Adventure Log http://alanadventure.blog.com Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:35:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 en hourly 1 Troy, Ohio http://alanadventure.blog.com/2010/03/14/troy-ohio/ http://alanadventure.blog.com/2010/03/14/troy-ohio/#comments Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:30:14 +0000 Alan http://alanadventure.blog.com/?p=5196443 Troy is about about 20 minutes north of Dayton, and is a pleasant surprise.  Main Street is still intact and thriving with shops and cafes, and the traffic roundabout in the square is fun once you get used to it.  The post office, the courthouse, all of the majestic old buildings are here, and have [...]

]]> Troy is about about 20 minutes north of Dayton, and is a pleasant surprise.  Main Street is still intact and thriving with shops and cafes, and the traffic roundabout in the square is fun once you get used to it.  The post office, the courthouse, all of the majestic old buildings are here, and have been carefully maintained.

round

People are friendly, there is a blanket of polite that covers the area.  Folks go out of their way to hold open doors, to be conversational and personable.  At first I thought it was just the welding school that was welcoming, but then I realized most everyone was kind.  I walked into a deli where the owner made sure I had a list of all the good places to eat in town.  “No more fast food, go for the good stuff.”  I was served a tasty sandwich, and sent on my way with fresh cookies in hand.  Every now and then I  stop at the deli to get more cookies, they are baked daily three for a dollar.  Troy has been a great place to spend a month and go to school.

]]> http://alanadventure.blog.com/2010/03/14/troy-ohio/feed/ Milwaukee http://alanadventure.blog.com/2010/03/07/milwaukee/ http://alanadventure.blog.com/2010/03/07/milwaukee/#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:00:56 +0000 Alan http://alanadventure.blog.com/?p=5196433 I spent the weekend in Milwaukee visiting a friend of mine.  A sailor and sculptor, you may remember Mike from the September 4th entry when I visited him in Duluth aboard the Barker.  He’s spent the past month as a ship keeper in Milwaukee, and I drove over to visit him for his birthday.  The [...]

]]> I spent the weekend in Milwaukee visiting a friend of mine.  A sailor and sculptor, you may remember Mike from the September 4th entry when I visited him in Duluth aboard the Barker.  He’s spent the past month as a ship keeper in Milwaukee, and I drove over to visit him for his birthday.  The moment my feet landed on the deck, he said, “Let me show you what I’m working on.”  We descended the stairs of the engine room, and in the machine shop he showed me his latest creations made from copper.

leaves

The workbench was full of a variety of  sculpture pieces, but the leaves immediately caught my attention.

Our next stop was the Milwaukee Art Museum, which is impressive in every way imaginable.  The architecture of the building is fascinating, and the exhibits are very well done.  If you are in the neighborhood, don’t miss it.

on-deck

The Stewart J. Cort was the very first 1,000 foot bulk freighter on The Great Lakes.  It has a colorful history with many unique features.  The hatches open and close hydraulically, even the latching system is automated.  The typical labor associated with loading and unloading is not needed here.  A great gig for a deckhand.

The most interesting aspect of the ship has to do with the way it was constructed.  The bow and stern were welded together at a shipyard in Mississippi, and it sailed up to the lakes as a 185 foot boat nicknamed “Stubby.”  A line on the hull indicated where it was to be cut apart and the 818-foot midbody attached.

More info and lots of photos at:

http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/cort.htm

We enjoyed plenty of good food, art, culture, and explored the depths of the ship like we were kids.

It was great fun.

Look carefully and you can see the beloved Blough off the starboard bow.  She is never too far away.

]]> http://alanadventure.blog.com/2010/03/07/milwaukee/feed/ Testing, Testing http://alanadventure.blog.com/2010/02/23/testing-testing/ http://alanadventure.blog.com/2010/02/23/testing-testing/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:06:08 +0000 Alan http://alanadventure.blog.com/?p=5196415 front

My steel strips after the bend test - I’ve got a growing stack of these.

Last week was a written test, this week we are in the midst of the welding tests.  We are given two 3/8″ plates of steel, and weld them together with a seam that consists of six welds.  The final product is cut into strips that are put through a press that bends them into a U shape, with the welded joint taking all of the pressure.  The guys in front of me nodded at their passing or failing grade, and quietly walked back to their welding booths.  When my test strips passed, I could not contain my enthusiasm;   “Yes !” I said with my hands up like I’d just made a touch down.  The startled line of  students behind me grinned and chuckled, so I turned to address them.  “I’d like to thank everyone who made this moment possible, this has truly been a team effort and I’d like to thank you all.”  The line of somber students wearing dirty, burned and tattered welding coats broke into laughter.  I took a seat at the back of the lab and watched the other students put their welds to the test.  Oddly enough, there were no other happy dances or speeches of thanks.

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