Base Cut

Rolfe and I scarfed the 12mm sheets yesterday so this morning my daughter Cassie and I moved the nearly 5m sheet to the unfinished building jig.
I spent the day marking out and cutting the bottom profile (which still needs final finishing to the line) and then set it up so that Bronwyn could see the final length of our boat.
Very exciting to get so far.
Between packing for France at the end of the week I will complete and level the building jig and get it braced to Rolfe's exacting standards.

Cutting out the profile 

I jury rigged a few pieces so that Bronwyn and the girls could see what I am up to.

I will finish the building frame this week and pack everything away until we return from France.
At least now I feel we are making progress!

A new beginning!

Only three weeks from major spinal surgery and I'm back on track with the Gath Mor build.

My best mate Rolfe came over today, actually we used the excuse to go for a ride as it was such an excellent day, and we scarfed the 12mm sheets for the base and made an excellent start on building the strong-back frame.
I will complete the build in stages, front to back as far as the frames are concerned. Rolfe will keep me on track as far as micro-tolerances are concerned. He is VERY good at detail. I tend to be better at the macro-build aspects. A great team and a really good friend.

The sheets, finally scarfed and awaiting sanding and marking. 

Not the best photo. Rolfe and I discussed and devised a jig to cut each sheet accurately.
Rolfe is very precise in his methodology, I'm more chaotic, but we worked well together. 

Work progresses on the building frame. It will be ready for action when my
beautiful wife and I return from our long-awaited honeymoon in the south of France next week.
Rolfe devised a way of ensuring the frame is properly braced using both timber cross braces and steel strapping that I have laying around. I'll run all the cross pieces through the thicknesser to ensure continuity and then I will borrow a friends laser to set up the supports for the base.

We got a lot done today. Besides having an awesome ride, we managed to get much further than I had hoped with building the frame and scarfing the 12mm ply.

There will be a bit of a break now as I need to concentrate on the final arrangements and packing for our honeymoon in Nice and Barjac in France. Really looking forward to that!!!!!!

Back to work...yeeha!

I got the all clear to go back to work tomorrow. Just as well really as it's report time and this little distraction; combined with a three day power failure, has put me a week behind at least.
Well a small consolation is that I won't be bored anymore.

Thank you to all those wonderful people in the Welsford building "family" for your kind support. I will now be able to continue my journey and share with you my building experiences; rather than my health ones!

Thought I'd add some small clips of my neck...for those who are not squeamish. I won't add the youtube clip of a similar operation on one disc. I made the mistake of watching that...Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!

Looking left. My shoulder blocks the view of C7 vertebra.

Cool scar hey! The kids at school will love it!
Amazing that they go through the front and move windpipe and carotid artery out of the way! 

As a post-script I'd like to publicly state my admiration for (Professor) Mr Gabriel Lee (neurosurgeon), Dr David Law (anaesthetist) and the outstanding staff at St John of God Hospital, Subiaco, Western Australia. In particular I'd like to mention Aafke, Sneha, Sidi and Emily; the nurses who looked after me pre and post operation with such care, concern and professionalism.

Mr Lee must be one of Australia's best neurosurgeons. He and his team made this whole episode a comfortable, secure and reassuring experience.
I can't praise them highly enough. My recovery in only a week is astounding and I am completely out of pain for the first time since I can remember.
Thank you all so very much.

All over

My surgery went well. I'll be home tomorrow after only three days in hospital. It will be a bit more than three weeks before I can work on the boat though. It will take seven weeks to heal and I can't even drive for at least three weeks. Oh well.

Really not as bad as I'd expected.

Surgery

It turns out that my neck problem was worse than I'd thought.
On Tuesday I have two discs removed and replaced with carbon spacers; and the C5/C6/C7 Vertebrae bolted together with titanium plates. Not fun
I have been blessed with one of the best neurosurgeons in the country in Professor Gabriel Lee. I'm also in an outstanding hospital whose professionalism pre-admission has already made me a lot more comfortable with the whole idea. Adding to all that is my hospital cover which will cover all but a couple of sundry items.
At least it means life will return to normal(ish) afterward. I should be able to get going on Gath Mor in about three weeks or so.

MRI

It appears that the problem I thought was in my shoulder was actually in my neck. The C5/C6 disc has degenerated and I have bone spurs growing into the gap the nerve needs for my right arm. So I'm off to have an MRI and then a meeting with a surgeon.
Hopefully it will be an easy fix.
Until then I won't be able to work on Gath Mor. It has to be fixed soon though as My wife and I are going to France for our honeymoon.
Nice is very nice in July and so is Avignon.
It will be a welcome change from the cooler weather we are getting here at the moment.
I'll try to get something done before we go. I certainly don't want the project to get too far behind.

Trapped Nerve

Nothing to report for now. I've pinched a radial nerve in my right shoulder and it's taking its toll on progress.
Lots of painkillers and physiotherapy don't seem to be doing a lot.
Wasted most of the holidays I had and now I'm back to work.
At least the bike is nearly ready to get back on the road (just in time for winter!).