yachtrodney - Launched at Last (after 15 years)

[Jolly Roger]

Hi Rodney,
I'm pleased to hear you are back in business. It sounds to me you should now be looking for some serious help with that little project of yours. It would be a travesty if you were to conk out before seeing it completed, and maybe this last hiccup was a gentle reminder that even someone who can cut a boat in half and stitch it back together is mortal. There are a number of permutations, but one would be to perhaps surrender your independence a little and offer ‘room and board’ in exchange for work? If you got only a housekeeper it might ensure you had regular meals.
Incidentally, I’ve had clients in Sydney and visited many times and sailed the harbour. My brother also lives in Melbourne. Is that the Sandringham bridge in the background?
Good luck and above all keep yourself healthy.

[bob kingsland]

Hi Rodney: Very sorry to hear about the health problems, but glad to know that you are now on the mend. Have been wondering what happened to you, and how the project was going, and having now read through the e-mails, I understand better why you haven't been posting. Take care of yourself, and of that little dog!
Best, Bob S/V Restless

[yachtrodney]

Dear Bob, Jolly, Dan, Cooper & the members

Thanks for the posts and we're just fine and busy getting things done.

Believe me - as you all no doubt appreciate - it's a lifetime commitment and joy - building and living aboard your yacht - despite the frustrations - and neverending challenges. So there's plenty to keep us on the go - and still allowing time for laying in the cockpit reading a book - and giving Penny a pat - too.

As most of you know from this thread - I am a prolific emailer and love to send out photos and graphics to all the family and friends of our website thedogpaddler.com. All the newsletter emails telling just about every 'adventure' - we get up to (today we're cleaning some of our large water tanks - which qualifies still as an adventure) - and I'd welcome anyone to have a look anytime at the recent ones.

Email Newsletters Link

And better still - if you'd like me to include you on the list of friends - and send them straight to you - like all the other poor 'victims' - I mean Family and Friends - that are buried in stuff about us - then please drop me an email. But I do like to boast that Penny & I - send out - 'the best emails on the planet'.

And it certainly is nice - that when we don't send one for a couple of days - we are inundated with letters - enquiring - what's wrong.

**************************
Jolly Roger:

We are in Botany Bay - just South of Sydney Harbour - and it is where the Sydney International Airport is located - and we can see it across the bay - north of us. The bridge you refer to is The Captain Cook Bridge - immediately west of us.

Here is a link to an earlier email with some maps of our location:

080331 YACHT WILL BE LEAVING THE DOCK on SATURDAY

And here is an aerial photo - taken by a tourist flying in (or out) - that I 'borrowed' from Flickr.



larger

Once again - thanks for the kind remarks - and the idea of a 'live-aboard, assistant, cleaner, cook, companion' - who could probably even help out in other important areas as well - is ALWAYS under consideration - but rarely consummation. But we all live in hope.

Until next time.

Rodney

[Hud3]

Rodney (and Penny),

Glad to hear you're back on top! You are an inspiration to us all!

Tell us where do you plan to cruise once you have a mast on your boat?

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by yachtrodney

Email Newsletters Link

And better still - if you'd like me to include you on the list of friends - and send them straight to you - like all the other poor 'victims' - I mean Family and Friends - that are buried in stuff about us - then please drop me an email. But I do like to boast that Penny & I - send out - 'the best emails on the planet'.

And it certainly is nice - that when we don't send one for a couple of days - we are inundated with letters - enquiring - what's wrong.

**************************

Rodney - I was going to say I "wasted" my evening yesterday reading all you emails on you website. I started with the recent ones and then really went all the way back to the launching and caught up on all the details.

I really must say it was most definitely not a waste of time and each letter was thoroughly enjoyable. Some of the highlights that stick out are the fellow on the old hull living aboard. The guy with the navy ship bought at tender. The exciting trip to the casino, even though Penny could not attend. The first sinking of the dory (been there done that with a 27 foot quintrex - LOL) - Boys day on the boat tipping a few without the ladies and of course the first motoring around the bay - How exciting that must have been.

I will try to email you and become a friend of the dogpaddlers...

I can't wait until someone donates a mast with a 30 foot boom!

[yachtrodney]

Hi Dan

Thanks for taking the time to have a read of all the emails - but as you can see we just love doing them - and all the graphics and photos - and as I keep saying - that Penny is such a poser you'd swear she belonged to Paris Hilton - the way she carries on every time a camera is pointed at her.

You are welcome to write to me anytime - as a few of the forum folk already have - and I'll write back straight away, properly - and then make sure you get all the latest news and fun - as it happens.

And as you can see we just enjoy EVERYTHING we do.

The email is just: rodneyfield@thedogpaddler.com

So now I suppose by putting this address here I'll just get a whole lot more of the Viagra and 'enhancement' emails - when the email 'spambots' trawling the net find it again. I mean - perhaps we could all use 'some' improvement - but do I really look like I need 'Designer Shoes at 75% off'.

Right now, we'll just carry on with a few more of those jobs on board - the rest of the tank lids need to come off and go in to be sandblasted and then repainted - and yesterday we got a new LPG instant Hot Water System (that I bought new on Ebay) that I'm going to install today in the large shower - so that we don't have to be running the big generator so much.

*****************

So please drop us a line - here - or at our home - and we're bound to be around - doing something.

Rodney & Penny (pretend pirates)

[cooper]

Now that last grafic just got me....as me and cooper sit here and ponder the world...he looks up from his head in my lap...what happenin bloke? you havnt rubbed my ears for ten minutes and stop frowning it will be cool in the morning.... (by the way did you remember to pick up my tucker from the shops...I am not eatin beans again).....

[maxingout]

Are there any updates or news on Rodney?

[MarkJ]

I looked at his website, but he doesnt actually say what the boat is doing... http://thedogpaddler.com just stuff about himself and that seemed to stop in April.

Hope he is OK and the boat actually moving. LOL What a character 15 years to build...


Mark

[maxingout]

I hope he's doing Ok.

[shadow]

Yah, I hope that everything is still cool with him!! I hope he chimes in sooner or later. Perhaps someone with their own yacht nearby should do a stop by to see that all is cool!!

[Golden Wattle]

I have emailed him this week, without a reply.
I don't think his site has been updated since March/April.
I hope he's just extra busy with the tyrant Penny.

GW

[meanda46]

I seen him in January and he was still plodding along. I am interested if he rigs it or if it becomes a floating house. She does look good and BIG but I hope the joining works well

[captain58sailin]

Hi Rodney & Penny,
I am fairly recent to this forum, and I must say that, I must chime in and say what a wonderful project you have underway. I do admire your work. All the best, I hope to cross paths with you some day and we can set down and have a good old chin.

[straycurrent]

Hi Rodney ,that looks like an interesting way to launch a boat .I`m looking for somewhere around Sydney to build a boat ,any ideas would be much appreciated.Happy sailing.Adam.