Antipodean Boats Connection

[RFNK]

Wassup?

Rick

[Phil Y]

My rental cars are obviously parked which makes me sad. My truck and diggers just seem to be having a succession of failures. I picked up a digger from a 2 day job today and found it had blown a seal on its hydraulic filter. It's been a problem forever and noone seems to be able to fix it properly including me. It tends to leak onto the alternator which then catches fire. So cancelled hires for tomorrow and friday. Driving home my truck brakes failed dramatically, as I approached a T junction. Can't actually remember now whether I managed to stop. Didn't hit anything though, which is good. Drove home with no brakes. Didn't hit anything but having a nervous breakdown now. And the torn muscle in my shoulder makes it hard enough to wipe my bum with our indecent stash of toilet paper, let alone mess with recalcitrant machinery. Can't do any of my gardening jobs. Or work on the boat. Or learn the guitar. Or buy a motorbike. Yes I drove the truck home with a digger on the back with no brakes. Didn't want to leave it in a new housing estate. Already had one digger stolen. Can't afford a tow truck. Well, didn't want to pay for a tow truck if I'm honest. Anyway, every now and then I just about run out of puff and now is one of those times. But mostly life is great and I'm very happy and content 😊.

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[RFNK]

Hmm, I think you have every right to be down in the dumps - but it's probably an after-effect of the adrenaline! All machinery hate us, so don't take that personally, your shoulder will get better and, don't tell anyone else I said this, but, if that guitar you didn't buy had nylon strings then it's a GOOD THING that you missed it. Steel strings do take a little longer to get used to but they are sooo much easier to get decent sound from than nylon strings! And you will learn to play guitar. Now, I am absolutely forbidden to even hint at a notion that I might buy another motorbike because I always crash them so that might be a blessing for you too! Is there any reason other than your sore shoulder that prevents you from working on your boat?

Rick

[Phil Y]

Just the shoulder. I'm not sure what the excuse for lack of progress was before that. Doesn't matter now. Ancient history.

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[RFNK]

There's always a bright side. Now you have an excuse! The greatest gift of all!
It'll heal soon.

In other, but less significant, admittedly, news, yours truly made, for the very first time, a cup of drinkable coffee at home!! This was achieved with the aid of freshly roasted and ground coffee beans (bought) and our antique Atomic coffee maker which has now been transferred in status from funky kitchen ornament to useful and blessed thing! Tomorrow I'll try for improvement in frothiness but the taste so far is bearable!!!

Rick

[Phil Y]

Go nuclear or go home!

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[RFNK]

Some bronze chainplates for sale: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Solid-Br...8AAOSwGIZeWM1s

Rick

[RFNK]

Go nuclear or go home!

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It's the bomb!

Rick

[skuthorp]

Guitar Rick? Be a man, get a real instrument…..

[RFNK]

Yeah, but for less money I could produce a more pleasant sound by buying a leaf blower. And the neighbours could probably stand that.

Rick

[Stiletto]

Yeah, but for less money I could produce a more pleasant sound by buying a leaf blower. And the neighbours could probably stand that.

Rick

Indeed, it has been said that a true gentleman is somebody who can play the bagpipes....and doesn't!

[WX]

A few photos of work at home.
The stone retaining wall progresses but a trip to the creek for better rock is on order.
IMG_2996.jpg

This one is going to be repurposed as a step out the front of the house. length is around 1 metre.
IMG_2997.jpg

A different angle on the the other bit of stonework and steps, which will lead to a small bridge.
IMG_2999.jpg

[gypsie]

Oscar Wilde described a gentleman as "Someone who can play the bagpipes, and chooses not to."

[gypsie]

Nice work WX - but don't forget to take it easy.

[Phil Y]

What Gypsie said

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[Phil Y]

Happier news for me today. I seem to have fixed the digger. Fingers crossed anyway. I've put a flat nylon washer where there was an Oring. Maybe it should always have been a flat washer. I might go get a copper washer just to be sure. Nylon might soften and fail when the hydraulic fluid warms up. Truck brake failure was just a flexible hose, so will not be expensive to fix. Idiots who last replaced the brake pads had put the caliper back on with a kink in the hose. So the hose split and lost all the brake fluid. No it wasn't me. Today's hire happy to reschedule to next week and tomorrow's hire all good. Shoulder seems to be improving a tiny bit every day. Wish I could go forth a ride on my free ebike though.

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[WX]

Nice work WX - but don't forget to take it easy.

Feeling quite good today, the arm is fine and I'm not feeling woozy at all but point taken. I do have some serious reading to do.

[Hugh MacD]

Indeed, it has been said that a true gentleman is somebody who can play the bagpipes....and doesn't!

Which is the primary reason pipers are usually marching....they're trying to get away from the noise.

[Small boats rock]

Happier news for me today. I seem to have fixed the digger. Fingers crossed anyway. I've put a flat nylon washer where there was an Oring. Maybe it should always have been a flat washer. I might go get a copper washer just to be sure. Nylon might soften and fail when the hydraulic fluid warms up. Truck brake failure was just a flexible hose, so will not be expensive to fix. Idiots who last replaced the brake pads had put the caliper back on with a kink in the hose. So the hose split and lost all the brake fluid. No it wasn't me. Today's hire happy to reschedule to next week and tomorrow's hire all good. Shoulder seems to be improving a tiny bit every day. Wish I could go forth a ride on my free ebike though.

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I had the impression you are a lawyer. Why do you run trucks? I must be wrong about the law thing.

[Phil Y]

I had the impression you are a lawyer. Why do you run trucks? I must be wrong about the law thing.

My first career was as a lawyer. But I no longer do that.

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[Small boats rock]

Ah I see, a reformed man... is this the reason for your comments about general happiness and contentment?

[Phil Y]

Probably not. Just didn't want anyone to think I was suicidal! I gave up lawyering as such maybe 20 years ago. Had some corporate HR roles. Went to work in PNG. Got sick, nearly died. Decided law and corporate management probably wasn't for me. Started a little sports car rental business, then a little digger hire business, then did some of the digging myself and added some gardening to that. Not quite the usual Management to Jim's Lawnmowing story, but not that far off.

And yes, I seem to have to work quite hard to earn less than the dole now, but I seem to be happier than when I earned quite a lot of money.

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[RFNK]

Rick

[Small boats rock]

Good story!

I left my former high pressure career too. A choice between money and life. I chose life and haven't looked back. The lack of money is well and truly made up for in other ways.

[auscruisertom]

Meanwhile back in the boat shed ,we have a complete gaff rig ready to go nowhere. Obtained my border crossing certificate easily enough today .Now just to circumvent the essential clauses should I get stopped which is highly likely carrying a dinghy on my roof racks.

Phil I think I need a lawyer!!! oh no we’re back on that subject again.

37D31909-3AA7-46C0-9F9A-4151A2C63EC7.jpg

[Phil Y]

Wow, good luck, I hope the new rig gets rigged successfully and that she sails like a witch.

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[Small boats rock]

What argument did you use to obtain your border papers?

[auscruisertom]

What argument did you use to obtain your border papers?

Unfortunately it has no space for arguments just a travel document deceleration that is required to cross the border .

The onus is on each individual and of course the border control officer should you get pulled over, to interpret the regulations regarding essential travel.

[RFNK]

This is a cover to go over the windlass, to stop most of the water shooting down the hawse space, as I don't have a chain locker. It'll be hinged on one side with separating hinges so that I can lift it off easily. Its dimensions are 270 x 330 x 120. I need ideas on ways to lock it down securely, so that waves don't wash it away. But I don't want any lugs or tabs etc. sticking up out of the deck for me to stub toes on. Simple is good, strong is essential! Any ideas?

Cover.jpg

Cover 2.jpg

Rick

[Phil Y]

Have you tried play dough in the hawse pipe?

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[Phil Y]

Otherwise there are various flush folding tie down things.

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[RFNK]

Have you tried play dough in the hawse pipe?

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No, the windlass and hawse are integrated so there's no pipe. It's really a windlass made for a draining chain locker . The cover will have a slot in it for the chain. This is only the blank straight off the mould. It'll work but I need to hold it down.

Rick

[Phil Y]

Can you just set in effect some bronze nuts into the deck. Into which you screw a hold down of some sort?

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[RFNK]

Can you just set in effect some bronze nuts into the deck. Into which you screw a hold down of some sort?

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I'm also thinking along those lines. A twisting shaft in a key slot, type of thing, rather than a threaded nut though, I think, because I want to be able to undo it and do it up very quickly and easily, and without tools.

Rick

[Small boats rock]

Unfortunately it has no space for arguments just a travel document deceleration that is required to cross the border .

The onus is on each individual and of course the border control officer should you get pulled over, to interpret the regulations regarding essential travel.

Bummer. I was going to borrow your excuse to get me across our regional borders when I want to go to my boat. Anyway, best of luck to you for each crossing. Hopefully border control also happen to be understanding boat owners.