Los Cuatro Ojos

Jim Siemers - 1947-2010 - "Master Shipfitter"

James Lee (Jim) Siemers quietly slipped from this life into eternity on July, 9^th 2010 after a valiant battle with cancer…

He has always been… And ever will be…  My Friend.

Royal Thai Navy - Rattanakosin - Built By Jim Siemers

Jim was a shipfitter.  Jim was one of the few people on planet earth that can make thousands and thousands of tons of steel float and then go 40mph.  And nobody, but nobody, did it better.

Royal Saudi Navy - Badr - Built By Jim Siemers

In his professional life… Jim was sometimes known as “Master Yoda.”   And like the Jedi Master… Jim was humble yet quietly confident about his skills.  But let there be no doubt… Shipbuilders up and down the West Coast knew him and respected and admired his skills.  Jim built and worked on every kind of ship imaginable -  Tankers, Tugs and Tuna boats… Aircraft Carriers, Submarines and Coast Guard Cutters.  It didn’t matter to him… He loved them all.  If it floats and is made of steel… Jim Siemers has very probably got one out on the water with his initials welded into it.

Tractor Tug - Built By Jim Siemers

Apollo One - Incinerator Ship - Built By Jim Siemers ... He repaired that crane too.

When Jim wasn’t fashioning a ship of some kind… He was working on a car or a motorcycle.  His Ranchero and his Trike were projects that he tinkered on for years and years.  Jim also had a pretty good reputation as a carpenter… When I met Jim… I thought I was a pretty hotshot Shipfitter myself… I was a babe in the woods compared to this guy.  In the almost 10 years that we built ships together… The man constantly amazed me.  What’s more… He constantly taught me… And he kept on teaching me for another 20 years.

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