Random Picture Thread

My dad traced part of his family back to the Coffins out of Nantucket. The whalers were really far from glamorous. It was a brutal, gruesome, dangerous and yet profitable business. The development of the petroleum industry brought it all to an end, saving the whales from extinction while introducing new challenges for the human race. The history of it all fascinates me.

 

I intended to post about 2 hours ago but have been looking thru my library for a very detailed history book i read some time ago on this very subject. (Considering I have about 300 to 350 books in my collection my batting average is about 50/50 ) I recall, In addition to the hardships endured by the whaling crews one of the big surprises was what some women of the whalers used to cope with their isolation and loneliness while their men were at sea for years on end. I had always assumed they coped thru religion. Well it seems many ended up addicted to Opium, a then legal and widely accepted source of relaxation especially in the San Francisco area. It seems New Bedford had it's own active drug culture long before our's of the 60's
Remaining on subject, I recently attended the most recent movie on the Moby Dick (Essex) story shown in 3D. While there was some "obvious whaling ship Essex not to scale scenes " and far fetched magical smashed whaling boats suddenly reappearing undamaged, overall it was worth a view.

 

HMS Assurance brought first of my line to Boston in the Year of Our Lord 1635. This wasn't it. This was built by my friend Jim in 1972. It was a paddle-wheeler powered by a Briggs and Stratton engine.

 

Neither is this. It was a 15' 11" stretch version of a Folbot Sportabout which I built in 1972. It was powered by a Sears 5hp outboard built by Eska.

 

1635 Hoyt, you are an Old Englishman Hope you both are enjoying the Season. We got our first snow yesterday. Christmas day was +14C, Boxing Day +9 then Wham down comes the first white stuff. About 2 in. on the ground and melting. Calling for +6C and rain on Wed. Just lit the fire in the shop, doing a general clean up this afternoon in prep to get back on the build. Any new boat projects in your near future? --

 

We're having stupid weather. It's been 70 degrees and raining all week. My Spirea is blooming and my neighbor's Chinese Magnolia is in full bloom and some quince are blooming down the road. The roses normally get pruned twice, but I don't think I dare prune them in January now. I left my lettuce starter tray outside, and some slow seeds have sprouted. I still have a habanero pepper plant trying to ripen its last three peppers. We are 11 degrees above average on the month, and 24 degrees above for the last week. I'm going to have a fresh garden salad on 1 Jan. It'll be a small one, but what the heck. Had to turn the a/c on when we were cooking Christmas dinner.

edit, I'm talking about Hendersonville, up in the mountains, not Beaufort.

 

Scottish, but English mixed in. We have a boat lift installation in progress. Drilling holes in limestone canal bottom necessitates the drilling rig which is now parked off the seawall.
The last few days have been in the mid 80's(high 20's C). Grateful for the warm weather I am. It is going to be a cold winter.

 

Hoyt when your job is completed send him my way to jackhammer an inclined plane on the end of my boat ramp. You recall we beat the hell out of the axe .
In the last photo the dog(Lab.) seems to have finally seen but misread the sign, Docks Unlimited for Ducks Unlimited . Like, "Ducks where are the ducks in that box"??

 

If ground is regular below the ramp, why not slide 2 or 3 wedge shaped concrete pieces into the water at the end? You could make them on level ground in a plywood box shaped as you need it.

 

Phil, i'm just happy i'm not in Texas, killer tornadoes one day and now 60cm. (26in.) of snow. Forecast has changed somewhat here -10C with up to 15cm. snow tomorrow and +6 with rain on Thur. Isn't that going to be a mess.

 

Hoyt, we toyed with the idea of separate ramps but determined tidal & wave action would move them so decided to make use of the 6 in. of rebar ends we broke out as a tie in to the existing ramp's concrete and pour an incline. Something I should have done from day one 10 yrs . ago but was fighting time with the incoming tide when the concrete truck arrived. One of the great benefits of growing old, my hind sight vision is improving.

 

New Bedford Whaler Belvedere built in Maine 1880

 

It's just Texas ... wait a few minutes for the weather to change.

Years ago at this one congregation in Abilene they were having folks talk about their experiences in coming to Texas: one couple from Alaska said that when their friends had heard that they were moving to Abilene described it as "flat, brown, and hot".

Of course we don't tend to have earthquakes or big forest fires, or mudslides that put out forest fires, or blizzards every year so it all averages out.

 

The Tornados were in North Eastern Texas, the snow was that heavy in North North West Texas. Almost any place else it would have been in two separated states.

Here where the Tornados were we got a dusting of snow - it was gone by noon the same day.

Every place I've lived I've heard the same "just wait" weather comment, except Hawaii.

But I would be happy if no one else moved down here due to weather concerns.

 

My brother in law and his family live in Huston which seems to have somewhat stable weather "Dam Hot". Got to get down that way one of these days, family talk is we had a cousin that was in the Texas Rangers back in the days of six guns & horse poop. Supposedly there is info on him at the Rangers Museum. Typical of us Pikes, we are total drifters, I think there is a Pike County in just about every State.