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!