Month: April 2016

30th April 2016 – Today is a special day. The hold is looking finished. I still have to do the plumbing, heating, ventilation and some decoration. The ship is hundred years old and this means there is something to celebrate.

I organized a private party for some friends in the evening. I’m happy with the result. Some friends came earlier to load the beer on the ship and to build a tent in case it would be raining.

During the evening I walked several times outside. With only some light coming through, she looked good. Colored lights in the hold , LED lights outside and people having fun. It felt right!I am proud of the result.

25th April 2016 – The light fittings were mounted and some of the pictures. I glued the frames to the wall so they would stay straight and don’t fall of.

20th April 2016 – Some more photographs of the hold. The last details…

16th April 2016 – The hold area is nearly ready and getting into shape. She will be ready for exhibitions and a permanent museum in the near future. You can already have a look at my site: http://www.museumschip.be .

I welded two supports for the zwierbomen. At least the deck looks cleaner now when they are in their brackets.

13th April 2016 – I continued on the small roof at the back of the wheelhouse. While working, I noticed a few of the nails that are holding the zinc roof became loose. I put an air horn on the side of the wheelhouse. Connecting it to a small compressor is another job for later.

10th April 2016 – I had enough trouble with finding a leak in the old accommodation. There was always some water. I had a closer look and discovered three small holes in the shield of the cabin. When I started chipping the rust, they became bigger. Welding was not an option. There was nearly no metal left and the chance of having a fire was to big. I sanded down the old paint, put a good coat of primer and put silicone in the holes. Many people will not agree with me on this solution, but if you come up with another option, please let me know!

While fixing the issue, my mother continued painting the inside and cleaning everything up.

8th April 2016 – Just another update with some pictures:

6th April 2016 – An old skipper made the remark the wheelhouse roof isn’t looking right or traditional. I still had a search light left from a previous conversion and decided it was time to put it on the roof. This was a job I always tried to postpone since I’m afraid of creating a leak in the ceiling.

2nd April 2016 – At the back of the wheelhouse is a small hatch. It contained the ‘outdoor’ kitchen of the ship. I removed the roof years ago, but I wanted something back. I started building a frame with some sheets, so the back of the wheelhouse stays dry and I could stand there whenever I wanted to.