25th September 2011 – A lot of technical issues have to be arranged before leaving Sluiskil. One of them was the cooling of the engine. The exhaust was leaking, so that needed a fix as well. The steering was not working properly and the wheelhouse was still a mess. I couldn’t show I was working on leaving, so everything had to be done in between…
We had a great BBQ with the neighbours in the evening. It made me forgot my trouble for a while…
24th September 2011 – I spent most of the day painting one side and cleaning the deck. In the late afternoon I started preparing for the voyage to Bruges.
10th September 2011 – Most of the day, I spent in the fore peak of the Hornblower. I did some woodwork and some insulation.
In the evening there was bad weather.
4th September 2011 – The bow is nearly finished. Two bollards on each side, the hatch and an air vent are the finishing touch of the front cabin. I did some wood work on the inside.
A friend came to say hello. He recommended me changing the bathroom. Put it in the front of the barge and keep the back area as study room and sleeping room. I might consider it!
27th August 2011 – Yesterday evening I painted the bow, outside and inside. Today I started early by cleaning and repainting the roof of the bathroom. In the afternoon I worked in the bathroom, insulating one side and putting in some basic wood. I mounted the portholes as well.
26th August 2011 – During the week the bow was raised. It has been done with a double feeling. It changes the look of the ship, it is not an original (historical) alternation. I’ve made the decision for a few reasons. She was not looking original anyway, but I need some more space in the ship. Once the deck is raised, you can sit on it as well.
I must admit, when I first saw her, it looked bigger then I expected. The pictures below don’t give an accurate view of the size. It is bigger then it looks. Once the anchor winch is mounted, the railing and the bollards, it will look different!
16th August 2011 – The whole deck is gone. In the afternoon we cut out the deck completely. I hope I made the right decision.
I spent all morning cleaning the back of the boat, removing rust and dust. I painted deck and a part of the cabin with an old paint. I hope it will last a longer period.
15th August 2011 – During the day I drilled so many holes. They are necessary for the wooden frame in the bathroom. While working I discovered multiple holes in the cabin. They were welded in the afternoon.
In the late evening we started burning out the deck at the front of the boat. Since it was quiet thick it took a lot of time. We gave up and drank some beer!
14th August 2011 – The weather still isn’t good. I removed the bulkhead. It took me all morning to get it out. In the afternoon I did some work in the bathroom.
In the evening I went to see some friends in Ostend during the Paulusfeesten!
13th August 2011 – In the morning the windows were mounted. I fixed the broken porthole. In the afternoon I went to look for some more portholes. I will use them on the Watergeus and the front cabin of the Hornblower.
The idea in mind is to create a big ‘bakdek’ on the bow of the vessel. I get more space in the front and the watertanks don’t have to move to the engine room.
12th August 2011 – Most of the welding was done in the bathroom. I cleaned the metal, removed the old ceiling in wood and started painting the metal work.
6th August 2011 – When I returned from Amsterdam I had a quick look at the Hornblower.
31st July 2011 – On Sunday, I always try to do a constructive job: wood work in the living room. I finished the wall near the bulkhead and started building the frame on the other side. While working, I discovered the windows are not on the same location on each side. Starboard side starts at 60cm from the bulkhead, while the windows on the port side at 80cm.
30th July 2011 – I built a floor in the bathroom. It makes it easier walking around. The floor is bolted since I need to take it away to clean the bilges and to rebuild the exhaust.
The shaft is at one point higher then the floor. It will not become a major problem since the stairs are above the shaft. I’m happy with the lowered floor. It makes a difference of 20cm’s. This means I can stand up without hitting the roof with my head.
29th July 2011 – We worked on the windows in the bathroom. The floor was lowered yesterday.
