Well... I have cruised back into harbor

[Wild_Dingo]

Gidday one and all from the great land downunder and the dingos den in the great southwest of West Aussie

Many things have happened since last I wandered in here... first is I dont spend very much time on the net as I once did... in fact very little

First our daughter Melissa who went missing awhile ago, contacted the Police in kalgoorlie after some freinds contacted her and told her of our worry and concern and she is fine living with a new boyfriend working on the mines and making more money than her old man! We have had a visit and Jo has gone up to see her and she and her man are doing great she now rings once a week or we ring her so things are back on track there

As to Jo the love of my life my wee possumpoop, well the chemo and other medical interventions have worked to a greater degree although theres been some serious changes in her mostly physical and some emotionally but shes coming along well

As to the other hoonberries, Yazmynn (eldest and twin to Melissa) is now engaged and buying a home just up the road in the next town and doing famously even if her fiance needs a bloody good kick in the ass!... aaahh hes gonna love havin me as his FIL

Tiffany is also engaged and now has a healthy bundle of joy in Lucas Jacob who at 5 months is bloody huge a real buddha of a kid theyre increadibly happy and moving down to Bunbury in the next few weeks to be closer to possum and her fiance Bens family

Aaron the legend of my life is now a fully fledged man at 19 and a half works away from home on a farm down south of here and is happy as a pig in poop as healthy as a mallee bull in heat and about as much trouble for the sheilas as one as well

Bethy the 16 year old is still the gorgeous giggling gurty that shes always been more studious than ever and finding her studies easy with intentions of heading to uni to be a lawyer if she doesnt get into the AIS under a netball scholership next year... and so far has no interest in boys (thank the gods!!)

Jacinta is growing probably faster than any of them and doing very well with school and sports but seems to see school as a social event more than a serious study place

BrieBrie is doing well in her first year of high school and is growing up TOO BLOODY FAST for my liking shes doing cadets with the State Emergency Services and the School Army cadets and loving it

JoshyGoshy has really taken of! thinks hes Maradona Rinaldo and Beckham all rolled into one at soccer doesnt think much of school other than the activity and shielas!! 9 girlfriends without counting the ones at soccer!! 8)

Me? well Im back underground mining again up in the Great Sandy Desert on a copper mine... although I dont go under that much with this job as Im their "surface environmental dust suppression unit manager" in other words water truck driver!! Which is okay by me!

Ive not been at work for the last 2 weeks as Ive been down with pneumonia and pluricy along with angina and been forced to remain abed first in hospital and now at home another week will hopefully see me right again... unfortunately this job is the main reason why I dont spend very much time on the net anymore... theres no internet connections in the Great Sandy Desert!!! and Im gone 2 weeks on and have only 1 week off and mates I gotta play daddy hubby and poppy for most of that!!

As to my baby Weekender #3115 "Spinifex Lady"... well the keel first let me just say Im the sorta bloke that if I dont have something thats particularily asked for in a design I tend to look around and make do... sometimes this works okay others it sorta doesnt... now the Keel... I didnt have any 1in x 12in pine layin around but I did have some 1 1/2in x 13in Sepiature (a Malaysian hardwood) layin around so I cut and shaped two keel peices from that... still have to cut the third but I checked the two today and as they stand they are alread 3in wide so now if I add the centre peice shes gonna be 4 1/2in wide... and damnably heavy to boot... so at some stage of the game Im gonna have to do some serious thickness planing to bring it down to the right thickness or else just go with the two peice keel... advice with this would be good... cheers!

The other thing I did before all this started was to make the wheel... well I made 2 actually... the first was made of Jarrah and boy did I stuff that one up!!! ROYALLY!!! so... I made anothery this time I used Jarrah for the spokes only the ring Ive made of Kapur and Ive used Tuart for the inner ring instead of ply as per the plans... Ive aslo decided to use solid timbers instead of ply wherever possible eg the ring in the centre of the wheel? Im using Sheoak

The other boat Ive started is the Valgerda and have so far got the lofting done along with the keel cut and stored and the tiller is also done.

The shed is finally up and the tools in and set up... Ive spent quite a bit of time setting the shed up properly with wood storage and locating the tools for the best spacial area... however... its too ruddy small at 6mtrs x 9mtrs! so Im planning on building another this one will be 10mtrs x 30mtrs only one bay enclosed which will house the thicknesser and jointer and the other open like a hay shed which will be my boat building area... I do still have the 70ft x 30ft x 25ft humpyhoochy down the back but were presently not using it as the previous owner has decided to take us to court believing it is still his and until thats sorted Im just storing logs in there... I also still have the 40ft seatainer but possum has reclaimed it for storage of Tiffany and Bens gear until they settle

The tools? Are all Bloody brilliant!!! man its really something else to have all the tools you can need to do any timber related job you want... best investment decision Ive ever made was to demand the money to buy them when we sold the other place I advize anyone to do the same!!

Im still building Spinifex Lady and the Valgerda but have finally decided on the long term build which will be David Paynes Paketi http://www.payneyachts.com/sailing_yachts.htm

So... once things settle again and I get back on me dancin feets I will get back into it again this time with a vengence! 8)

Thanks Oyster Mike for keepin in contact with me although I am pretty lousey at getting back to you I do appreciate it mate! Now I better have a gander at those messages Ive got waiting for me in the message box!! :oops:

[Greg Luckett]

Thanks for the update. I find it inspiring and admire your fortitude and good spirits.

Greg.

[kydocfrog]

Hang tough, man. Sounds like the wind is shifting for you on a few things.

DocA in Kentucky

[Frank Hagan]

Sounds like a lot of good news in there with the bad, Shane. Sounds a lot like "life" to me! At least you're living it, as my grandfather used to say.

On the Weekender keel ... you know, I can't think of a disadvantage of a thicker keel, unless you're concerned about the finished weight of the boat. But otherwise ... well, it mainly just sits under there, and if it was 3" wide or 4 1/2" wide, I don't think anything is compromised or screwed up later on because of it. My Weekender weighed in at just over 550 pounds, if I remember correctly, so there's not a lot to worry about when adding a few pounds. I would save some of that time for the family, and not worry too much about planing it down. Maybe others will disagree, and they can chime in on this one.

But mainly it was good to hear from you, and good to hear that things are progressing pretty well for you on the home front.

[Wild_Dingo]

Thanks Frank was spending probably too much time pondering that keel issue... so will just move on make the centre one and put it all together make a stand thingymajig and start to get it together... ooh after Ive bought the new shed!... sigh

Actually mate aside from me bein crook for the last couple of weeks were all doin bloody brilliantly... life as has been said is good... not perfek but good all the same 8)

The mine jobs a ripper in so far as I only go underground twice per day to water the decline and the rest of the time Im on the surface... which after the events over in Tassy of recent times suits me just fine!! Although I do have some issues over that whole Beaconsfiield thing it did bring home just how intrinsically deadly it is down there... but hey!! The moneys flamin brilliant!! a couple more years... 5 tops by then the house will be paid for the debts all gone and half the kids married off :? and some $$$ in the bank and investments... and thats it I can "retire" and do what I want instead of what they want... will probably keep my finger in by doing some inductions and safety things but working for me instead of the company and heck!! Id be home every night!! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOO!! watch out possumpoop! :twisted: oooh ahem I meant that by then Spinifex Lady will be sailing!! :oops: