Designing a boat at age 12

[blared]

This kid reminds me of my youth.. hehe good old days.. good luck with the project. And watch out for rusty nails

Distracted?

OK - whats her name?

Starling...quite a famous name about these parts among Fishermen.

Maybe you'll strive to achieve the same results as your namesake!

Try a google search young Starling, on Steve Starling, and see what you get! You could do worse than to emulate his efforts methinks!

Galapagos Islands eh?

I believe the fishings good - if the goanna's don't eat you first!

Cheers!

[starling718]

Trouty, I AM a girl and who said the boat was going to be made of wood? Most kids in my class haven't even seen pictures of rainforests and why would I do something that takes up most of my time and what's more most of my life just because it was fashionable? All my life I've gone agenst the crowd and lived my own way. Heck, why would I be doing this if the rest of the world is doing it too? I like to make a defference by being defferent. I hate puplicity and fame and sometimes people! Some of my best friends are animals. Somepeople would "How thick can you get?", but to me animals are just people who happen to not be human. If you just listen you can know what they are saying. When I think about rainforests, I think about the trees and the animals who have lives and personalitys of their own. What would you say if animals tore down all our buildings and houses and grew rainforests in there place? People really are kind of pethetic when you sit down and think about it. Yes where smarter and have better tecnology, but we're also selfish and greedy too. We're letting people like the goverment run our lives and think for us? Now that's Thick!

[starling718]

My real name isn't starling it's Liz Scales. The funny thing about the name Starling is that we didn't know it had anything to do with fishing. Avery and I were looking for names in tree and bird books of hers and Starling sounded cool for a boat. Most of my family is from Newfoundland, Canada, but I live in New York City across the street from the Promanade that looks out on the East River which is kinda cool. My gradfather owns a boat, so we go fishing each year and my aunt lives on a lake and also owns a motar boat and a couple rowboats thats pretty much it, but I've been to the South Street Seaport a lot and they have tons of boats there. Even though we don't own a boat, my dad is obessted with them. He loves taking pictures of them when ever he can. He's an insurance lawer.

[Skippy]

starling718: Trouty, I AM a girl and who said the boat was going to be made of wood?

Yea guys, she's a GIRL! Waddaya thinka THAT? Liz, I was thinking about some ocean trips a while ago. It helps to figure where you want to go, the stops you'll make in between, what time of year it is, and what you'll do. The stops affect how long it takes, and the weather will depend on the season. Once you know how long you plan to be out, what kind of gear and cargo you want to bring along, what the conditions will be like, and of course who's going, then you can get an idea of what kind of boat you need. Don't worry about trouty, he's a stinky old ogre who lives under a bridge and likes to throw people off of it into the river below. If you're going to build a boat yourself, wood is an excellent material, and any other material will use up natural resources anyway. At least the wood grows back. It's strong and lightweight, and very easy to work. But find out about reefs and shoals where you're going, because grounding a boat is very dangerous!

[marshmat]

Originally Posted by starling718

Trouty, I AM a girl and who said the boat was going to be made of wood? Most kids in my class haven't even seen pictures of rainforests and why would I do something that takes up most of my time and what's more most of my life just because it was fashionable? All my life I've gone agenst the crowd and lived my own way. Heck, why would I be doing this if the rest of the world is doing it too? I like to make a defference by being defferent. I hate puplicity and fame and sometimes people! Some of my best friends are animals. Somepeople would "How thick can you get?", but to me animals are just people who happen to not be human. If you just listen you can know what they are saying. When I think about rainforests, I think about the trees and the animals who have lives and personalitys of their own. What would you say if animals tore down all our buildings and houses and grew rainforests in there place? People really are kind of pethetic when you sit down and think about it. Yes where smarter and have better tecnology, but we're also selfish and greedy too. We're letting people like the goverment run our lives and think for us? Now that's Thick!

Amen to that. We could use more people who think like you, Liz. There is so little respect for the environment these days, so little thought put in to the consequences of our actions. It's refreshing to see someone taking an honest look at the problems inherent in modern money-driven culture.
I'll be back later with more on the boat....
(PS- Don't mind Trouty, he's like that with everybody )

[Bergalia]

Originally Posted by starling718

who said the boat was going to be made of wood?

Liz, there is only one material for building boats - despite what these other forum members say - and that's timber.
Did Noah choose fibreglass for is Ark? Nuff said.

[starling718]

I guess...... But we have about 5-10 years to think about that. And I agree. Trouty is a git. "Nuff said"

PS: sorry Trouty, but you kinda got on my nerves.

[starling718]

I think we figured some of that stuff out so far, Skippy, but we have time to think about all of that. We're thinking about taking off near the ST. Larwrance Seaway (yet agian, I have no clue how to spell anything.) and start off by going somewhere in the Carabeabin(absolutly no skill in spelling-that's me). Were not really sure about what kind of boat we'll need. Avery thinks some kind of small yaht. She's extreamly smart. She'll figure that part out while I reserch and start planing our course. We're all reserching this together. This Summer, I'll be spending about 3 weeks with Avery in a summer camp in Maine and at least a month with my grandparents who are taking me to Canada and to see my Aunt Ma on the lake. She owns a couple boats, so I'm pretty sure she'll let me row around the lake in one of them. Last time I mentioned boats in front of my mom, she said I hated boats. How clueless can you be? I know my dad knows about all this, but he's probubly forgoten by now.........

[Bergalia]

Come now Starling -
Mustn't be rude to Trouty. He's only teasing you - and gently too. And remember Trouty is from Oz that great sea-going nation which gave birth to such naval heroes as...........well.......errrr.......errrr.......Well, he's from a young nation anyway. Give them a chance and one day they'll discover how to sail. At the moment they are concentrating on swimming....

[Bergalia]

[quote=starling718](yet agian, I have no clue how to spell anything.) and start off by going somewhere in the Carabeabin(absolutly no skill in spelling-that's me). QUOTE]

Sailors don't need to know spelling. But navigation is essential. Take your old Uncle Walrus for instance. Can't spell for bananas - but he's been around the globe a few times (even though he was only trying to park his car...)

[Tim B]

Thank you Bergalia, for another brilliant injection of comedy.

Personally, I'll all for this project. It's a great idea, and I just hope that Liz doesn't get distracted during her teenage years. It's one of those projects you'll have to dedicate a fair part of your life to.

Good Luck,

Tim B.

She's a feisty little one, aint she?

Liz - you speak to me just like my own daughter does - I think we'd get on just great!. I admire your spunk! (can we say that? - in my day it was a compliment!).

Hey - I really made you think - didn't I?...which is WHY I got on your nerves!!. Be honest - did you learn anything?

If you did - my mission was accomplished!

Hey, you know those starlings your on about - well they are a native bird to the Eastern states of Aus...but Not out west where I am...out here they are a potential pest to horticultural crops...and other native birds (competition for food and nesting sites) so - out at the West Oz border on the nullabore plane (null = Nil, Arbore = tree, hence a great big flat plane with no trees) they have a group of men 24/7 with shotguns whos job it is to shoot any starlings that try to fly out west for a little holiday (I kid you not - I was a wildlife officer - I know this stuff!).

You know that nullabore plain is 1000 miles across....and the road is dead straight for the whole 1000 miles - not one bend...and you know whats out there?

Yep - miles n miles n miles n miles n miles a bloody nuthin!

Famous sailors from downunder Bergalia? Ben Lexen! (and the dude who steered our yacht that beat dennis the menace connors!).

Jeeze - ya sure did make me laugh tho!

Whos the famous sailor from your neck a th woods again? (Yeah Tony Bullimore!)

So - I reckon - that this lil Starlin' is about the brightest button I've ever seen in about a gazillion years...how'd ya be with a class of 30 of em all like her!

Yup yup yup - she's priceless..

I hope you design and build boats Liz, I aim to come back reincarnated as one a ya kids in 20 years time and drive ya nuts for a lifetime!!!

Tell you what tho - have you ever considered writing for a living - you have a knack for it - a real talent - I'd wager you could make a living at it, and I'm not joking when I say that - you are very talented for a 12 year old. (And I've been published nationally a few times before now so I'm quaified to say that!).

Ya see Liz - I have an excuse for being the way I am, I write like this thru a very unfortunate mistake at birth...the doctor accidentally vaccinated me with a grammaphone needle and I haven't shut up much since!

Last thing you wanna do is use my gramma on your teachers - likely they will have a blue fit!

Me - I can talk (write like a yokel) anytime the mood takes me- but i can also speak (and write) proper when the occasion calls for it!

Whereas - at the age of 12 they don't let you have fun like this ('cept for text messages....my 3 darn kids all twiddle away for hours on their mobiles texting the most inane stuff but don't get me started on that!)...

So - you aren't allowed to use the rotten grammar and spelling and punch-you-asians....er punctuation - you see us old fellas here using - you can by all means take the ideas and use em for projects and homework n stuff for school, but for goodness sakes don't copy our spellin and grandmah - er gramma er grammer...unless you wanna fail english (or american as the case may be)..

Winks as good as a nod to a blind man on a galloping horse!

"I see, I see" - it all comes back to me now!", said the blind man - to the deaf fellow...as he pee'd into the wind!

So lizzy - you actualy seen the humungous big goanna / lizard thingys (monitors) that live at the Galapagos islands? Ya can't even swim to get away from em, coz they swim like eels and they eat people!.

I still reckon it'll be a blast trip...if I'm still alive, - can I come too - you might need a good wildlife officer along to sacrifice to the lizzard thingys...

Hey - the fact you mention a boat named starling is very very spooky...

(The guy I told you to look up- names Steve Starling is fammous in books and TV and he's a mate of mine - but thats not the spoooky bit!).

When I was a kid - well about 16 years old so not much older than you - I was right into scuba diving. One day while diving, I discovered a wrecked ship..so I collected afew timber ribs and after the holiday - my dad took me into our martime museum.

I explained where I'd found this wreck - and the guy there looked up his records (computers weren't invented in those days)...and he proudly identified for the the boat that had sunk (in 1914) as the Grey Starling!!!!

Yes - for years I told people all about this boat named the Grey Starling that I'd found!!

Then one day when I was much much much older, I searched the computer records of the maritime museum...for a sunken boat in 1914 called the Grey Starling!

Well all those years ago when we went to the Museum and the man identified the wreck for me - I musta had either water still in my ears (or likely ear wax) because I must heard him wrong -- it was REALLY called the "Grace Darling"! (Go figure!)..

Most a my life i thought it was Grey Starling...and all along - it was the Grace Darling!

Truthfully he kinda spoke funny with is teeth out..well he had teeth like the 10 commandements anyway - all broken!

Sadly it was no treasure laden ship (like many of the wrecked ducth east indiamen littered along our shoreline here on the wets coast of Oz). Yes this grand lady of the sea was full of Bat Droppings (Guano) used as fertiliser on grain farms...being transported down our coast from where the Chinese used to mine it on the Houtman Abrolhos Islands!

Pretty dumb story Liz I know - but you mentioning starling got me started remembering days of my youth!

You could always google search "Grace Darling Shipwreck Australia" and see if what I say is true or not!

Hmmm

Grace Darling. Steel steamer, 622 tons. Built at Hardenfveld, Holland, 1905. Lbd 175 x 27 x 12.8 ft. Scuttled in the North arm graveyard, Port of Adelaide. Register closed in 1931. [LH]

...couldn't a been that one - built AFTER the one I found sank - too young!

Here we go

http://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/wa-wrecks.html

Grace Darling. Schooner, 82 tons. Built 1869 Lbd 83.2 x 20.3 x 8.1 ft. Wrecked off Edward Island, WA, 3 February 1915. [LW]
Also listed:
Grace Darling. Involved in rescue - see steamer Rodondo, lost WA, 1894. [LAH]

hmm - not too accurate me thinks!

How bout this!

http://www.voc.iinet.net.au/lpcoast.html

Grace Darling - 1914

The Grace Darling was a wooden two-masted schooner built in Hobart, Tasmania in 1869. The 83-tonne vvessel was wrecked in February 1914 while on a voyage from the Abrolhos Islands to Fremantle with a cargo of 1,000 bags of guano. The crew of six were saved.
The wreck site is about one kilometre north of Lancelin Island and 800 metres from shore, on a line of reefs close to the entrance of the Lancelin fishing boat anchorage. Wreckage lies on the reef and in sand holes, varying in depth from three to six metres. The hull is not intact but a large section of the bottom, with ribs and planking can be seen.

Thats a more accurate description - because thats actually where I found her - the year...(1959 + 16 = 1977!)

There ya go Liz! History in the making!

Cheers & beers, big ears!!

[safewalrus]

Heavens to lawdy trouty you do go on! Guess that happens when you gets really old! ... or are you just practising!

Anyways Liz as you said you've got five to ten years to get ready for this great adventure and I reakon you'll need every minute of it - it's quite a huge undertaking your going for! Guess you will make it, you've got the right idea, but in the process remember to have some fun on the way! There's still some wonderful things to do out in this bad old world for someone of your age before you get too serious despite all the bad things silly old sod's like Bergalia and trouty and me (especially me!) tell you. You just got to be a little careful is all! more later

Just one minor thing; took some time before you admitted you were a girl (after yor first post I put mine in saying "well done lads" or some such!) what's wrong with being a girl? presuming you are of course! Sorry just a thought (grouchy untrustworthy old bugger)

the Walrus

[starling718]

I forgot to mention that I was a girl in the first post and thought I did . But last time I looked, Liz was a girl's name. Yep a lotta people call me spunky . I don't use IM language much. Sometimes I'd talk to my friends online and I can't understand a darn word the're saying . Yep, Trouty got me thinking, I was just in a bad mood. It supprising how many kids don't even have brains. This is something that happened on the first day of school:

Teacher: Ok. You have to write a page and a half for homework.

Other kid: Liz, do we have any writing homework?

Me: What an amazing concept!

Other kid: What's a concept?

How thick can you get? The same kid once asked my friend ,Aaron, in science if pollution is bad! He repied with "Ya Think?!" . I do a lot of writing these days. In literacy class, my theacher, Lis(yes. she spells it with an "s".), was give another one of those "how to have a good conversation" lectures, so I sat there and made anther attempt on writing a book. I kept trying with defferent plots and the one I started writing worked perfectly. The way I got the plot was by posting on an online roleplay forum. It was a good story my friends and I started up, but they all left because I was practicly wrting a novel when I was supposted to be writing how my charter was reacting in the scene. It was pretty funny. I'll post it once I'm done with the first chapter.