~ HD ~

*** No computer can make the tiny hand painted adjustments that make a line of lettering flow - *** no doubt hand painted craftmanship is tops .. at the end of the day .. but .. for trying different styles and colors on the fly .. just to get an idea .. a colour calibrated computer with good software could be useful .. maybe the sign writer is not familiar with the typface one chooses .. out with comp .. display the font .. show signwriter .. maybe a particular color is desired .. and not generaly available .. mix colour on computer 'n off to paint shop with specific colour data .. I.E. in answer to the OP : ** So our thoughts are to spend the next few months experimenting (software) to see what would look good (along with eyeballing other boats :-) ) ** maybe the OP simply fancies delving into graphics software for a few months .. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ don't know if a wood name plaque is on ( i.e. desirable for a n.b. ) but did see some good work where the craftsman used black and white printouts on the wood .. then used a router to follow the prints .. ( that was just prepping the work ) computer is just a tool .. like a paintbrush .. much depends on the person wielding the digital pen or brush .. ~~~~~~~ if i wanted a n.b name in trad style and colours .. it would be off to a pro. signwriter first off .. no second thoughts .. for something different .. i'd jossle with ideas on a computer .. the show the signwriter the various ideas and listen to his or her creative input .. the actual paintjob .. i'd get a signwriter to do .. regardless of style ..

been putzing around ( in PS 3 ) with pics from : ~ http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...7765&st=240 ~ ( .. > Boats > Boat Building & Maintenance .. 'Josher Bows' ) .. laying text over the curved bits for starters .. ( top plate where bow meets cabin ) seems to me that it could be done using the 'distort' filter on it's own .. i.e. letter by letter .. ( using 'darken' as the text layer mode ) in theory .. messing with vector paths for text would not be needed .. although for an overall pic paint job .. use of vector paths be extremely useful .. ( did one text experiment yesterday in 'illustrator' .. ( but on a less than suitable starting pic off the web .. ( goal was much quicker to accomplish in PS .. .. guess most freeware 'n shareware based on PS would do the same .. 'Painter' is a similar prgrm to PS .. as in there might be a free lite version of that on the web .. it makes vector paths shapes for every letter ( i.e. text typing ) don't know which other prgms will do this .. ( apart from PS ) and it's quite useful .. that is .. opening up the same doc in 2 windows .. whereas any edits in one window is reflected in the other .. so one window could be zoomed in for detailedwork .. and the other window is 1:1 size .. one sees immediately the detailed edits in the full size window .. ~~~~~~~~~~ btw: some PS 6 'n 7 tutorials here .. ~ http://www.myjanee.com/tutorials.htm ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** edited to add .. PS 3 'pixel' edit letter by letter theory turns out to be crap idea . 'distorting' every one to suit the perspective .. ends up potentialy mismatching the font shapes altogether .. back to 'illustrator' for another shot at same ..

something in Latin ? ~ http://www.wordgumbo.com/ie/rom/lat/erenglat.htm ~ ~ http://www.wordgumbo.com/ie/rom/lat/index.htm ~ e.g. roar with laughter: cachinnare i came up with a name years ago .. use parts of names strung together .. 3 in all .. ( three heavy duty romantic attractions ) the result sounds like a latin name for a flower .. with essence of summer .. 'cause first one aint far off 'July' :-) ..

from the 'software' angle .. re: *** Most of the graphics packages I have come across are aimed at the likes of editing photo's etc. - just wondering if anyone knows of a good package for working with text? *** vector graphics sftwr that will also convert fonts into vector paths .. pixel graphics sftwr that allows you to import the vector based graphics .. and will allow you to layer graphics using various layering modes .. that way you could get the lettering laid on a pic of your boat .. i.e. as a comp. screen display .. and / or .. 3D sftwr .. make a shape similar to the proposed name position .. e.g. photo of boat as backdrop .. then produce the required 3D object shape .. lay text on the object .. combine the two via pixel graphics sftwr if needed .. can't help with software titles .. apart from what's been mentioned in other posts .. ( power mac and similar ancient sftwr here ) ~~~~~~~~~~~ could be some freeware or shareware at TuCows.com that might do the job .. that 'Gimp' could be useful ( not tried it here though ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.. yes .. :-) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .. Lucky coin found in medieval ship .. ~ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4686056.stm ~ .. The coin, wrapped in tarred caulking, was discovered in one of the wooden timbers being studied by the city council's ship recording team. .. It was in a hole cut above the ship's keel at the point where it connects to the stem-post, the timber which forms the bow. .. The two timbers would have been the first the ship's builders put in position and archaeologists believe the coin was inserted as a good luck charm. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ .. Coins under the masts on ships .. ( ~ http://www.military-quotes.com/forum/coins...hips-t1662.html ~ ) .. It was (and still may be) a custom on ships (military and civil transport) that at the 30% construction stage, a coin is placed under or near the tallest structure of the ship. This custom dates all the way back to the ancient greeks, who dropped a coin in the mast well on their sailing ships. .. The coin is used to pay Charon, the Ferry Man over the River Styx, to ferry the soul of any member of the crew that loses their life while on board that particular ship to Hades, the abode of the dead. Normally the coin is gold, but silver works too..Charon just wants his money. .. I know they still do this at least when i was employed as a chipper at the shipyard in Pascagoula Mississippi. I was part of a team that permanently installed a coin beneath the Mast of the USS John Hancock. It had to be a new coin, that the sailors committee insisted. __________________ couldn't find anything via google re 'whiskey in stem ' :-(( just .. 'whiskey broken over stem' 'n references to a 'whiskey plank' ..

.. cool .. that together with flaming paper boat .. launched just as one gets to .. “Now, wherefore, we submit this supplication .. " and should ignite via a delay fuse to synchronise with " .. ‘[———],’ be struck and removed from your records.“ [~~~~] bottle opened at .. “In consequence whereof, and in good faith, 'n be somewhat consumed by the end of " .. according to the hallowed ritual of the sea.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ heard that some scottish boat builders would leave a bottle of whiskey sealed in the stem .. don't know if that's true or not :-)

wonder if they would qualify for .. ~ http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/ ~

~ http://www.spudtech.com/ ~ ~ http://hrrdb.com/AirCannon/AirCannon.php ~ ~ http://www.spudgun.info/ ~ ~ http://www.bombshock.com/weapons_combat/ca...ud_shooter.html ~

~ kendo ~ re: ** .. if you don't mind me asking, was/is your problem muscular, or skeletal? ** skeletal .. but re reading your OP .. my thought is that the two interact .. i.e. if there is a muscle prob .. then that would effect the load on the skeletal system .. i'd say find out exactly what's going on with your back from a chiro .. or similar back pro. .. .. i think of the back structure like a sailing rig with stayed masts .. or jib-crane .. i.e. cabling .. pivot points .. loads .. joint bearings .. and the like .. or a cable-suspension bridge .. .. .. subject to various loads .. so if 'one thing starts to wrong it will effect other parts of the system' type interaction .. ( helps me visualise the problem .. ) what usually occurs is the body sustains a trauma to the back support system .. muscles .. tendons .. discs .. etc irritated nerve ( as like a slipped-disc ) .. .. .. the body sends blood to the traumatised area .. that inflames the muscles .. which then pull harder on the skeletal bits ( like the discs .. ) they in turn .. as well as the inflamed muscle tissue .. put pressure on those back Nerves .. which informs the body of yet more trauma .. so it increases the blood supply to that area .. it becomes a never ending circle .. the way to break the circle is to get the muscles to quieten down ( so to speak ) ( btw : those goji berries i mentioned in other thread .. ( they include a relaxed 'feel good' factor .. a real help in calming the muscles 'n nerves ( and the Kombucha is an excellent tissue healer .. and relaxing as well .. i've had my back go out from sustained emotional anxiety :-) that well .. can tense the back muscles up to the point where they start to exert pressure on a nerve .. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ my back probs are due to : .. the shape itself is prone to it .. chiro said i could be built like arnie atlas .. it would make no difference .. the main root cause is a worn disc in my lower back .. ( can see a wedge shape missing in an x-ray ) i imagine it wore due to a few yeas behind the wheel of artic-hgvs .. that was back in the 70's u.s.a .. i.e. read shyte roads east-coast side .. cement slabs .. not smooth tarmac .. and truck cab ergonomics that were lacking to say the least .. the driver being some 9ft above the road ( in a cab-over design ) is subject to constant pitching motions.. and potential jarring shocks to the spine .. not to mention the anxiety and stress of dealing with car drivers ( uh oh :-))) and upset customers ( that load was supposed to be here yesterday) and crafty weigh station officials .. ( ooooh lookee .. an iced up truck .. that's at least 2000 overweight 'n that's worth a 400 dollar fine ) yes there were shock absorbing seats .. up down 'n back and forth .. but hours behind the wheel .. slouching at times :-(( .. i doubt that heeled cowboy boots did my back any favours either .. :-)) then .. one day walking along a street admiring the autumn colors .. i had this almighty pain in my back that had me clinging to the nearest lampost for support .. ( karma .. four wheelers revenge :-) that was the start of it .. similar happened again about a year later .. and kept happening on and off .. bynote: the times i've been to sea since .. and not often .. but enough to figure .. the back discomfort vanishes .. :-) i put it down to the oxygen rich sea-air and constant rolling-pitching of the deck .. i.e. the muscles are continuously moving to keep balance .. less chance of a lock-up scenerio .. that's my theory in anycase . talking to the chiro and doc .. they both advised to keep 'moving' .. i.e to combat the 'muscle-locking-up thing . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( edited to add ) chiro showed me a technique to unlock the muscle .. ( e.g. for me it's one that connects to the hip ) she would put strong finger pressure on the point where the join is ( can't remember if that's ligament or tendon ) .. anyhow .. at some point .. the pain from that suddenly vanishes .. ( i.e. from the finger pressure ) that's when she would release the pressure altogether .. and that .. caused the muscle to relax and unwind .. :-) it's easy to do if one knows the point to press on ..

re: ** and twisting which plays merry hell with the supporting muscles. ** something else that could wreak havoc be slipping or lurching .. the instictive reaction of the muscles in order to regain balance can take one's back out .. i.e. suddenly take it out .. like as happened to RWLP in the vp. thread .. ( or the pain/lock-up can often be a result of something one did the day before ) anyhow .. i would have thought well-placed handholds around the boat would be an advantage i.e. if the boat hit something or you lost your footing somehow .. ( i.e. handholds and supports similar to what one would find in a well designed seaboat ) rekon i'd make sure there were supports of some nature around line handling areas .. i.e. throwing lines 'n securing them to the boat bollards etc .. maybe going to the point of customising the bollard heights somehow ..

maybe these would help ? .. i'm 6ft .. but not a boat owner .. at home .. if i can acomplish a 'bending' task by lying down .. i will .. e.g today i was messing with an electrical socket at floor level .. rather than risk bending or keeling .. i lay down 'n dealt with the job .. my choice is ice-pack .. ( and consumtion of the organics mentioned in the vp 'back pain' thread ) i.e prior if possible .. but def. after doing anything that would stress the back .. given potential freezer limitations on a boat .. i'd be tempted to keep these handy .. ( in my case attempts at bracing the back seemed to make it worse .. so i gave up on the idea :-) .. Ice Cold Skin Coolant .. ~ http://www.matchsports.co.uk/index.php?mai...products_id=270 ~ " A covenient spray which provides an instant cooling effect. Can help reduce the sensation of burns, sprains, cramp and inflammation. " Ibuleve (ibuprofen) ~ http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100001314.html ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ boatwise ( generaly ) .. i'd try and design the interior from scratch .. i.e. all work heights .. seating .. equipment access .. block 'n tackle rig for battery removal as opposed to lifting it .. ( it's hardly the weight .. rather .. the lifting angle that causes the back prob. ) no height in engine room ? .. i'd think about strategically placed hatchs .. and give a lot of thought to siting the bits that need access for servicing .. i.e. filters and the like .. .. 'n custom made work tools .. e.g a long handled socket wrench that could be used standing up to do a particular task .. the list could go on and on .. :-) umbiblical chord remote engine-rudder controls for the crewless operators .. i.e. control the boat from the bow area if needed .. all the helm area controls .. standing and seating positions .. carefully thought out etc etc ..

** It feels like I'm being unfaithful, to my lifeboat. ** :-)))) howz about this one .. ( reminds me of that film .. 'eye of the needle ' ( ww1 spy film .. i think .. .. listed under 'house boats' ( for some reason ) 1926 Maynard Pleasure Cruiser ( at 25k ) ~ http://houseboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=125057 ~ Length over all: 40' Beam:9' Maximum draft:3' 4" .. Twin 3 cyl Lister Blackstones .. " she is ready to go anywhere and she handles well even in heavy weather. She is also very suitable for cruising the French canals. " ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ German Imperial Navy Royal Admirals Barge .. ~ http://motorboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=128176 ~ " Originally capable of 32 Knots " wonder if the original had a steam turbine ? :-)) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~