. Its basically a bed with four walls and roof and a tiny deck to sit out on.
The facilities consisted of an outhouse just up the path.
/It was super cute and quiet there. I went to the local swimming pool for my showers and managed to swim 400 meters in the pool. Ive been thinking I would like to try doing a mini triathalon and had been wondering what 400 meters would feel like. It wasnt too bad at all, I was averaging 45 seconds a 25 meter lap.I rewarded myself with a good soak in the hottub.Hows this for compact, its a mini fridge, 2 burner stove and a sink all in about 2 square feet.This was in the kitchen where I was taking my course, I of course was facinated by it.
When I got back I played hooky for a few days and went to the beach to enjoy the last few days of summer. Its been a spectacular September so far, lots of sunshine and heat.
Yesterday I suited up and spent the day painting the tugboat with a horrible epoxy mixture.
it was so thick I had to goop it on and smear it around until it got too thick to work with by which time it was going on like melted stringy cheese.I dont think I needed the mask to work with it, but they were fiberglassing a boat next to us and the fumes where killing me so I put it on so I wouldnt have to smell them. Im not looking forward to doing my boat in the shop. I had no idea fiberglass smelt so bad, this will be torture.A job well done I think.
I should be able to apply for a job in a shipyard soon, Im sure picking up alot of new skills. David is going to teach me how to cut and weld when it comes time to put the new wheelhouse on. I cant wait to try that! Today I dressed up in yet another very attractive outfit to finish grinding the paint off my boat. Too this gorgeous outfit I added orange ear defenders and googles.
Im sure Pamela Anderson could find a way to look cute and feminine while doing this work, I however just look like an alien bug. Oh well, the work is getting done and thats all that counts.Every day is labour day here!
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