Swim platform V1

Good after noon to all, things or looking up here on the Carrie Michelle. The welder got the swim platform all welded up and the braces or in place.

Swim platform top side

Swim platform with braces in place

Well the swim platform is just about history. I need to remove the bolts and fill the holes with 52oo and reinstall the bolts. Now that is all done I need to find some 3/8 stainless plate so we can build the motor brackets and then it will be completed and ready to go. So that is it for the swim platform.

The next big thing is to get the gusset installed and fiber glassed in place. That will be a job doing that cause of where you have to work, very tight place to get into. Other then that all is going very well and ahead of the time frame.

Until next posting have a great evening,
Harold

Count down til arirval

Well it is getting closer for Shirley to get here . She should arrive around lunch time on the 6th of February. Wow it's been a long time waiting ,it seems like forever in a day. We both or so excited to be back together and do some of those things we were doing together. The best part she will see things here she has never seen before. So stay tuned to the blog and see where we will be going on the land cruise.

Well today was a fairly good day here at the Carrie Michelle. I got the decals order and it should take about two week to get here. So they say. Also today I got some of the backing done on the swim platform done . The welder call and said he would be here in the morning at seven, we will see. I also measured for a hard top to go on the fly bridge too. That way I will not have worry about the wind tearing up the fabric top and we will also stay dry under it.

Well that is about it for today. I hope y'all have a great evening,
Harold

Dreams do come TRUE

Hello to all that keeps up with this blog.

Is the earth on fire

 Well this is what it looked this morning. It makes you think that the earth is on fire. Well it might be somewhere the way things or going. But leaving all aside that is a beautiful sun rise this morning. Not many mornings like this.

Full moon

This time of the cycle and we were blessed with this shot of the full moon last night. Wow what a picture this has made. Well I guess that is enough of that so lets move on.

Wide open space

 Do you ever wonder how it was way back when. Well I catch myself sitting up on the fly bridge just wonder and day dreaming about what it was like back then. As the picture tell it ,you can see for miles around. Just like on the fly bridge I can see for miles out in the Gulf of Mexico. I sit there wonder how they ever made it across the ocean. You know it was not like today with the gps's, chart plotters, depth sounders, and radar. All they had was the wind and the stars to guide them to the parts of the unknown. If they went down nobody ever found them. So I sit there and just wonder.

Old one room house

As I look at this old house I wonder how they raised five or six kids and still survived in them old days. Most of the old families had a few acres and raised all they ate and traded for the flour and sugar. Hell now days the younger generation can open a can ,put it in the micro wave , or something else they would starve to death. The one thing my mother did was to make sure all her kids could COOK. So for that is a blessing to me, and the same for my kids there mother made sure they could cook too. Just stop and think (as look at the old house while you think about this question ) how did they survive ? They had no running water, electricity, air condensing. nor gas. So how would make it if you were in them shoes today ? So today most of us would starve case we do not know the basic things to survive. That is really sad too.

Fresh water

Fresh water is a must. In my travels I have seen a many of an old house built real close to a creek or river. They have used creeks to keep there food cool and not to spoil.

So it is really amazing how our minds can wonder about different things. I always wish I could have lived back in Daniel Boone days, oh how much better it would have been and not like all the BS that is going on today. So I guess I will keep dreaming about the trip that Shirley and I or about to take on the Carrie Michelle.

Hope y'all all have a blessed evening,
Harold

What a day

Well today was a bad day for me here at the Carrie Michelle. It started out good thru lunch and then here came the problem. I had been working on the galley and the head , going in and out all day and then bam it happen.

Down to the bottom I go

I had been going around this all morning and had no problem with it. then this afternoon I was not watching where I was going and stepped on the plywood and down into the basement of the boat I went. The worst thing about it is I am here by myself and no one to help me out. Well the best thing is I am not hurt except I tore up my little finger on my left hand up.

Little finger

Well the is all that happened to me except I will be real sore for the next few days or so. Other then that all is well and I can still work on her and keep rite on going.

Other then that little episode I am ok and still able to work. Also the welder came by this afternoon and said he would be here Monday morning to start welding on the swim platform. That is wonderful too, that way I know it will be ready when Shirley gets here and it will so easy for her to get into the boat.

Well that is about it for today, y'all have a great eveing and a wonderful weekend,
Harold

Flag Pole Wireing

Good morning to all, what a winter storm we are having across the country. Yesterday we had a cold front blow in with gust from 40 to 50 mph. Wow what the wind has made too. There things scattered all across the boat yard down the street. All is well here thank goodness.

Flag Pole

Well yester day was a all right day I guess. Even I did not get done what all I wanted to, almost did. I almost got the flag pole wired up but I did not, I got six pairs of eight of the wire ran then the front blew in and no more ladder work. So that will be it for a day or two on the flag pole.

Well today I guess I will start working on the gussets and see what I can get done today. I have got one installed and one made up and ready to be installed with two still need to be made. So that will be a days work there and if I have more time then I will start the fiber glassing them.

Until next post have a great day,
Harold

Swimplatform lv

Good morning to all,
Sorry for no post these last few days, but I have been so busy that at the end of the day I come in take my shower, call my Shirley and then go to bed. So that is why there has been no new post.

Another beautiful sun rise

What a sun rise. This is almost an everyday thing here. This is a shot out across gulf. That makes for a great day when you wake up to something this pretty. The only thing that is missing are the birds a singing. Most of the birds here or Sea Gulls and Pelicans.

Not a ripple on the water

Flag Pole

 Well the flag pole is up and in place. I have the anchor light, running light, two spot lights, and the VHF antenna mounted on it. Then the flags will be next. We will fly a flag from each state we stop end.

Transom painted

 Well the swim platform is and transom or finished. The transom has three coats of anti fouling paint on it at $220.00 dollars a gallon. But with the paint, it's like the Fram commercial pay me now or pay me later. The cheaper bottom will wash off and then it's time for a bottom job at a lot more then $200.00 dollars, more like a thousand dollars. So that's why I chose the better paint.

I also got one gusset built and installed in it's place, just three more to go and then fiber glassed in place. So that is about it for this post.

Have a great day,
Harold

Good Day Here

Well good afternoon to all that is keeping up with the Carrie Michelle. Well yesterday and today have been very good days here. When we have day like yesterday and today it makes for a real good week. also it makes me feel good too.

Good Morning

What a Sun Rise

 This is what I woke up to this morning. Wow a picture it made and what a sun rise it was. Sun rises like this makes for a great day. This is the only way to start your day. There is not many day that you see this type of sun raise. This sun rise had about six or seven shades of the pinkish orange to it. What a pisture.

Swim platform

 Well I have got all six braces cut and ground to fit tight. now all I need is for the welder to come and get them welded in place.

You talk about some hard metal that stainless steel is some hard. I have used a hand full of grinding wheels, I think sixteen all together.

Grinding off the old

After getting all the braces done I started grinding off the old bottom paint. It looks like there is four or five coats on the bottom. All the old has to be ground off before it can be recoated with new bottom paint. I am going back with black up to the bottom of the boot stripe. To make it last it will be coated with three coats. The bottom paint is a very costly paint but you need it.

Well that is it for today, I hope all of you have a great evening. Until next posting have a great one,
Harold

Swim Platform lll

Good Morning

 

Well good morning to all that has been reading this blog.

Well yesterday was a great day here at the Carrie Michelle. The day started of a little shakier but as the morning went on things got better. At first I was having trouble with one of the braces but I got that worked out and then all went well from there.

As things started to looking better I started getting the braces ready for the welder to weld them in place. Wow a job that was getting them ready. The braces or made out of schedule 40 stainless steel, by the time I got four cut at 45 degrees on the end and rounded to fit on the pipe frame  I went through nine grinding wheels. Now I am here to tell you that is some hard metal.

Now that four of the braces or in place I hope the welder comes by this morning and gets them welded in place and then I can move onto a new project. The new project will be to get the flag pole all wired up and the lites working. After the flag pole I need to start grinding the bottom paint and a little scale off and get it ready to be painted with bottom paint. Now that is a read nasty job too.

Sunset

Well that is about it for this post. Y'll have a great weekend and stay dry if you can cause it is going to be raining in most of the states. Until next posting have a blessed one,
Harold

Swim platform ll

Well good evening to all.

Well today was a good here at that Carried Michelle, I got my fiber glass tech done before the rain comes. It is a hard thing to find some of the water leaks,sometime it runs in one place and out anotherplace.

Well I got the swim platform set and started to mount it in it's place. If all goes ok tomorrow I should be ready for the welder by Monday I hope. Stainless is a very hard  to drill. One half inch hole wore out three drill bits and I broke one half inch bit too. So it will be a slow process drilling all the holes that need to be drilled . If all goes well I should be ready for the welder by Monday I hope.

The picture with the green is that color of the helm and the other is a picture of the swim platform.

Until next posting have a great evening,
Harold

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Swim platform

Good morning to all.

Well today we will start mounting the swim platform and this will be a major job. The first thing that has to be done is to make sure it is in place all around. That is leveled and squared to the boat. After that we will find the stringers position and drill small holes thrust the hull so we wilknow where to place the braces. That  next step is to start making the guesttes and then we will make the angle brackets for mounting the guesttes to the stringers. The next step is to put the guesttes in place then fiber glass them into there places. After all that is done we will bolt the braces into place , hen weld them to the platforms frame work. So that is what will be going the next few days here.

Until next post have a great day,
Harold

Nice and warm

Good evening to all, what ca beautiful day it was here. I think it topped out around somewhere around 68 degrees and that was great. I worked most of the day just in shorts and my shoes that's how arm it was to me working.

Today was sort of productive for I did not get all done that I wanted to. But I did get all my painting on the inside done . Got the flag pole remounted and all the lights mounted on it also. Now all I have to do is get the wire pulled to them and wire them up and that will finish the flag pole.

I did get the terminal blocks mounted for the helm electronics and the upper control station. Now I need to pull the wiring to them and them mount them.

Well I don't now what tomorrow will bring due to the 60% chance of rain. IF that happens that will throw a kinkier in the dinkier cause I have almost all the inside done.

Well that is it until next posting, have a great evening,
Harold

Almost there

Good evening to all who reads this blog.

Well today was so_so day for me.  First of all my water pump shorted out and that really sucks too. That means I have to haul my water until I get it replaced. That idiot very much fun either. Oh will that is life roast of the Rockies.lol Will I just have to take one dsy at a time. But it could be a lot worse,but just have keep looking forward and not backwards.

Well after coking out the water pump I got to painting and did I make a mess too. I had been painting and I did the worst thing in the painting world, that's wright I turned over the paint and yes it went all over the floor. What a mess too. Oh well just clean it up and start over. Almost finished all the painting but tommorw Will finishvit upland that is for sure.

If itquites raining I will start a little fiber glass job for about an hour or two.Then after that it will be starting on the swim platform. That will be a very time consuming job too,maybe two to three weeks. That is if all goes well.

Well that is it for this evening,have a great one,
Harold

Set in place

Well good morning to all.

Well yesterday was a good working day at the Carried Michelle. I just about finished all the painting. What a job painting is. I guess that is why I never was a painter. Lola .Even if I say so it does look pretty good too. Today I will paint the helm area and that will be the end of inside painting. I hope.

Also yesterday I got the swim platform set in place and it is ready to bolt in place and get all the bracing welded in place then get the gusset set in place and bolted and two coats of fiberglass on them. After all that has beer done we will have the motor brackets welded in place and then we will set the motors and then the work will begin on getting all the cables ran and the wiring to them too.

I can say it has been an experience doing this project and a real plesure doing it also. Would I do another one,probley not because of the cost and the time that spent and you probley will not get your money out of it. But one thing I will have less money in it then a new would cost.

Well that is about it ,so until next posting have a great,
Harold

Great to be home

Well good morning to all. It sure is nice to be back home after a whirlwind  trip to West Texas.

Shot in the dark

 Yes it was crystal clear this morning and nice and warm too. This is why it is so nice in So. Texas

Across the harbor

 This is a pretty sight to see , no fog nor wing blowing you around. That is one of the negatives about living here is the wind blowing.

Well back to the Carrie Michelle, yesterday was a good day as I got quite a bit done. I got her jacked up and level and now I am ready to build the raised platform so it will be easy for Shirley to get in and out of the boat.
I did get the galley cabinets painted with there second coat of paint and I do think it looks good and it is a little bright but it is something you can live with.
Also got the swim platform in place and got all the bracing of so it can be modified to accommodate the out board motors. Today we will get it dressed up and ready to be mounted and then we will build the out board motors brackets. So we are just moving rite a long with it.

Sunshine Please

This is a water turkey drying it's wings.

Until next posting have a great day,
Harold

Today was a good one

Well today was a very productive day here at the Carrie Michelle. We got every thing sanded and have started painting.

Helm cabinet

This is the helm cabinet , it has three drawers and the color. This color is Valspar sun streak. It is not Brightside is more on the soft side. The trim is a very lite orange/yellow.

Solon

This is the solon area It has two shades of green and plum crazy.

Galley

The galley has pineapple doors trimmed in panache.

Well that is what we got done today. Until next posting have a great evening,
Harold

Primed

Primed and ready to paint. Yesterday I got all wood sanded and ready to paint and I got some painting done on some door fronts. Today I am going to get the rest of the paint and try and finish it up today if I can. Tomorrow Wesley and I leaving for Lubbock and we will be gone for two days and when I get back I need to start on the stairs that go up to the boat so Shirley want have to clime up a ladder plus the stairs will be much safer for her. Then the next project will be to mount the swim platform and get it ready to hang the motors on it.

So as for as now we or moving rite along and we or still ahead of schedule as of now but that can change at any time. We or just moving rite along and we do not see any hang ups as of now.

We or still looking forward on leaving somewhere the last of March to the middle of Feb. and we or hoping it all works out.

Well until next posting have a great day,
Harold

Well Good Morning Happy New Year

Well good morning to all that is following this blog. Happy New Year to all of you too. I hope everybody had a safe bring in the new year has I did. So now that all the partying is done and over with it is time to move on with the Carrie Michelle.

This weekend was very productive for me on the boat. I did get all the ceiling painted with one coat of Kiltz and there or a couple of spots that need a second coat it looks like. I also got the storage drawers painted and finished and do they look good too. I think that the tropical scheme is going to be beautiful and force you to have a great and lively day at least that is what I am hoping it does.

Well for the week I am going to finish up on the inside and then start on the outside. The first thing outside is to raise up the boat and reblock it so that they can do the bottom sanding and then get it painted. Then we will start with the swim and O/B motors bracket and then go from there.

I hope all of you have a great day and a blessed one too. Until next posting,
Harold

Could you....

This does not pertain to the Carrie Michelle but it is some very important information for you to think about.
So, could you survive if you got stranded out on the highway? What I think you should think about what you need to do here with the information that I am fixing to rite about.

With winter here and this is snow season also, there or a few things that you need to think about. The first thing that you should do is make an EDC box or bag for your vehicle. Most of you say what is an EDC, well it stands for Every Day Carry. This edc could mean life or death. You should have a couple of blankets, about two gallons of water , and some type of dried food to last you at least three days.. You will be surprised how many people freeze out on the road when they get snowed in. So just stop and think about it and do not say it want happen to me cause you never know what will happen out on the road.

Harold

Here we go

Good evening to all of you. Here we or starting a new year and we or all hoping for a great and prosper year. I hope every made home this morning and all is well. I myself had a great evening cause I stayed home and was in bed by ten last night. Well we or looking for a great year on the Carrie Michelle and Shirley will be here in a few weeks and we will start our lives together again.

Well I have started already out on the Carrie Michelle for 2016. Today I did more sanding and I got the bathroom door painted. I have decided to use a tropical scheme for my colors. I did not want the every day colors that people use like the blues, and the off whites ,so I chose the tropical colors for my scheme.

Bath room door

This door has three shades of a blue green and sure is pretty too. So the new year has started out good me.

T V antenna

This is the TV antenna that I have installed on the boat and it works very well too. I am not a big TV fan but it gets tiresome setting here doing nothing, so it will help pass the evening a little faster.

With all that is going with all the rain and flooding we need to pray for all those people that have lost everything and some have lost a love one too. So if you find it in your heart please pray for them.

Well that is about it for today, until next posting have a great evening ,
Harold