Shine on you crazy diamond

I've lost my friend Marley. He's gone over the bridge. He was everyfink to us and made everyone laugh, wifout exception. A true gent and a wonderful kind hearted pal. He is irreplaceable.

Here is a photo of Marley wot mum took back in April 2011 when he did us the great honour of coming to Borderfest.

Ahem .. now ... I may have been a little Lexibal to him. I can't possibly comment but I know he didn' t mind, he was above all that sort of high emotion wimmins fings! heehee.

I can't even begin to tell you what was so wonderful about Marley. Everyfink! He was very considerate pal and always asking after you and making sure everyone was all right even when suffering imself!

I know times is tough and money is tight these days but I fort it would be nice if we all made a donashun to one of his favourite charities wot is dear to all our hearts - namely - Terrier Rescue. I've made  a donashun in his name and I'd be blessed if you would fink about doing the same. Even only £1 or $1. Here's the linky to the site:

http://www.terrierrescue.co.uk/?page_id=2028%22

All you has to dus is click the Paypal linky and donate your sum. Doesn't forget to say is for Marley so they can keep tabs on how much we raise in Marley's name.

Marley, shine on my sweet pal, shine on. Oh an sorry I was lexibal at Borderfest!

Love you
Lexie xxxx

I fink it's time Captain Dad - part 30

Well ... is gettin to the point where I is almost back where I started wiv dis bloggy. Mum an dad workin hard to prepare Atlantis for our journey from Kent to Essex to our new mooring.

Mum mainly tidied up the wheelhouse while dad installs all the gear we will need for the journey. The windows are nearly all in place now (temporary ones that is) and we have lighting. Mum is sweeping up tons of rusty bits of steel and generally clearing away trip hazards. I am over-seein proceedings and keeping a ware eye on that broom too!

Just a little more welding to be done on the front of the wheelhouse and then the two final windows can be installed.

She’s looking good eh? Well as good as she can for the trip anyway.

Here’s dad just measuring up to put in that last big steel beam to ensure the wheelhouse is fully supported and there’s no danger of the roof crashing down on us. Not that it would. Dad has welded and welded and put in support beams everywhere!

Course, there were a few fings we didn’t av time for. Like a staircase! Pffttttt. So, it’s still the ladder for us. I tried givin my evils and fort I might levitate up there but it was not to be ;).

Even when I tried to plant the seed that I might go a bit Lizzy Borden wiv ma axe heehee.

I decided to call it a day maself; they were still workin late into the night. So I curled up on the sofa an mum wrapped me up in ma blanket but it was darned cold up there.

There was noffink for it but to retreat to the bedroom where there was a little heater an av a chew!

Next day we set sail- just like that! Here’s dad taking us out of the Medway. Can you believe tiny fing he’s got his hand on steers the boat! No wheel or noffink!

Pals, if you want to read bowt our trip up to Essex, you can see it on dis post from ages ago. So, we are nearly caught up now. Ma next post will show you Atlantis as she is now. Ok, I gots to manage expectashuns ere so don't expect too much! We had a lot of problems (and are still having them) with our moorings so dad hasn't been able to do as much work as he hoped.

See you next time pals!

You have the bridge number one - part 29

Now .... I like to make sure fings are proceedin appropriately so this bloggy is about me keepin ma beady eye on the dad. He's got a deadline to meet to make the wheelhouse (aka the bridge) as sea-worthy as possible for our trip to Essex (yes I am still bloggin about the past, which is really weird).

As you can see, I like to stand on our gangway fingamabob (wot dus av chicken wire for safety purposes for da mum).  Chicken wire very andy for me coz I can do zoomies across fast when I decides I want to chase a rat. Apparently, I needs to practise ma tecnique a bit coz barkin at rats gives em a bit of a heads up you is after em!

I can also nip up to the bow - well sort if nip up if you exclude the fact that mum has to carry me up a ladder heehee - and av a look at the marina next door oh and err .... erm .... check the ropes for dad ;).

Dis show wot appen when you dussnt read your tide tables  an set off in good time! The boat on the right just missed making it into the marina and ended up on the mud until the next tide! Got a bit of a lean on init? heehee.

Time to check the anchor chain. All lookin ok and now the anchors are in place an the chain is on the winch we can forget about that until we is out at sea! A job well done for dad!

The wheelhouse is certainl takin shape. You can see (i ope) how much bigger it is too! Ang on I have to getto you annuva pic to compare. Right ... nip ere and as a look .. don't forget to come back!

Before:

After:

I'm pretty sure I sure somfink down there you know! It might of been a ball, probably jus annuva rate *bark bark*. Oh .. it seems to have gone now ;). I feel like Kate Winslet in dat movie.

Arggh elp!! We as bin invaded by ... oh no .. sorry ... as you were ... is only dad in his funky new welding elemet. He don't av to flip it up an down coz of it knows when you dus be weldin so goes dark when it needs too. Hope that weren't too technical for ya heehee.

Sooooo, we gots annuva ladder eh? Exacly when is you plannin on puttin proper stairs wot can be used by the Lexie! I am fed up of bein carried up an down ladders. Looks a long way down for me to jump tho so I guess I'll just wait ere for ma lift.

Close up of some beautiful seam welds (dad made me say that) for the bottom of the wheelhouse.

Ooops! Fink someone (not sayin it was mum, nope, not at all, not mum) might of measured and drawn this up wrong first time round! Good job dad always follows his own advice, measure, check, measure, check and cut!

Sparks (no  ..... not the 80's pop duo):

Tempry windows on the port side (left). These be ones dad cut from perspex so we dussnt av to spent lots of money on da final ones as these will do for sailin to the new mooring so he can see fings! Always andy!

Inside the wheelhouse is realy takin shape. We gots lights! Well .. ok .. A light! heehee. Still got a long way to go before is luxuriush wheelhouse wiv all da mod cons an dat tho.

Well, dat it for now. See you for da next chapter.

Dussnt fink it looks like a wheelhouse ..... yet - part 21

Hello ma pals. Is me again. I am tellin you all about da new wheelhouse wot dad decided to build. We is still in 2009 by da way but the wevva is fast improvin meanin dad can spend more time on da wheelhouse. The frame is welded and ready for dad to start putting in the walls and roof. Ere dus be a pic of all da frames:

Dad welded all da frames in place and made sure everyfink was straight. He has to be very accurate wiv dus coz we dussnt want a wonky wheelhouse!  First he dus put up a coupe of panels wot will be da roof and a large sheet  wot becomes da back wall of wheelhouse. Dis will have door and annuva secure locker in it when is completed. Ohhh look it's blue skies too! 

Dat is big sledge hammer wot he dus use to make sure the wall be straight wot you can see in da foreground. An also there on da left is red fing that does be hydraulic ram wot he use to push da metal in if it need moving a bit.

These plates is only held in place wiv clamps so dad has to get welding fast! First he does tack weld. Dis very impawant fing to do as quick as possible so dat the plates is made safe. Also, it gives dad da chance to move any panels wot need movin before he welds more bigger welds. He uses a combination of da crane, da clamps, da ram an da sledge hammer, oh an of course mum! Ere he dus be wot will be the inside doin some tackin.

He gets up on da roof and dus some tacks up there too. You never knows, there might be a strong wind wot could pull the sheets off da roof and decapitate someone! Most likely dat wud be da mum wif her track record! Ere dus be dad on da roof preparin for some welding. He dussnt bovva wiv weldin jacket no more, he tells mum, his skin used to da burns pppfffftttttt!!  Is dat mediterranean blood! He looks more like he gonna start up his chainsaw eeek!!

Dis photo dus show you view from wot will da front of wheelhouse. Course, that bit not on yet! heehee. Dad and mum boaf commented on how much bigger dis wheelhouse is compared to old one. Yesssss, well, dat is wot I fort ;).

Dat all looks good so dad puts on da next sheets on da wot will become da overhang - a comfy area wiv shade for dose hot mediterranean days. Underneaf there will be some seatin and entrance to da wheelhouse. The old wheelhouse never had a door in it! You had to go down the stairs and out frew da galley so dad is appy to have a new door for easy access!

There will still be stairs in wheelhouse down to the new galley but they will be proper stairs wot you can walk up and down wifout aving to go backwards. Dis also mean da Lexie (dat is me) can go up and down em wifout assistance.

The uvva fing wot I point out to you is da width of wheelhouse. Dis one much wider dan the old one but dad has made sure we still has enuffs room to walk around it. As you can see there be plenty of room. There will be handrails all around there (stainless) for safety (mum forbidden from goin down there surprise surprise). You can see the overhang at da front too which will add extra support for da front of wheelhouse which will be angled in.

Time for a quick check from ashore to see how she is takin shape. I fink you can see she is ..... errr .... well ok maybe not quite yet!!! You dus need vision (luckily that is somfink dad has in abundance). *whispers* looks like a box to us! But we dussnt say to dad ;).

Time for a quick check of da yard while they dus be takin photos. All in order! I fink I saw a rat so I jus gonna hang out here for a bit!

Is very safe up there now so mum is allowed to wander round on her own (apart from going down the side). They has a little drinky on da upper deck and we dus all enjoy da sunset over .... well ok it's not DAT romantic, bein in an industrial wharf, but they dus be happy! Easy pleased!

Dat is it for now ... tune in next time when you will be under no illusions, it's definitely a wheelhouse!! Fanx for readin ma pals.