2nd June 2023 – We visited Oostende voor Anker. I was a bit disappointed with the amount of vessels you could see, never mind visit…
1st June 2023 – It is always nice to see one of your old ships sailing on the canal. The Op Hoop van Zegen was underway to Nieuwpoort.
27th May 2023 – The commercial barge Amon went to Ostend. I took a few pictures while she moved alongside Tordino.
23rd May 2023 – I spotted the boat Lillo heading to Bruges.
23rd May 2023 – After I finished the input of the flags and the prayer cards, I can now start digitalizing several boxes of old negatives.
21st May 2023 – We made a walk in the evening, something we now and then do. It was a hobby since I was 14 years old to take pictures of the fishing vessels, and now I just continue taking pictures…
21st May 2023 – In between guiding some people in the museum, I finally managed to get all the flags online in our inventory system. Time to start with a new subject…
21st May 2023 – I just added a few new ropes to the Stern. The way some idiots come along with their boats, I can’t take risk that her mooring lines would break.
20th May 2023 – Last year I bought a metal pipe to make it into a mast. Sadly it didn’t fit in the support. We are talking about a few millimeters to thick… I temporary secured it with jubilee clips. With a flag on the stern again, the ship looks more vivid then ever…
19th May 2023 – I have a nice white stripe on starboard side on the hull. It breaks the line, but it also gives a nice touch. Today, I started removing the old tar to create a white stripe as well. I manged to get three meters further… It will be a long time before the white line will appear….
The problem of 2component paint is that you need to use it. So In the end I painted the anchor and the front bollards.
19th May 2023 – I was surprised, the engine started straight away and I made a small trip. The idea was to move her by hand, but since the engine started, I made a trip of a few hundred meters and back. I really hope to have some time for her next year…
14th May 2023 – Exactly one year ago I transferred the Watergeus to her new owners. It is still a mixed feeling, but mostly positive. It had been my home for seventeen years. But when I’m working and doing maintenance like today, I’m glad I’ve sold her.
I gave a second coat of oil on the wheelhouse and a first coat on the inside of the kitchen door. It was a cold wind so not such a nice job to do, but it had to be done since they are a talking about rain tomorrow.
Yesterday, I received a few boxes with photos and prayer cards. I need to scan them before Friday, so it will be a marathon scan again…
13th May 2023 – I started sanding down the portside of the wheelhouse. Once it was clean, I put a coat of oil on it to protect the wood again.
In the afternoon, I cleaned the decks of the ship. Looking much better again.
12th May 2023 – I found another folder of the same archive I have been scanning the last couple of weeks. Once this folder is scanned, I will have scanned more then 1500 documents of an old ship broker and yard owner from the 1920’s.
12th May 2023 – The next couple of weeks are becoming intense. I need to make an inventory of over 1000 documents. I need to read them, and try to make a summery in one or two lines… Once the job is done, all documents will become available online.