Category: SY Baron

Baron – Sandblasting

26th August 2021 – The owners are making good progress. The ship is being sandblasted at the moment and the through shape of the hull is starting to become visible again. There are a few minor issues, but nothing that can’t be deal with. 

Baron – It started with a coffee

12th August 2021 – It started early in the morning when the owner asked me to have a cup of coffee. When she entered the ship, the floor was wet. The bilges were filled with water and at some floor parts, water was coming over it. Something seriously was wrong. We quickly figured out the toilet was the cause. Once it was solved, there was no other option then to empty the bilges. First with a bucket and then later with a hoover.

The engine started and we left for Nieuwpoort. My plan was to join in the lock, jump off and start working on the Stern. Plans changed and I joined for the whole journey. It was just great! A nice sun, calm weather and a good crew. In Nieuwpoort, we had some rain, but it didn’t stop us from making a tour in the harbour, moving between the expensive sailing boats and people wearing uniforms they don’t know what they stand for. Everybody was watching at us, thinking we were the lower class who just bought a sailing boat with no knowledge…

In the late afternoon, Baron was drydocked and restore can now start!

Baron – Trip

4th August 2021 – While making a small walk, I noticed the Baron was making its first trip with the new owners. They are working hard on making a beauty again from this historical sailing ship.

Baron – Sold

29th July 2021 – I sold the Baron. There goes my dream of sailing. It is probably the ship I owned the briefest. I have another project coming up and therefore, I can’t maintain all of them. Selling the Stern was  an option, but it needs finishing and in the end, I’m not a sailor. It seems romantic but, I prefer the little canals… 

Baron – Cleaning

27th July 2021 – In between the rain I cleaned a part of the deck and the sides where it was moldy green. Yesterday I put some vinegar in the cabin to take away the smell. It works a little bit but repainting might do the job. While cleaning, I discovered some more cracks in the deck and one that is worrying me: int he outlet pipe of the deck. If that one breaks, I have a bigger problem. Or maybe not? I’ll have a closer look with a hammer when I’m in drydock. 

When it was raining to much, I cleaned a few panels on the inside. You hardly see any difference. I’m still emptying the ship.

Baron – Wooden hatches to Bruges

24th July 2021 – I just moved the hatches to Bruges where I will try to oil them whenever I have time.  The problem of converting a ship is storage. Tordino is a big ship, but I have no space left at all on that ship. I tried storing most in my van, but I need my van next week..

Baron – Sanding down the clamps

22nd July 2021 – I wanted to have done something but was a bit out of energy. Maybe the nice life in Plassendale, maybe just tired.

I removed the wooden clamps and sanded them down. Three of them are fine, one is rotten. Not sure yet what to do with the back hatch as well..

 

Baron – Sanding down the hatches and table – Part 1

19th July 2021 – I bought a new sanding machine, couldn’t possible find the other ones… In the evening I started sanding down two hatches and the outside table. One hatch needs some patching and the table will be fine for one, maybe two years.  The third hatch was still fine.  The metal underneath the hatches needs replating as well… I might work with a system to bolt in on the old deck…

Baron – A first trip

17th July 2021 – Proud to have cleaned up the ship, and finally be able to invite my neighbours for a trip, we left for Stalhille bridge, turning went nicely and the ship makes a very good speed. My friends heard the engine was slowing down in revs, I never paid any attention to it. I was a little to enthusiastic….

The moment I paid attention to it, the engine switched off.  We made it three kilometers from the start, a success 😉

Not at all, I was very much ashamed and could only find one cause. An electric powered driven fuel pump in combination with dead batteries.

We took the vlet Djoey to tow her back to Tordino and made a trip with the vlet to have another great evening…

The Baron will be towed to the yard!

Baron – Numbers on the window

2nd July 2021 – While I was relaxing on deck of the Baron, the police arrived to check the paperwork of my neighbour. I quickly went aboard Tordino to check for my paperwork where I could find it, ran to my car to get the numbers out for the sailing boat and went back aboard. The police left without checking me….

 

Baron – Cleaning

27th June 2021 – I finally started cleaning the ship by removing the sails into my van, followed by rebuilding the bench on starboard side.  I had an old tin of black antirust primer. I sprayed it where it was rusting badly. At least, it can’t become any worse at the moment.

The engine ran for half an hour. Started straight away!

Baron – Engine

26th June 2021 – Yesterday I managed to get the batteries charged.  Today I made a quick inventory of the engine room. I noticed the sea tap was open. So I wonder what happened to the anti freeze the owner put in… He always reminded us the tap was closed and we were not allowed to start the engine.

Bilges are drying out and the pump didn’t run anymore. Or it is broken or the keel is dry…