The Ship Model Forum

Hello again all! Well, in just the past few days there have been some major developments here at the Lowell Shipyards, Drydock #3. My wife works for a big Insurance Company and she has been offered a position in Jacksonville, Florida. After discussing things, we have decided to relocate there. I am an Independent Sub-Contractor here in West Michigan and the work outlook is bleak here for me. We have too many unsold homes here and nobody's buying them due to the local economy. There is lot's of work in Florida. This is a good opportunity for the CIC, too. It will be difficult for me to leave here. My roots are deep. All the Museum ships were built here, along with many of my personal collection.This move will be an interesting feat. I must get my collection ready to move by perhaps monkeys. I can't get them in my truck and pulling a trailer is a no go. So, careful packing by me will payoff here. Second, there's my shop! God, I got lot's of stuff to do. We have 90 days. On top of that, theres another 3400 sq. ft. to think about.

Work on the Indianapolis project is moving forward at a slow pace. In view of the moving factor, I must get the Indy ready for transport. I have had the plexiglass cover made and I have made the base which the ship will sit on. The next thing to do is to mount the Indy's hull to the base so she will not move on the trip. This needs to be done in spite of the move, it's just at the stage I was at anyway in the build. So Indy will probably be completed in Florida. Once I get the mounting of the hull completed ( she will be removable from the base when needed) I can permanantly attach the two main superstructures to the hull. I'll then add as much as I can till we move.

So bear with me if I don't post much. I got a full plate already. I'll have a couple more updates here I hope. I'd like to talk to anybody who is from Florida, so please post if you read this. (Dam Yankee) I encourage you to post here as I need your support in this situation. I have been in this area for almost 30 years and going to a whole new area will be an adventure. I am hoping for a good transition. This emotional stuff can really screw up your building skills. I am too far along on Indy for mistakes. So I gotta slow down a little and get a plan down. Besides, I ain't gettin any younger! Too much stress!

Anyways, wish me luck! I'll try and post some other things I have built that you may find interesting. There are a few wingy-thingys in there, too along with ships. A good time to photograph as they will be out of the display case and being readied for transport. I have struggled with this situation for a bit. I feel better as I see many benifits in another area of the country. And, I can always come here. I have been on this site for close to five years now. Many of you post to the Indy project, and even though I can't put a face to a name, I feel like we are all friends. Like I kinda know you guys. Thanks...... It is appreciated. I think I'll get a new shop too!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Thanks for listening

I continue on..............

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Waldorf Productions / Museum Quality Model Warships
Custom Building Services Available

Congratulations! Good luck with your move!!

Here's to less broken parts and an un-overlyadventurous journey!

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De quoi s'agit-il?

Hope you like it down there! Now i cant make fun of you for being in Michigan, o well! Hope all the ships make it there in one piece too! Good Luck with everything and hope Florida turns out alright.

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It's not who you are, but what you do that defines you.

Good luck!

I lived just north of Jacksonville, south of Savannah. Great beaches around there, very good zoo, and wonderful seafood. Just up the road in Savannah is a terrific nautical museum. I highly recommend it. You might consider going up just before Halloween and taking your wife on one of the guided "ghost tours" through the Savannah cemetaries. The guides tell the best ghost stories and believe it or not, some of the stories are quite romantic.

Here's a job lead for you. As an independent sub-contractor, be advised that Fort Stewart - home of the 3rd Infantry Division (yep the division that seized Baghdad three years ago), is very close to Jacksonville, and is expanding.

I think you are going to like it there.

It gets damn hot in the summers though.

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Have fun, Monkey around.™

-Steve L.

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Congrats on the new opportunity! Just hope you, your wife, and your builds keep safe from the hurricanes

Good luck with the move...
By the way, aren´t you afraid of what might happen to your models, now that you´re moving from a less humid and colder area, to another with higher temperatures and also higher humidity rates ???
Be carefull with that...and once again, good luck...

Hey Bill!

I wish you the very best in your( life!) move as well as the transport of your models...

cripes!--moving from Michigan to Florida - within one country...?!!

If I moved southeast from SOUTHAMPTON UK the equivelant distance...--

I would end up somewhere in southern Tunesia. (!!!) .LOL-

--If I moved that distance east I would be in central Ukraine...

mindboggling distances!!

Well it is all sobering stuff--I think you will need quite some beer to smoothe the transition .... so here is to you!

Good luck to you and your wife with the move and change in lifestyle; having consulted an Atlas for that locality... I reckon you will adjust to spending time on the beach, boating 1:1 scale as well as not having to shovel snow half the year...

All the best-look forward to hearing in due course of progress on all fronts!

Cheers

JIM BAUMANN ( in the parochilaly small UK!!)

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....I buy them at three times the speed I build 'em.... will I live long enough to empty my stash...?
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

IPMS UK SIG (special interest group) www.finewaterline.com

Best of luck Bill.

I lived in Jax while on a short assignment in HS1 at NAS Jax and enjoyed there a lot. You will get NAS Mayport very close too. Lots of ships there!

Guess all this will give you some opportunities on your job.

All the best, Bill.

Pachi.

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I will miss you Werner. Fair winds and following seas.

Bill,

Are you still going to make it to the KC Nat's? I'm saving you a table for the Indy....

Well Bill, Best of luck with the move, whats suits one does not always suite another, Marty,s wife left Florida for New York after 3 hurricans in one season, so keep building and we hope to see you soon, ARH

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Simple but effective.

All the best Bill for your move to Florida, at least you will be a bit closer, to us lot across the pond. Hope all your models arrive safely too

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Presently Building - Aircraft Carrier H.M.S. Victorious 1/96

Under Construction Laid Up - H.M.S. Marlborough 1/96

Good luck and may all your wishes come true. I am new here but I did something similar 17 years ago but I moved countries. From Greece to UK with a Flower class on hand through costums. You should see some expresions in peoples faces when going through with the boat on hand It had to go through the xray thing as well I hope it goes well for you and your wife and as you mentioned allready ,cool head and planning willl get you through.
All the best

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Kind regards,

Kostas

He'll be there; I already offered him to opt out of being my bestman in Aug; but he's not having any of it

Steve