bertram31.com

Well, some here already know about my primary activities over the past 6 months from when Hancock's B31 departed my piece of dirt.

Guess I'll go ahead and uncork the bottle for the rest of you...

I started building an 850 sq ft deck in front of the place in October, which led to designing and building a waterfall and pond to both accent and add a privacy feature in front of the deck.

So here's a preview of what probably won't be completed much before October of this year, and a link to the progression of the waterfall and pond aspect. I started the waterfall on December 1 of last year.

The total capacity of the pond and accociated infrastructure is around 1,500 gallons, (all recirculated by 2 pumps), and the waterfall probably contains over 3 tons of rock, almost all of which came from within a 5 mile radius of my place.

Blow by blow images: http://bertram31.com/llano/deck/wfpnd/

Amazing!

I was reading through the pages laughing to myself that those rocks are probably fiberglass, then I gome to how a fiberglass rock was made!

And I was proud of myself when I replaced the transom in my B20...

Simply amazing.

Ian.

Looks great. Does the pond get fish?

And I was proud of myself when I replaced the transom in my B20...

And damned well you should be!

Almost every rock, and with the exception of the fake floater rock, came from within a 5 mile radius of my place. A lot from within my own boundaries. The big 500# partially submerged rock in the center of the pond was installed this morning and came from within 150' of my front door.

Wow! Two things come to mind. First, the end justifies the means. That had to be an immense mental project not to mention the physical work. Second, quick, somebody give this guy a boat to do or he'll have the entire flatlands of Texas irrigated and set out in rice paddies by fall.
Patrick, as always, I am in awe of your visions and ability to make it happen.

Simply amazing! I wish had your ambition, energy, skill, knowledge, and talent -- or the money to buy all the above! Funny thought I had while I was looking at your glass layup was "how many production boats have glasswork of this quality?" Probably not too many!

BTW, my home address is......just in case you get bored again in a a few years, lmao!

As this is my first post, I hope we are not all expected to be so energetic? Very impressive job on the pond, and I hope you keep us updated with your progress.

Brewster Minton wrote:Looks great. Does the pond get fish?

Was thinking of a couple of large mouth bass... Koi seem a bit pissy for an Old Fart. Maybe a water moccasin for good measure?

Thanks, Guys.

And Welcome Aboard Fred! You'll find that the energy level is pretty high amongst our members. We won't hold your feet to any fires though...

And as far a talent goes, we all pale in the shadow of Randy, the money box guy.

Maybe some baby gators. Or some red belly Pirannah

Pirannah are illegal aliens in Texas, and gators grow up real fast, but I do have replicas of both a juvinile cayman and a small cotton mouth being shipped in.

Just a little something to add flavor without hungry mouths to feed...

Go with catfish...there was an article in the local paper today that the price of catfish has gone thru the roof....all the catfish farms here in the South cut way back when the Chinese began sending cheap catfish over here, now they have jacked up the price.....so stock some good ole blue channel cats, turn the whole place into a fish farm, apply for a govm't subsidy to not grow 'em, and you home free.......might help to change yo' name to D'Patrickious.

UV, the ever helpful

Put in some bullfrogs and you won't have to worry about colllecting the snakes.

i build the same size pond 20 years ago but here in the north i went 31/2' feet deep to give the koi protection from racoon. over the years a dozen attemps by racoons have been met with there demise.

You can trap raccoons with any bait except Mexican food.

i used tunafish i don`t know if it is the best but it worked the biggest fear is one of those big herons . a egret wipe out my small pond only 18" deep years ago foutunatly only goldfish for grandchildren.

A heron eat 2500.$ worth of Koi out of my buddies pond in 5 mins.

Capt. Pat.

Holly cow. That is amazing. One question, I thought you lived on the North 40 and was so far from the nearest neighbor you wouldn't need a privacy fence.

Or are those giant Texas Hairs peeking in your windows?

It's all an elaborate facade for gun implacements...

CaptPatrick wrote:Thanks, Guys.

And Welcome Aboard Fred! You'll find that the energy level is pretty high amongst our members. We won't hold your feet to any fires though...

And as far a talent goes, we all pale in the shadow of Randy, the money box guy.

thats nice of you to say but i got a real close look at "buddy boy". there's no way given 1000 years i could have put together that jewel. the combination of imagination, engineering, craftsmanship, and tenacity in everything you do
is simply mind boggling.

Randy,

I guess we'll just have to agree to be mind boggled by each other then?

I prefer mind boggled females......but that is another tale...or tail? :-D

CaptPatrick wrote:Randy,

I guess we'll just have to agree to be mind boggled by each other then?

works for me.

un freakin believable!

ok so now get the heater hooked up, get the ladies over and party in llano in new hot tube??? i'll bring beer

matt....that beats fish any day.

If only he would use his powers for good.......

OK Cap'n Pat...when do you start the RC B31 project?

Randal - exactly

Jgomber - that was my 2nd thought. Cause you know he could build it and it be awesome.

Quick Update:

3 pages added...

Holy shit......do you have too much time on your hands.....

It's the turtle that get's me.

its not that he has too much time....he has too much energy for an old fart.

randall wrote:its not that he has too much time....he has too much energy for an old fart.

Randy hit it outa' da' park... Actually, I never have enough time.

Walter, the fake turtle sittin' on a fake rock is my float for the auto water level. He is kinda' cool & realistic from over 5' away, and only cost $12. Beats the hell out of big black float ball...

Hell, I thought the Turtle was real at first. Good work and now you can say no one else around here has anything like it.

Dick

now you can say no one else around here has anything like it.

You can say that again. Around here luxury is a new double wide with a rose garden...

CaptPatrick wrote: You can say that again. Around here luxury is a new double wide with a rose garden...

Luxury for some around there would be piped in electric instead of extension cords:)


Wait till summer and a few beers and the locals will be tubing over the falls.........

After you sent me the latest link of pics I was out this am looking at my pond and falls and started to think about redoing it.

Then I came to my senses. I think I will add some turtles though. Good food source.

Never mind the energy, I would still be in the initial planning stage & would never have had the knowledge & imagination to pull off a major project this quickly.

I am in as much awe of all your work as I am in seeing Randall's creations.
Al

Luxury for some around there would be piped in electric instead of extension cords:)

His dad had me over to sever that extension cord after I mentioned what a fire hazard it was...

would never have had the knowledge & imagination to pull off a major project this quickly.

Started it on Dec 1 last year. First time ever to do something like this, but constant Internet searching and looking at images made it very do-able. Tons of info, tech crap, images & whatever out there...

The hardest thing has been the physcal labor; at a buck & a quarter drippng wet, I wasn't built to bully around big rocks... Thank the powers that be for tractors.

And all this has been worked in, with, and around multiple customer fiberglass orders.

Holy cow that is nice. Next thing you will be giving up the boat business and doing landscaping.

Only if I can find a team of wet backs to do the heavy stuff.... Surprisingly, there are next to none around this part of the state, so I'm safe.

Everything, including the wrap around deck, second level, maybe new house paint will be finished, (I hope), for an October or November Tequilla Party...

Its one thing to have talent......its another thing to implement the talent....and even another thing to carry a project thru

Our Captian has the IMAGINATION to bring it all together.

Good job Pat.....

hb

Hi Cap,

what a project , i studied the photo's from the begining not really understood were you were going to , unbelivable what a job !!

are you gonna build a minature rc B31 next so you can play a bit of your deck , remote in one hand and a Crown and coke in the other ??


Best regards Gert

Looks great Pat, we have a ton of stone masons up this way, most of the great ones are Portuguese, and one old timer told me he can just look at a stone and know exactly where it will go in the wall..dry fit no mortar those guys have hands like leather..takes some kind of vision to do a project like that..we all know you got that and then some..BH

Somebody needs to send Capt. Patrick a B31 to redo, otherwise, DisneyWorld's Animal Kingdom is going to have nothing on his future expansion!