Someone suggested I should introduce myself through a posting here. I have already put one post up about a steam launch I bought on e-bay..
I am actually a train modeller..! I got into boat building when started making a Dumas Chris-Craft Barrelback a few years ago, thinking it would be a nice thing to have if we ended up with grandsons, but then we suddenly had granddaughters, so I had to hastily re-tool for dolls houses, and the boat went up on the shelf. Then I got struck down with prostate cancer, but I am one of the lucky ones, and it was found very early, and surgery did the job 100%. But the operation left me feeling pretty low, and whilst convalescing, I decided I needed to take charge of my life, and take that boat down and get it finished... At the same time, my wife told me to stop being such a sexist, since little girls liked speedboats just as much as little boys did. Anyway, I have just finished it and I will put a post up about it.
I live in Hong Kong - we moved here 33 years ago, for a 2-year contract, but we liked it here so much we just stayed, since it really is a marvellous place to live. Now retired, I live on one of Hong Kong's offshore islands with my wife of 40 years, plus 2 large and very friendly dogs, and a Tourette's-afflicted parrot; and I keep myself fit through a punishing regime of extreme-gardening and aerobic dog-walking The grandchildren are in UK, and we get back to see them a few times every year, or they come out to visit us, so it works out fine.
As I said, I will post something about the Dumas barrelback.
