Some of may know we are a soon to be a two boat family. It’s a bit funny, we’ve hardly got C# in the water and we are doing it all over again. It’s a long story I don’t feel like telling today, so I’ll cut to the point of the post. Now, if you know that we are about to be a two boat family, you will also know I’ve struggled to get someone to move the boat from where it currently is (halfway up a mountain – really have a look for yourself ) to my new workshop in Wellington. It’s not that it’s far, it’s not even because it’s half way up a mountain, it’s just that it’s a boat and because boat transporters are used to carrying several million pound boats, they know that to drop a few grand moving a boat for their owners is not going to be a huge deal. Don’t get me wrong, many people have been a great help, and have really gone out of their way to accommodate me and relocate my strange boat up a hill, but so far nothing has worked out. It’s either been too expensive, or they just have not been able to fit me in. The other problem I have with shelling out a whole lot of money to move the boat is that after all is said and done, you end up with exactly what you had before, only in a different place. The shame about that is that in a few months (he says casually trying to convince himself that is all the time it will take) once the fit-out is complete, I will have to do it all again and shell out more money to get the boat down to the water. I was searching around the problem, and I came up with this small bit of inspiration:
Now that boat is exactly the same as my boat a Wharram Tangaroa Mk I, and they are just trailing it behind a Landrover. Surely I could do the same… So I searched the Internet, and found myself a trailer that looks the business. I have done the deal – I got a good price, and I will be heading over to fetch my new trailer from King’s Lynn, Norfolk. Damn that’s far away. Oh well I get to see some of beautiful England and I may even get to take some photos. I had to go to Wolseley anyway to return their computer, so it’s a good opportunity to do that as it’s on the way. The great thing about buying a trailer instead is that the boat move is now on my timetable, and after I am done moving boats here and there, I will have a very good trailer to sell, and hopefully can recoup some of my costs.
Ken Sowden from BoSMBSC called me today to ask what I was doing with C# as the visitor’s berth was required to prepare for the crane out next weekend, and to let me know he found the bit of my boat I lost. Fantastic. We will go down to the club tomorrow to see about a more permanet berth. I might even be able to raise C#’s mast tomorrow.
I made a couple of new bits of bling for the family. I made Devyn an identity bracelet in serling silver:
The plate is pierced from 0.8mm sheet. The jump rings are my own making (0.8mm round wire) and the chain is a belcher chain from J Blundel and Sons in London. I shall get someone who can to engrave his name on it. I learned a lot from this piece. Soldering chain is really hard with my torch. I think it just lacks the precision. I also learned that you have to protect the findings from the heat. All good learning.
I also made a pair of Twist Earing in Sterling Silver:
They measure 30×4.5x1mm and are sterling silver. The posts are made from 0.8mm round wire. I learned a lot from the first one – protect the metal when you are twisting it (I used a bit of cheque book) and ensure the finish is right before you put in any twist. They were very quick to make – about 30 minutes. I must refine my finish. I have given these to Karen, and they seem to suit her, and more importantly she wore them all day and did not get a reaction from the silver which she normally does do.
Jaysen says he wants me to make him “something”, but every suggestion so far has not been acceptable. Any suggestions are welcome, but remember I am only just learning.