25th July 2020 – I drove for a second set of models to Baasrode. The biggest model of the ship elevator of Strepy-Thieu. A heavy model of more than 2 meters long. I had to dismantle it into two pieces. It took me over one hour to lower it in Tordino. It will become the centerpiece at the entrance in the near future, once the model is fully restored.
23rd July 2020 – There was some time left so I worked out some woodwork around the porthole on portside. Slowly getting there….
22nd July 2020 – A small wall above the cupboard was finished. I wanted to do something. It are the hours that make a project succeed or fail. If you work everyday a few hours, you will make it. By doing nothing or sitting on a chair and thinking, work doesn’t get done!
Since I have enough insulation, I try to put in as much as I can on the ship. We have no cold winters, but I don’t have central heating aboard. It might also help for keeping the heat of the engine out or the noise.
22nd July 2020 – I got some models of ship elevators for my collection. They were donated by the Scheepvaartmuseum in Baasrode. I will have to drive twice since there are five models. They are in need of some restoration, but nothing I can’t handle…
21st July 2020 – Some old doors I bought from the spits barge Bonne Chance for using aboard the Hornblower were stored at a friends place. I took them yesterday and started working with them today.
20th July 2020 – A small job but, it had to be done carefully, dismantling the heather in the living room. I want to reuse it. Around the heather was old insulation and wood. This is the last bit of old t&g that was left on the ship. I cleaned the sides of the ship. They are now ready for new insulation.
19th July 2020 – More or less a day of planning. I finished one wall with t&g, broke down the remaining cables and pieces of wood left in the kitchen.
In the evening I picked up old doors from a spits barge for the kitchen.
18th July 2020 – My friend called if I wanted to join for a small trip to Nieuwpoort and back. Friends have a tjalk that is waiting for the crossing to the UK. We sailed to Nieuwpoort, but started rather late on the journey. It was a beautiful trip. On the way back we stopped for a drink, but we could no longer start the engine, a dead battery. We swapped the batteries and managed to start the engine, but had no navigation lights. We were no longer allowed to continue the trip unless we fixed it and so we did…
You don’t need to travel far to have such a nice evening like tonight!
18th July 2020 – We were open today and while I was giving the inside a good cleanup, my parents cleaned the outside. Tordino is looking shiny again.
17th July 2020 – I finished the ceiling of the living room and kitchen. Sounds big, but is only a few square meters…
16th July 2020 – In the late afternoon I drove to Zelzate to visit a friend at the yard.
13th July 2020 – An annoying job is to insulate the ceiling. Certainly when there isn’t much room to turn around. It was also to warm to do this job.
12th July 2020 – Started to feel guilty I hadn’t worked for two weeks. Did some woodwork, making a frame. Went shopping, insulated a part and put some t&g….
11th July 2020 – I was in Nieuwpoort again to help putting the last bits together for the journey of the Anna Sophia to England. The skipper is a friend of mine and we chatted while fixing several issues. By the time most things got sorted out, it was to late to leave for the lock with the tide. The journey is now postponed…
11th July 2020 – In the evening I met a nice English skipper with a beautiful barge, the Alberdina. He is planning to go to Paris with his ship, but needs a place for the next couple of days. Since the Minart is sold and the owners are not around, I suggested mooring alongside. I am always up for a nice ship alongside. This morning he arrived, I took a rope.
During the day, I noticed people starting to take pictures.
