Trips to Bangkok to locate Boat Parts in the back streets ( New update sorry for the delay)

[Geoff Cooper]

Ok it's now around 7 am day 3 of this build and after doing pretty well yesterday i could see light at the end of the tunnel, I had a few more bits to weld and then that was finished it was a case of cleaning the welds and cleaning the old axles and fitting the wood and general bits and pieces wheels etc and painting the whole thing, The guys were in bright and early and we made a 7.30 am start with full intention of giving the Boss his workshop back and finishing the job completely, Ok well here we go i hope you enjoy.

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As you can see i went right inside the draw bar and gave 4 good welds inside and then welded a plate a on the outside to cap it

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I added 2 more supports on the front cradle to stop any flexing as the old trailers don't have this and were subject to movement

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With all the support posts finished ready for the wood thing's were really coming together

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The Axles all went in smoothly and just a case of Linishing the welds down getting ready for painting

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While i finished off welding up front the Cambodians were busy pushing the brush at the back end

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It was all coming together by lunchtime

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All the wood going back in place and all the metal had 2 coats of grey metal paint
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Looking a lot better

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So here's what we started with folks

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And Here's what we finished up with, 3 days graft in 40 degrees we got finished about 5 pm day 3, I Englishman and 2 Cambodians 20 liters of Ice water and a hired workshop, Well I'm well pleased it's come out good and easy to keep clean and no hiding places for salt water, I reckon the complete job including hiring the Cambodians and the workshop around $500 but job satisfaction 100%, I was happy because as you can tell by my previous posts i like thing's right and maybe i would have been standing over them if other people had done it, The Lads worked well and i gave them a $10 bonus each they were well pleased, I seem to be running out of jobs on this Boat Oh well something will turn up, I think I've about covered everything but just give me a shout if there's anything you think I've missed, I'm off to get some food i haven't eaten all day then an early night i think.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Ok so i did get an early night but maybe for the wrong reasons, Well wouldn't you ?

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Wow @Geoff Cooper that's looking awesome! I can hardly wait to see the finished product. So your frame rails are open channel? They don't appear that way in the pics. Anyways, y'all do great work!

Ok it's all finished now including extra supports, let me know what you think!

 

[Julian]

No concern about throwing up rocks from the wheels into the hull?

 

[Julian]

Awesome job by the way! Those wheels look great!

 

[PEARCE]

It looks really good @Geoff Cooper ! I'm wondering the same thing as Julian about the absence of fenders. Are you gonna put lights on the trailer or does it just stay in the yard and off the road?

 

[Geoff Cooper]

No concern about throwing up rocks from the wheels into the hull?

It's not a concern Julian, I have 200 meters to travel from the slipway to my storage and it's all Tarmac and a concrete slipway, If i ever sell it it's a mornings work to fit fenders, The other reason i didn't was because just another thing for the saltwater to attack.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

It looks really good @Geoff Cooper ! I'm wondering the same thing as Julian about the absence of fenders. Are you gonna put lights on the trailer or does it just stay in the yard and off the road?

I have no need for lights as you can see by the Photo i posted for Julians reply the Guy on the small Tractor just takes the Boat from the Yard to the slipway when i need it, Nobody has lights on Trailers here due to the fact that you reverse the trailer into the water and you can imagine what the saltwater does to the lights, If needed i will use a trailer board, I know you can get plastic lights but it's the very thin metal internals that get eaten, Most people if towing just put a couple of those flashing battery operated LED rear cycle lights on the back of the Boat as a warning to other motorists, This is Thailand they don't have all the red tape like western Countries.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Awesome job by the way! Those wheels look great!

I managed to drop on those alloys cheap second hand $10 each, I had to open the center holes up a few mil to fit over the trailer bearing hubs but it worked, I've had them about a year just waiting to do this job, I also dropped the wheel size down to 13" so easier to load and unload.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

I have no need for lights as you can see by the Photo i posted for Julians reply the Guy on the small Tractor just takes the Boat from the Yard to the slipway when i need it, Nobody has lights on Trailers here due to the fact that you reverse the trailer into the water and you can imagine what the saltwater does to the lights, If needed i will use a trailer board, I know you can get plastic lights but it's the very thin metal internals that get eaten, Most people if towing just put a couple of those flashing battery operated LED rear cycle lights on the back of the Boat as a warning to other motorists, This is Thailand they don't have all the red tape like western Countries.

I think you can see what i mean by these Photos, it's a case of live and let live here, If people see a boat on the road they know it's being towed so they take care and have patience, They understand that if it slows down it's going to stop or turn left or right, I see mentions of new rules for towing in different parts of the States and it makes me smile like England it's gone Health and Safety mad and is being buried in Red Tape instead of just being patient and using common sense.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Leaf springs?? Who needs them?? Lol.

 

[GTBRMC]

The last shot with the small pickup/bus... Its mudflaps are scraping on the pavement!

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Leaf springs?? Who needs them?? Lol.

Ha Ha Ha I like that, True just pile them in.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

The last shot with the small pickup/bus... Its mudflaps are scraping on the pavement!

There's room for a few more on there yet.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

The last shot with the small pickup/bus... Its mudflaps are scraping on the pavement!

Yes they just pile them in as many as they can, Sometimes they fall off the back and land on the road and get killed by following traffic.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Looking good! I wish I could find good help for $8 a day!

If you want I'll send you some Cambodians they will do a 8 or 9 hour shift for that, You do have to pay for there Lunch though about 40 cents but i must admit at the stroke of half an hour they are straight back to work they are keen to please you as they want you to use them again if you have any jobs that need there help.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

That pay scale would last a week in the USA! They would catch on that they can make more by watching tv all day.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

That pay scale would last a week in the USA! They would catch on that they can make more by watching tv all day.

Yes i agree but here if you don't work you don't eat there are no hand outs here so people want work, The Cambodians are good workers, They will work for less money than Thai people and they live very cheap but still a better way of life than back in there own country, They do many jobs like harvesting the rice and working on the fishing Boats, Many of them work in Construction also, They are very good workers.

 

[Geoff Cooper]

Due to unforeseen circumstances a couple of streets in my village was left with no electric yesterday because a snake had decided to be a living fuse, Not for long I'm afraid it got cooked, Sorry for the Photos being on the side a friend took them and when i tried to correct them it just says read only anyway hope you like which is more than what i can say for the snake.


Guy from the local Electric dept removing the charred remains from the fuse connection, Note the bamboo pole, Bamboo is a none conductor.


Well cooked, Not to be mistaken for a fuse, Not to sure of the type of snake maybe a Boa resister or was it a Boa conductor one or the other

 

[Geoff Cooper]

I shall be going to Bangkok in a few weeks as i haven't been for a while and i will try and take some Photos for you to have a look at, I've been busy in the Boat Fishing and generally enjoying myself so I've not had a great deal of time to do much else after making the new trailer for the Boat but here's a few Photos of local village life and a few bits and bobs for you to have a look at i hope you like.


The waters been pretty ideal lately for just enjoying Boating


Just about to have a bite to eat at one of the Islands


Give the Monkeys some lunch


Nice and peaceful here a lovely place to live


Harvesting the Rice


Extracting the rubber


Beautiful clear water great for Boating


The local Fishing Boats just back with there catch


Workmen washing the building ready for painting


Making Fishing pots near the slipway


I have about 10 meters of rope to that Box anchor and it's about 12ft deep just shows how clear the water is it was a cloudy sky also


Feeding the Monkeys sorry about it being upside down my mate took it with his Phone

Local life just open grazing on the side of the road


Elephants are still used for work in the village

Well that's all Folks i hope you enjoyed the Photos, Next time i hope to let you see some more of Bangkok when i get time to go and have a look around i hope you liked the Photos.