Canada to the rescue

[Whoey]

I would love to have a workshop to be able to build scale models again. Like Grant, lots of moving around and having kits with hours and hours of work in them break took the wind out of the sails. That and real life I guess.

I know what you mean, sometimes it´s months between 2 modeling sessions - additional having several projects running makes the completion of each project a long time thing. 
Over the years I have collected a nice amount of tools - but over 90% i´m still making with the same handfull of small tools nearly each modelbuilder has in a box (xacto knife, 2-3 tweezers, a cheap set of small files, various of these multi sided foam nail files for sanding and polishing, q-tips and toothpics, ....)

I still have a bunch of those sorts of tools. I no longer have an airbrush, and the one I had back then was a really cheap basic one that ran off canned air, enough to spray larger parts or camo patterns, but not really for detail. Also lately I noticed my hands aren't as steady as they once were.

I would settle for some sort of close-able desk/workbench where I could leave things to dry without being disturbed by our cats.

Sounds like a great idea, maybe one of these oldstyle secretaire? They can be closed, have a workplace, lots of drawers, ....

Yeah, pretty much what I was thinking... sadly also no where to put something like that...

My grandfather grew up in Dartmouth (across the bay from Halifax) and lived his whole life pretty much in that area. I would imagine if he had a camera there would be some pretty amazing photos from back in the day, but I'm not sure how much there is. Unfortunately he's not with us anymore, so I can't exactly ask about it.

Aye, same here. All they have seen, good and bad, is lost.

He lived through a lot of crazy stuff, lost a leg in a hunting accident. Worked for a civilian company that does maintenance on the Sea Kings (and boy have they needed it over the years...) and other aircraft. Losing his leg became a good thing as he could pop off his artificial leg and crawl into spots noone else could get to. When I visited in summer as a kid he used to take me to all the old military forts around the area... and being the important harbour it is, the Halifax area has a lot!

[jerseydevil]

Speaking of endangered or preserved warships, I saw this video earlier about HMS Caroline.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29672262

[ColoSwiss]

List of museum ships.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museum_ships

[Chako]

Thanks for that link ColoSwiss. I had always wondered what had happened with the CCGS Alexander Henry. She was posted to Sault Ste Marie for most of her career. Her captain during the 80's was Ray Cheese. I figure he has retired by now...but I could be wrong. My father and the crew were on very friendly terms as he would show up along her dock with a few bags of magazines...which were prized by her crew. You would think it was Christmas...but I guess being stuck for long periods on the boat at dock made for a lonely time.

Even so, because of this exchange of reading materials, we were invited to come aboard during the Great Tug Boat Races held at the end of June. There was always a bit of friendly rivalry between the two Canadian and American Coast Guard captains, with the winner of the annual race getting bragging rights I would wager.

[ColoSwiss]

Thanks for that link ColoSwiss. I had always wondered what had happened with the CCGS Alexander Henry. She was posted to Sault Ste Marie for most of her career. Her captain during the 80's was Ray Cheese. I figure he has retired by now...but I could be wrong. My father and the crew were on very friendly terms as he would show up along her dock with a few bags of magazines...which were prized by her crew. You would think it was Christmas...but I guess being stuck for long periods on the boat at dock made for a lonely time.

Even so, because of this exchange of reading materials, we were invited to come aboard during the Great Tug Boat Races held at the end of June. There was always a bit of friendly rivalry between the two Canadian and American Coast Guard captains, with the winner of the annual race getting bragging rights I would wager.

The US Coast Guard's largest ice breaker on the Great Lakes, the Mackinaw, is now preserved at Mackinaw City, Michigan. Always nice when they preserve an old ship, but the upkeep is huge.

Assume you've read "Grey Seas Under" by Farley Mowat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Mackinaw_(WAGB-83)

[jerseydevil]

One USCG cutter I really have to see is the USCGC Taney.  She served all over from the late 1930's to the mid 80's.  She searched for Amelia Earhart, and was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.  She's the only ship still afloat that was present during the attack.  Convoy escort in both the Atlantic and Pacific, kamikaze attacks off Okinawa, fire support off the coast of Korea and Vietnam, drug interdiction in the Caribbean - talk about a ship that's been there, done that!  She's now moored in Baltimore.

[ColoSwiss]

One USCG cutter I really have to see is the USCGC Taney.  She served all over from the late 1930's to the mid 80's.  She searched for Amelia Earhart, and was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.  She's the only ship still afloat that was present during the attack.  Convoy escort in both the Atlantic and Pacific, kamikaze attacks off Okinawa, fire support off the coast of Korea and Vietnam, drug interdiction in the Caribbean - talk about a ship that's been there, done that!  She's now moored in Baltimore.

She's down in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, along with the frigate Constellation, light ship Chesapeake, and submarine Torsk. The National Aquarium is also there, and Ft McHenry is a mile or so down the road. A nice long-weekend trip.

Baltimore also has the B&O Railroad Museum, and a couple of great art museums. Used to get up there a half-dozen times a year when I worked in the DC area.

http://www.historicships.org