A Shipyard Tour!

It’s been an interesting week for me with a combination of some new discoveries, a lot of hard work, and new contact with a couple of very special people.  I’m going to share my new discovery first.

 

My camera has a macro setting on it.  I never knew that before.  I was reading the instruction booklet to learn more about using it as a webcam and camcorder and I stumbled across the instructions on how to use the macro feature.  Macro is just a term for extreme close up.  I recently purchased an inexpensive tripod for shooting some video so I’m all set to try the macro feature.  Here are two close up shots of some blooming flowers in the front of our house.

 

 

 

As you can see, I’m not an expert at framing, background, and subject matter yet, but it’s a beginning.  I was just happy that I could now focus on something that close up to the camera.

 

The hard work was because of a very busy weekend due to some great weather and the absence of my new assistant.  He had to go out to Wyoming to be the best man at his best friend’s wedding.  This was no surprise; he covered his need to be away this weekend in the interview process.  I had my high school part timer to help out, but he didn’t come in until 3:30 each afternoon and believe me when I tell you I was really running to keep up with it all.  I got through it and did not have even a single complaint, so all is well on the work scene.

 

The new contact with special people was great.  My sister, Jan, has two fine offspring whom I have lost contact with over the last couple of years due to career constraints, busy schedules, and very long distances between us. I had the opportunity to catch up with both Carrie and Evan and learn of all the happenings in their lives right now.  They are living out in Arizona at the moment.  Carrie is on active duty with the US Air Force and Evan is a food and beverage manager for a very upscale and popular restaurant out that way.

 

I learned that Evan has developed a vocal talent I did not previously know about and he is learning to play the guitar as well.  If I can ever get what I need in order to do some good video, I plan on exchanging tapes and tips with Evan.  He used to really enjoy listening to me play the guitar when he was a youngster.  If I can be of any help to him now, I would welcome the opportunity.

 

That pretty much sums up my week.  I have something else I want to share today, as well, though.  Not too long ago, I was given a tour of that big Ship Yard in Thunderbolt.  That is the yard that does the work on the mega yachts and I’ve posted some PICS in previous entries of the facility as seen from the water.  I always was curious as to how they moved those huge ships around on land to work on them and I finally got my answers.

 

Here is a shot of the work yard area of the facility as seen from the water.

 

 

They have a railway system that goes out on a pier.  The ship is maneuvered at the end of the pier over a platform that has supports and can be lowered into the water and raised up again with the ship resting on the supports.  This next shot shows the supports on the rail system without a ship on it.

 

 

This next shot is of the same railway system but with a ship.

You can also see one of the tractors that are used to pull the rail system with the ship on it.  This tractor has a front loader on it like a bulldozer.

 

 

 

There are some huge airplane hangar-like buildings that they take these ships into for certain types of work.  The different sections are called work bays.  They can move the ship off of the pier and into each work bay via a sliding track rail system. One work bay might be a paint shop; another one might be for mechanical work.  Here is a shot of the sliding rail.

 

 

The next shot is of a ship in the paint bay.

 

 

The last shot that I have to share gives you a feeling for all the activity going on at this shipyard.

 

 

So, there you have it, the Georgia Boatman’s dime tour of a real working shipyard.  I’m sure you can sleep better at night now that you are armed with all of this information.  Personally, I was thrilled to get the tour.  Until next time, I’ll see Ya on the docks!

 

 

VIVI Time Once More!

It’s been a very busy week for me and, as much as I enjoyed it, I am glad it’s over now.  We hosted the Leukemia Cup Regatta at the marina for the tenth year in a row.  I took my camera with me to work, but for the first time in a long time, I was not able to get away to shoot any pictures of the event.  We were hosting a big fishing tournament at the same time this year.  You know me, when there is something going on and I have my camera, I squeeze off a few shots.  That I didn’t get any shots at all should tell you just how busy we really were

 

Other than a couple more fishing tournaments, that is just about the last big hoopla of this year’s season.  We will settle into our winter routine in the coming weeks and I’ll have a lot more time to take pictures again.

 

It’s that time of year again here in J-Land, too!

The Vivi Awards will be held again this year thanks to the dedication and hard work of this year’s committee.  To put this together and pull it off takes some very hard work and all of the committee members deserve more than just a pat on the back in my humble opinion.  Thank you, to all who are

doing so much to make this happen again this year.

 

The Vivi Awards are a way of recognizing the excellence of our fellow journalists within the framework of AOL Journals.  The huge benefit each year to all is the exposure we all get to new journals, that is journals we have not discovered and read before.  There is so much talent here in J-Land and to be able to search through the recommended journals always turns up some great finds for me.

 

If you haven’t done so yet, please take the time to go to the Vivi Awards site and see all of the names that are being suggested this year.  Just click on the above link.  Go to these journals and have a read and be ready with your own opinions when the voting starts.

 

While I’m on the subject of new journals, I’ve been reading a couple lately that I only recently discovered.  One is an AOL Journal and the other is not.  The AOL Journal I refer to is “Comments On The Events Of My Life.”  Bill has had an extraordinary life and shares with us stories and photos.  He is a true American hero as he was one of the volunteers helping out at Ground Zero after the attacks of 9-11-2001.  His background as a former New York City police officer and a New York City fireman gives him an insightful perspective.  He just got a new digital camera and I am really looking forward to seeing him make that baby sing in upcoming posts.  Click on the above link and check him out if you get a chance.

 

The second new journal I want to tell you about is written by a Lady named Nancie who works for AOL and is in charge of Community Experiences here.  She has started a journal, “Hummingbird Mind,” in which she talks about becoming an Empty Nester and also updates us on new literary offerings as they appear on the scene.  Give her journal a read if I’ve stirred your curiosity.  You can find her by clicking on the above link.  If you visit any of theseor other journals you have not read before, leave a comment so they will know you’ve been there.  Even if you only say, “Hi!” all of us journal writers enjoy knowing someone has stopped by to scan our sites.

 

I’m off now to spend the rest of my day off experimenting with some sound and video equipment.  Who knows, I may have some very interesting (or not) entries in the coming weeks if all goes well.  Take care and I’ll see Ya next time!

 

Memories

I have a story I want to share with you about a film commercial that I was a part of years ago.  I have yet to find the pictures of that shoot, but in my search for them today, I found some of Paulette and I that were taken in 1989 during the period of our courtship.

 

I believe the pictures that I was searching for are now living in a box in our storage unit.  That storage unit is a ten or fifteen minute drive from here.  That’s a drive that I don’t want to make today so I decided to show you these pictures instead.  After all, these pictures live in a picture envelope that is stuffed in a drawer and are serving no purpose at all to anyone.  So, I wiped the dust off of them, popped them onto my scanner and I offer them up to you now as a glimpse into a period of our family history right about the time we were deciding to become a family.

 

This first shot is of me standing on the deck of the Halcyon sipping a drink as the sun falls over the yardarm.  Not that there ever was a yardarm on the Halcyon, but it’s a nautical phrase and it sounds kind of neat to say.

 

 

This next shot is of me holding up a grouper that Jack Cosgrove and I caught while trolling in the Tampa Bay ship’s channel on the Halcyon.  One of my very first entries in this journal was of that fishing trip with Jack, but the picture I used in that post showed Jack holding the fish.  To be fair, Jack hooked the fish.  By the time I got the boat into neutral and got down from the upper steering station to join Jack on the deck, Jack thought the fish had gotten off the line.  He handed the rod to me and I started reeling it in.  I, too, thought there was no fish on until the fish was reeled in close enough to see the boat.  Suddenly the rod doubled as the fish strained to get away.  Jack and I stood our ground and finally got the fish over the rails and onto the boat.

 

 

This next shot is of me holding up an eight and a half pound lobster that I caught while scuba diving with my pal, Ken Kelly.  We were about twelve miles off of Clearwater Beach diving from my twenty foot Wellcraft named Reel To Reel.  I stumbled across some pictures of the Reel To Reel today and may post one in a later entry for y’all to see.  This lobster took me three full meals to eat.  Lobster is my favorite meal right behind a good steak.  I had a big appetite even back then, so you know that this was a huge lobster.

 

 

The next two pictures are of Paulette and I as we were leaving the marina to attend a Christmas party in Tampa, Florida about a thirty minute drive north from where we kept the Halcyon docked.  It’s hard to believe we were so young.  It’s even harder to accept that we are no longer young like that, LOL!  Oh well, we are still young in our hearts and spirits and that is what matters, I guess.

 

 

 

Although Paulette and I were not married yet when I purchased the Halcyon, we were seriously dating and Paulette was very involved with me in the selection process.  Our lives centered on boating back then and we seized every opportunity we could to enjoy the Halcyon.  There was a little island in Tampa Bay near the shipping channel that had a perfect little cove on the protected side of it.  This little cove was perfect to anchor the Halcyon in.  We would pull up on Friday evening and drop anchor and not leave until mid day on Sunday.  Since the Halcyon had a generator, we had all the comforts of home right there at the island for the whole weekend.  This shot is of Paulette and I on the top deck of the Halcyon with the Island in the background as we motored home.  I’m sitting at the upper steering station and Paulette is right behind me sitting in a deck chair enjoying the breeze, the view and the taste of salt in the air.

 

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look into the past with me.  I do think these photos look a lot better on here than tucked away in that drawer.  I found some pictures of film and video shoots I was on during my search through the family archives so I may show some of them soon.  Unfortunately they were not the shoot I wanted to write about today.  I’ll go to my storage unit in the next week or two and try and find the pictures I originally wanted to use today, as well.

 

In other news, everyone made it through the holiday weekend in one piece here.  We are still experiencing weather in the low to mid nineties and 100% humidity.  Science tells us that cooler weather is on the horizon, but it would be hard to prove to us right now.   As for me, well, I had the day off today and I stayed in the blissful air conditioning all day long.  It was a good day.  I got in a little guitar playing, took a short nap, and threw this post together.  It’s been fun, but I have some serious loafing to accomplish to finish out the day.  See you next time!

 

 

The Great Bracket Caper

This coming Labor Day will mark the end of my seventh summer at the marina.  Yes, the final holiday weekend of the season is at hand.  This always gives me pause to reflect and to try and gauge my successes and failures.  Fortunately I’ve had few failures this summer and many successes.  Not a bad way to close out a season.

Thinking back about all that has passed this summer I am struck by the size and scope of even small projects around a marina facility such as this one.    Take, for instance, the brackets that had to be changed out at the beginning of this month.

These brackets are L shaped and are about 36” long on each side of the L.  They are bolted through the docks at intersections to hold the dock together as one piece.  We had two brackets on one intersection break in storm winds this past spring.  In high wave action the docks could possibly sway enough for this failure to allow chafing of electric and water lines.

Part of the challenge is to get the company that services our docks out to our location for a job this small.  With hurricane season upon us, we persevered and they finally arrived to change these brackets.  What a major production this turned out to be.

Here is a wide shot showing the barge and crane that was part of the required equipment.

This next pic is of the intersection that needed reinforcing.

The shot above is of the brackets that broke and need to be replaced.  The foul looking stuff in the water is called marsh grass and comes into the marina on what is called spring tides.  A spring tide us an unusually high tide periodthat happens once a quarter and occurs on an average over a four day time span. 

Guess whose job it is to pull the marsh grass out of the marina after the spring tides are over.  Yep!  You guessed it, mine!  I use a device I fashioned myself that I pull behind a work boat to tow it out of the marina And I release it on an outgoing tide to drift out to the ocean.

These are the threaded rods that have to go all the way through the dock to the other side to bolt this whole bracket assembly together.

This next shot is one of the old, broken brackets being removed.

Here is a wide shot from the opposite angle.  Quite an operation, I’d say.  It took about a half day’s work for this crew to bring the barge and crane in, do the work and leave again with the barge and crane.

My new assistant is working out just fine and is a real help.  Everyone likes him and I cannot tell you what a relief this is to me.  This has been a good week and a great way to close out another season.  If I don’t post before the holiday weekend, please take care and stay safe.

See Ya on the docks!

It's Been Awhile!

Hello to all again!  I’ve taken a bit of a break from this journal during the summer as the demands on my time and energy in the real world left me drained at the end of each day.  In addition, there was a lot going on emotionally that took a toll.  Don’t worry; Paulette, Sandy, and I are okay as well as the kitty, Emmie, and our newest addition, Emmie’s new kitty pal, Gracie.  I'll write more about the new addition at a later time.

Right now I’d like to take a moment to thank all who wrote comments and Emails expressing concern over my absence.  Thank you, my friends, for your concern and the support you give to me and all of our J-Land community. 

This brings me to a big: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY J-LAND!  Yes, we celebrated J-Land’s third anniversary this weekend.  There were numerous celebration events including a huge J-Land chat session last night that I was lucky enough to take part in.  It’s always a good time when all the journalists get together!

The graphics that you see here and on the sidebar were provided by Donna over at D’s Designs.  She really did a great job this year providing celebration graphics for all of us to use and enjoy.  Thanks, Donna!

Journals Editor Joe provided the Three Year Graphic on the side bar.  If you've not found your way to Magic Smoke, you owe it to yourself to pay him a visit. 

Many of you wrote to me asking if we had heard from Trenton and his parents.  There is not much good news to share.  Trace and Danielle have split up and moved to different states.  Danielle is back in Reno, Nevada and Trace is working in Arizona. 

Trenton is with Danielle and she refuses to let Trenton come and live with us until she gets back on her feet.  She is filing for divorce and welfare at the same time.

Trace is doing well for his company in Arizona and is trying to live a drug free lifestyle.  He sounds good and we have great hopes for his future.

We talk to Trenton on the phone twice a week now and he sounds as good as a youngster can considering his parents are not living together.  He has been promised by his mom that he can come visit us for a few weeks next summer.  We hope she does not change her mind.

As for Paulette and I, it’s out of our hands now.  We just want to be loving grandparents and be kept out of the back and forth accusations and blame game that seems to always play out in these situations.  The kids finally seem to realize what we are saying and we are now being spared the day to day drama.

As for me, life goes on.  I’m still at the marina and taking care of things.  It’s been particularly challenging this summer because I’ve gone the entire season without an assistant.  I’ve had high school and college kids helping me, but I’ve had to do so much more than normal due to the lack of another adult on the staff.

We finally hired an assistant for me and he started a week ago.  He’s a fast learner, thank goodness, and is going to work out very well.  Things will settle back into a routine I’m more comfortable with now and I can devote more time and energy into keeping up with my J-Land friends and writing in this journal.

Lest I forget, let me wish my sister, Jan, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIS!  Jan is a Colonel in the Army Reserves and is on active duty at Ft. Polk, Louisiana.  We love you and are thinking about you and all of our troops on active duty!

I’ve still been taking pictures from time to time, so I’ve got some things from this summer to write about and share in future posts.  I hope you have all been well and in good spirits. 

I’ll be going around to all my favorite journals in the coming days and weeks to catch up again on the news and share a little gossip.  Save me a seat on the back porch and we’ll share a cup of coffee or a spot of tea, as well.

Sam

 

 

Vacation Day 3

Day three of my vacation dawned bright and sunny, though just a bit breezy.  Our plans for the day were to launch Ken’s larger boat, “Kelly’s Girl.”  Ken has owned “Kelly’s Girl” since 1986 and we used it as the base for many an adventure together in the Tampa Bay area of Florida where we both lived at the time.

 

Ken’s wife Joyce was able to take the day off and join us.  Our plans were to go find a nice beach protected from the breeze and enjoy the day swimming and walking the beach.

 

Ken is meticulous in how he cares for his possessions and “Kelly’s Girl” is no exception.  This boat looks as good today as it did when it came off the showroom floor in 1986.  This boat features a classic style design by Wellcraft and was one of the more popular ”pocket cruiser” designs of it’s day.  Boats of this era are hard to find on the East Coast of Florida still in this good of condition and Ken gets admiring looks and stares every time he launches “Kelly’s Girl.”

 

In this first shot Joyce, ken’s wife, and Ken welcome me aboard “Kelly’s Girl.”

We are in the Ft. Pierce inlet and Ken has chosen our beach location for the day just up ahead.

It doesn’t take Ken long to expertly set the anchor with the boat lined up perfectly with the beach in just the right depth of water.

Joyce and I have known each since their first date.  She is a wonderful lady with a good wit and a sharp mind.  Always looking to improve herself, Joyce takes night courses at a local college in accounting.  She’s been working in the accounting field for many years and I admire her resolve to keep abreast of her career field.  Here we are together saluting Ken as he snaps this picture.

This next shot takes me back twenty years.  Whenever I think of the island camping trips, fishing adventures, diving experiences, or lazing at a beach outing, I always have this mental picture of Ken hanging off the swim platform of “Kelly’s Girl” as you see him pictured here.

Joyce and I took the opportunity to walk the beach and chat.  Here you see us on the return trip to the boat.

We tried to get into the Ft. Pierce City Marina so that we could eat at the Tiki Hut Restaurant.  We ate there on the first day of my trip and had some of the best cheeseburgers I’ve had in years.  The Dock Master would not let us tie up for lunch because the Southern Kingfish Association was holding a tournament nearby and all boat slips had been reserved.  He did let us stay long enough to place to-go orders, though and Ken and I sat at the bar and people watched while we waited for our order.  Here’s a shot of the crowd.

Joyce and I were sitting in “Kelly’s Girl” while Ken was checking on docking accommodations when I noticed the America Flag standing straight on the pole over Joyce’s shoulder.  I quickly got the camera and snapped a shot.

We pulled out of the marina in search of an island to tuck into while we ate our lunch.  We noticed some commotion at a county park nearby and realized that that was where the Southern Kingfish Association was holding the weigh-in for their tournament.

There was a big stage and bleachers had been erected on each side of it.  These events draw huge crowds and we happened by as one of the very earliest boats had pulled into the dock to weigh in.

If any of you remember my very first posts last April, you may remember a fellow by the name of Woody who set out to sail a tiny boat from Savannah to Charleston in some extreme weather conditions.  Woody has been by again on a new adventure and I’ll be posting about it soon.  In the meantime, I have one more day to share of my vacation.  This day we did no boating, but had a great adventure.  ‘Til then be safe and take care!

Vacation Day Two

It turns out that my assistant did not break his ankle as I mention in my last post.  He broke his leg just above the ankle.  He is coming back to work this week on Wednesday and is to be allowed light duty only.  He will be able to pump gas and run the hoist, but no strenuous walking or lifting.  Not too bad in the total scheme of things.  My high school part-timers can do the garbage when they arrive after school on those days when I’m not there.  If there is an emergency on the docks, the maintenance department can help him out.  Now on to the subject of today’s post, day two of my recent vacation to Vero Beach, Florida.

 

My best friend Ken was playing host to me while I used up some vacation time.  The first day had been spent exploring spoil islands and swimming.  On this day, we rose early and set out to do some serious fishing.

 

We had no luck in finding live bait in the area and resorted to using frozen shrimp and artificial lures.

 

 

Our favorite inshore location produced little on this day so we stuck our nose out of the pass hoping to run across some jacks or mackerel just off the beaches.

 

 

After a while, we decided it was time to head over to Captain Hiram’s, my favorite beach bar and restaurant in the area.

 

 

Luck was on our side and Jen was on duty behind the bar again.  You may remember seeing her in one of the PICS taken and posted in October.

 

 

As before, she made the tastiest drinks and we enjoyed a fine lunch as well as a few rounds of exotic beverages.

 

I never tire of the view from Captain Hiram’s.

 

 

There was a good crowd on hand to enjoy the ambience as you can see from this shot I took of Ken coming back down the pier after checking on his boat.

 

 

Ken is getting the boat ready for our departure in this next shot.

 

 

As you can see, I always have a smile when I am going or coming from Captain Hiram’s.

 

 

Since we had little luck fishing that morning, we decided to enjoy the rest of the day exploring more islands.

 

 

I’ve got enough PICS to do two more posts of this vacation.  In the next vacation post I’ll introduce you to Joyce, Ken’s wife.   the meantime, take care and stay safe.