Shoreside work set to commence

Hi all,
Whilst things are still quiet on the AmyJo front the same cannot be said here at home.

As of 1st January I became a Shell pensioner!  Shame I did not stop working, but I need 3 more years in before I can turn off my works PC for the last time so will continue working for my new bosses, Essar UK LTD, who bought our refinery here at Stanlow.  Those of you reading Epiphany's blog will know this is a stones throw from the Ellesmere Port Canal boat Museum where they had been staying.  Fiona has posted a fascinating history of all the boats there, well worth a read.

The retirement package has given us the money to take the opportunity to do some much needed work on the house.

First up tomorrow, Monday, we are having all our windows and doors replaced with new high efficiency UPVC windows and glass. We had our bathroom window replaced already so the bathroom make over could take place and what a difference.  The old windows are double grazed but putting your hand on the glass of the old and then the new you certainly can feel a difference!  The new window has much better thermal properties than the old so we're hoping when all the windows are done this will help with the heating bill.  We're also quite relieved the weather is warming up too!  Fingers crossed it stays dry (for us and for those suffering the floods).

A week later our bathroom is getting a much needed make over.  It is OK and usable, but is seriously in need of sorting out.  We discovered damp on the dinning room wall the other day and on investigation we found the seal between bath and wall was non existent (it had always been that way by the look of it).  There is a plastic edging on top of the bath fixed to the wall (or so we thought).  Each time the shower was used water was getting behind the plastic trim soaking the wall behind it and that is just one of many reasons to get the work done.

We'll post an update of before and after when the work is done.

You may be wondering if I visited Alexander boats as planned?  Well no I did not.  I've been quite ill this last week and have not been able to do anything.  I've lost all energy feeling completely drained and weak, together with really bad headaches with a touch of nausea.  Blood tests are indicating high levels of iron in my liver (too much red vino collapso I guess) and so am to under go further tests.  I keep you informed of how I get on.

Winter Visitors

Hi all,
There is not much to report on AmyJo's progress at the moment.  With the Christmas holidays not far behind I doubt Jim will have done much to her.  I am hoping to visit next Saturday so hopefully I'll have something to report.

In the mean time with the dark evenings I've taken to reading the blogs on a regular basis and realized John and Fiona on Epiphany were heading our way.  Now I read Fiona's article in Canal Boat magazine so with a bit of cheek I arranged to meet them in Chester.

John and Fiona aboard Epiphany

I do wander if I am taking liberties sometimes doing this and do hope my requests to feet up are not too forward but it is nice to actually meet the people whose blogs I read.

I want to thank John and Fiona for their hospitality as we chatted for some time about various aspects of boating and I have to say they are a mine of information which if you ever visit their blog will be apparent.  Their blog is full of very useful information and is well worth a visit,  they obviously have gone to a lot of trouble to make the information available for us all to make use of.

2012, a year of change for us.

Well 2012 has been an interesting year for us. Here is a quick pictorial of our year.

Our new home, we've been here a year now

Getting that awful kitchen sorted

Our regular visit to Crick boat show

No not a group hug but a busy Fernwoods tent

The iconic view of crick

Fernwoods display boat What-a-lark, finished beautifully as only a
Fernwood boat would be.

Weaver Canal festival and a famous boat, Elizabeth

Hadar sporting Jubilee colours for Jubilee year (her normal colours)

Hardly a drop of water visible in the Northwich basin

Working boats galore, such a wonderful sight

Chris and Jo watch on as a boat turns in the running river

Boat parade seen from the main bridge

Ebay  sourced Francis lamp

Hadar visits Chester

Ellesmere Port Festival and a newly painted Saturn

The Girl giant visits Liverpool

Sail Training in full swing

Lord Mayors inspection of the river Dee

Chris an I go on an RYA Helmsmans course with Willow Wren

Angelsey Offshore dinghy camp

A little help for the old crock to get up

Folding bikes bought and a much needed beer

New owners of Caxton visit Chester.  Bombo and Sam their lovely dogs are
blog stars in their own right

Our Visit to Beta Marine

13-Nov-2012 and AmyJo's build begins

Cheeky grin says it all.

Slowly the hull takes Shape

A busy Craig welding the rubbing bands

All that is left to do now is for Chris and I to wish you a year of good health, wealth, happiness, luck, warmth and loads of love of your dear ones. 

We hope the New Year showers you with all that is beautiful.

Happy New Year everyone.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

From Home to Home and Heart to Heart

From one place to another

The warmth and joy of Christmas,

Brings us closer to each other.

May the good times and treasures of the present,

Become the golden memories of tomorrow.

Wish you lots of love, joy and happiness.....

From our home to yours, with lots of love and warm wishes......

best regards

Steve, Chris, Amy and Joanne

Seasons greetings folks.  A Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to one and all.

Chris and I would like to wish you all good health and fortune for the coming year and may all your travels be safe and trouble free.

And a thought for our armed forces where ever they are, may god bless them and keep them safe.

 TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A YOUNG BRAVE SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT

 

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

 

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan. The
following is his request. I think it is reasonable.....

PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.



Welds apart

Took another trip to Alexander Boats to see how AmyJo is coming along.  Jim was in the middle of discussing another build with other clients so I held back until he finished.  

When you look at AmyJo you could be forgiven for thinking not much has been done but you would be wrong.

Um looks like metal spiders have taken up residence

Most noticeable was the stern sides had been wrapped and welded to the counter base plate and the engine bed had been installed.  The metal spider's web above are temporary braces to keep the shape until supports are complete

The starboard stern plate

Another rubbing band had also been tack welded into place and Craig was busy welding that up completely

Jim points out the welding that was taking place

The engine bed and, the water cooling tank, are now done

I understand the principal of welding but for me its welds worlds apart (excuse the pun) from what I do with computers so Jim explained how the process works.   I think I got this right.

The welding set is earthed or connected with a cable to the hull and a high voltage electric current is passed through the welding rod.  When the rod is moved close enough to the metal an arc jumps across from rod to hull completing a circuit melting the flux and welding rod at its tip.  The extreme heat generated from this melts the steel in the mediate vicinity in to a molten goo that fuses as the weld cools.  The flux stops oxidisation occurring during the weld.  This stops a coke build up weakening the joint.  The flux dries to a coke like crust which is then scraped or tapped away leaving a clean metal joint underneath.

Having watched through a welding mask to see the process up close I was fascinated to see the weld take shape.

As there was not a lot more to see I took some video and said my goodbyes.  We may get one more visit in before Christmas and Jim hopes to have completed the stern and made a start on the bows by then.  Anyway here is the video I took for interest.

The hissing and crackling you can hear is not a fault with the video, it's Craig welding the rubbing band on the port side at the stern and the fussy bright cloud at the end is actually  smoke from the weld.

Frozen Sheets

Went down to the Sailing club to check "Heavens Ent" our Enterprise dinghy was OK and to remove ice from her.  Chris being Chris decided to have fun making weird shapes with our jib sheets as they were frozen due to being wet. 

Little things.....

A Lovely Surprise for Chris

Chris had a lovely surprise this evening.  Mary, Chris's mum has made good progress over the last few weeks and has now been discharged from hospital and is in a nursing home pending assessment for a care home.

Chris rang the home to see how Mary was doing and was asked to ring back in 10 minutes. When she rang back she was pleasantly shocked to hear her mum speaking to her.  The nurses had brought Mary to the phone so she could speak to Chris and the pair of them had a good old chin wag for 20 minutes.  Chris's face was a picture as she chatted to mum and I could hear the Mary we used to know coming through now and then.

It is such a relief to know Mary is making good progress and that she is happy in the home.   I think this is a big weight lifted off Chris's mind.  It means that now, not only can Chris see her mum when ever she can get back to Essex,  she can also speak to her more regularly on the phone, an option not available whilst she was in hospital.

Here we go AmyJo

Chris and I paid another visit to Alexander boats today.  For Chris it was the first time she could actually see something real.  Like me on my last visit she was like a kid with a new toy.

We parked up and walked into Jim's shed and there was AmyJo.  We could not believe how much Jim had done in such sort time.

Does my bum look big in this?

Jim has the sides in place and all the ribs.  The swim was there and so was the stern floor.

Chris standing at the bows, thinks we're gonna
need an intercom system, or semaphore flags.

Jim was starting to put the last plates of the hull sides in place as we walked in and her hull was starting to resemble a boat.

AmyJo now looks even longer

We walked to the bow and found Jim had cut this to shape already to take the plates that will eventually make the Josher bow

Chris simply could not resist and wanted to walk inside to get a good feel for AmyJo.

No Chris its not going to be the Jacuzzi,  its the engine bay! Silly

Chris playing hop scotch with AmyJo's ribs

Chuffed to bits or what?

It getting difficult to fit all of AmyJo into the picture frame now

 After an hour looking over AmyJo and having a cuppa and a chat with Jim we headed home in the rain.  We'll leave Jim to it for now and we'll visit again in two weeks time as our friends Derek and Vicki are coming to stay next weekend.  Meantime Jim will continue to send us photographs of his progress to wet our appetites.

From flat plates to something resembling a hull

Since I last visited Alexander Boats Jim has been busy working on AmyJo.  Tonight I received some photos showing his progress and they blew me away.

Suddenly it dawned on me this really is happening and we cannot wait until Saturday when we are going to see AmyJo in the flesh as it were

The hull sides rolled and ready to be welded to the base plates

The ribs going in and the stern takes shape

All the ribs are in and the stern sides are fabricated

Bow or stern, only the stern tube gives a clue