24th January 2021 – We could finally start painting with colour. It took us a the whole day but we got very far! Most of the colours were put on, some places were left blank where they still need to weld. We were tire but extremely happy with the result. It might look a bit like a cheap Italian Pizza Restaurant, but at least, it looks well maintained!
23rd January 2021 – A mixed feeling when we arrived. A lot of metalwork has been done and done nicely. But al the other items were not done at all or wrongly done. It was good to know there was a generator aboard, but the engine wasn’t mounted yet. They started messing wit the windows…
22nd January 2021 – I quickly welded a bracket for the chimney of the new heather they will install next Tuesday. Power is so limited I only managed to stick the support. It is solid enough but it needs proper welding soon.
20th January 2021 – I started building a wall with insulation where the old toilet was. It took me some time but it worked out fine in the end. Then I extended the last electricity wires and finished the cupboard in the living room. At the end of the evening I gave the new wood a first coat of paint including the parts I hadn’t done before. Some parts got a second coat, the ones where I will put some tiles…
19th January 2021 – We managed to get a collection of books from a retired sailor. It is a large collection, so we picked it up from Dordrecht. It now needs an inventory, which will probably take a few weeks.
19th January 2021 – What had to be an easy job turns out in a small nightmare. I had to buy a hull skin fitting, then I had to buy the right drill and in the end the hole was made. When I removed the old toilet, which was totally dry, I wanted to seal the old hoses. I sprayed foam into them. It came out straight away including a lot of water. So there is still water in the old pipes. I hoovered out as much as I could, and I will go shopping again tomorrow to find the right fitting to seal them… A wasted afternoon and now a worrying evening!
18th January 2021 – Tomorrow, I will start working again on the Stern. I haven’t done anything since mid December. I went shopping for wood, tiles and other items I need. The tools were unloaded from the van and put aboard the ship.
18th January 2021 – A skipper gave me the advice to make the hole on the inside bigger in case the chimney would become to warm. It took me some time to make a bigger round hole, but it worked. We went to Ikea in the morning and picked up some plastic covers for the floor of the wheelhouse.
17th January 2021 – I drilled a hole for the chimney of the new heating system. It took me some time to get through the meal, not really knowing what was happening. After the hole was made, I discovered tere was a rib with wood at the side of the hole. This means I now have a 9.5cm hole instead of 10cm…. Probably the only rib I could have, I had it….
16th January 2021 – They predicted snow and they were right. We had some snow today, well a lot of snow for Belgian standards. I took some pictures and inspected the Stern. Everything was fine, but I keep the heating on until tomorrow.
15th January 2021 – The kitchen is getting cleaner, I removed some more old wires and lights that were no longer working. Some Ikea decoration is now hanging instead. The inside of the bedroom cabinet is partly in t&g, since I ran out. A proper lifering is hanging outside and my blueboard sign is fixed. All small jobs, taking a lot of time.
13th January 2021 – The kitchen cupboard was painted and the water tap mounted. It worked without leaking! After mounting tiles without them dropping from the wall and now a good working tap: I might become professional after all…
12th January 2021 – The cabinets in the bedroom needs redoing. I started with painting the inside but it didn’t turn out the way I wanted. I will have to put in new plywood. I replaced the kitchen crane but needs some help to tighten it. So in the end I did nothing as I wanted it to be done….
On the bright side, I received a gift from a local historical organisation: several books and objects from World War II.
11th January 2021 – While my mother painted the kitchen doors, I mounted the last porthole in the ship. This time it was for the entrance of the front engine room door. Some nice bronze portholes give a nice touch to the ship. There is still some work to do ti finish the back accommodation. What started as a small makeover of the wheelhouse ends up in redecorating the whole accommodation.
10th January 2021 – Another cold night. I had a look at the Stern. She was looking fine!
