To Stourport and a playful Collie dog.

Hi All,
Chris and I had planned to visit Jim at Alexander boats yesterday (Saturday) but during the week Chris received some bad news about her mum.  Seems the arteries in her leg are so bad she must have it amputated so Chris diverted to Essex to speak to the hospital people about it.  I won't go into details but needless to say Chris is every upset about this and so we wait for further information.

As there was very little I could do we both agreed I should still visit Jim, so Saturday morning I was up early and drove to Stourport for 10am.   I spent a good few hours discussing AmyJo and answering several questions Jim had all the time referring to a hull he is currently building.

Jim's usual cabin side shape

 We quite like the way Jim finishes the cabin sides at the Cratch but wanted a slight modification (you can see the concept in chalk above).  This would mean a wider edge at the base so when sat in the scratch the draft on ones back should be minimised but the shape still looks nice.  Do you think the top looks a little like a dog's head?  

A pert Josher bow on this hull.

We discussed our request for a Josher bow and looked at the one on the current build. The bow was quite short for a Josher but Jim still managed to get the proportions looking right.  We have asked for a slightly longer bow so it will look smoother and give a little more room in the bow locker 

Very open plan!  Looking back from the bow

 As you can see from the photos the current hull is only half finished but it gave me an opportunity to see the structure in more detail.  The way Jim puts these hulls together is fascinating to see and you get a feel of the strength he builds into them.  This particular hull is a 70foot semi trad but from the photo it seems much longer.

Attention to detail to ensure everything is straight and true

 Jim has two hulls on the go at present and the other one is a shorter 57foot hull.  As you can see below it has only been built as far as the gunwales so far.  The plate on top will become the cabin side wall of the 70foot hull eventually

We discussed the size of the stern for AmyJo and have settled on 3foot 6inches which I believe is the normal size of a traditional boat?

I showed our concept layout drawings to Jim to give him a feel for what we are hoping for and he seemed very interested.  He is keen to get going on our hull and reckons two weeks for the 70foot hull to be finished.  Once that is shipped out AmyJo will begin.

Having spent a fair while with Jim it was time to head home.  On the way back I was in need of a cuppa and as the sun was making a rare appearance and I was passing by, I stopped of at Grindley Brook lock cafe and enjoyed the warm sunshine with a scone and a brew.  It was quite busy with lots of people about and many boats passing through.

The collie in the photo was a lovely dog and went from person to person with a squeaky toy that she expected to be thrown for her to fetch.  If you ignored her she squeaked the toy constantly until you complied.  She never gave up the whole time I was there and everyone threw the toy for her.  She seemed totally happy for this to never end and gave much entertainment to all who watch or threw the toy.

Anyhoo that's all I have for now.  Joanne has the dinner in hand and I have to phone Chris for the latest on her mum so TTFN.