28th-29th-31tst December 2008 – This is probably one of the coldest periods since I had the Watergeus. Ice on the water, frozen doors, temperatures of minus 6 °C, etc…. are just part of living on water I suppose. So far, I was able to keep the inside temperature of the back cabin at 12 to 14 °C.
27th December 2008 -+ Sleeping room is finished. Somewhere next weekend all the furniture will be mounted and then I can actually start living in the hold, if I wish so.
The wooden frames for the windows in the corridor were made, just like the remaining piece of framework for the entrance of the hold. Again a busy day.
21st December 2008 – An old photo of the Watergeus popped up on a site. It is a photo from Harry De Groot.
There are so many things this picture can learn:
Once aboard, I started checking for remains of some of these items.
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20th December 2008 – Mainly painted the sleeping room. In the afternoon, we finished the paneling of the kitchen, so all the walls are finished and the kitchen itself can be placed. I don’t have ordered a kitchen yet, so this area is now used as a storage space for furniture and tools.
The sleeping room is painted cream white, and the side paneling and door frame dark blue. While painting the first coat, it looked horrible, but after a while we got used to it, and now I start liking it. This isn’t the first time I’m wrong in choosing colours and most likely it will happen again in the future.
19th December 2008 – Around Christmas, it is time to visit your friends, so I went to Sluiskil as well. As usual, nothing changes over there. It was like I left yesterday…
17th December 2008 – As a yearly tradition, I went to England. Most of my friends have a boat in the Kew area near Brentford.
14th December 2008 – Instead of working, I went to Ghent to visit some boat friends.
13th December 2008 – Completely worked on the port side of the ship’s hold, finishing the wood around the windows of the kitchen and living room and mounting some boxes in the sleeping room for the windows as well. Also started painting the pine wood in the sleeping room.
11th December 2008 – In the evening we made a test drive. It took us 45 minutes to make a little trip of 800 meters. Th engine ran and good, but we are not sure what caused us to make it at such a speed. Even a traditional sleepspits, where horses or people were pulling the ship were quicker. The owner and skipper decided not to make the trip tomorrow and I fully support their choice.
10th December 2008 – In the evening, the engine was cleaned and filters being replaced. It was a small job taking a lot of time. The people are so motivated to sail there barge to the yard they worked late in the evening.
9th December 2008 – On Friday we will sail with the Julie to the yard. The owners were talking to me today asking some simple questions. By talking and listening to them, I could perfectly see myself a few years ago when I had to go to the yard.
7th December 2008 – Continuing again in the hold, doing smaller jobs in the sleeping room, corridor and starting to think how to finish the living room. At least that was the idea for today.
In the morning I cleaned the hold, making sure I had several piles of old wood for some friends and neighbours. Once a while I remove the old pieces I no longer need.
In the afternoon, I worked on finishing a door list and putting some wooden t&g in the corridor.
During the evening I started looking for my Christmas decoration.
6th December 2008 – During the first part of the day I went looking for a kitchen, paint for the sleeping room and some Christmas decoration. The idea for a big tree in my mast will be an project for next year.
In the evening I went to a ship further at the moorings. They worked last weekend on the engine and so they did today. I was right on time to hear it running. You often notice quickly how people can change something when buying ship. In the beginning, a lot is changing, and I believe it is really heading the good direction for this ship!