Month: May 2016

Op Hoop van Zegen – Water in the boat…

31st May 2016 – I had another look at my ship in the evening. It had been raining and had no idea if any water came in. When I opened the hatch, I noticed my bilges had been filled up with water, around half a meter. I didn’t know what to do.

My generator was still dry, so I went home, changed clothes and started hovering. The generator was running in the accommodation and I had to be on my knees to get to the bilges. Because of the smell and fumes, I nearly turned away. A friend came to help me and the generator was moved into my car. At least I can now work silently and without having to breath exhaust fumes.

Later I would discover the water came from two open portholes, an open skylight and a few leaking seals.

Op Hoop van Zegen – Trouble with the generator

15th May 2016 – Still struggling to solve my generator, by disconnecting the sensors, it worked. Not the right way to do it, but I had to drill several holes for the bolts that will hold the porthole. I can barely lift the porthole, so I have to make sure they are thick enough.

The rest of the day, I went shopping for paint and continued removing rust from the ceiling and sides. By the end of the evening, some bits were already painted.

Op Hoop van Zegen – Windows

14th May 2016 – The windows on port side still needed replacing. The three plastic sheets of glass will be replaced by two RAFA windows and one brass porthole. It took me over one hour to remove the previous frames. It was glued to the metal and I haven’t seen such a strong glue!

My generator didn’t want to start. Thankfully a neighbour in one of the houses gave me power to continue working. After several hours, port side was done. I got a frame for a porthole, and two windows mounted. It was a successfully day and a another step forward. Now I can start cleaning the hold and paint it.

 

BBQ in Beernem

7th May 2016 – Boating is more then just cruising a ship or converting one. It is often the social life around it that makes it a fantastic hobby. The tug Lena came from Ghent and we organized a BBQ in Beernem. Together with some friends it was a great evening!

Aquarel – Rust

5th May 2016 – I don’t know where to start. So much rust, so much flaky paint. I’m not feeling to good and the temperatures are high. I’ve don about a third of a zwierboom and went back home.

Aquarel – Recovery mode

1st May 2016 – Still recovering from yesterdays party aboard the ship, the people who stayed wanted to organize a BBQ. So the party in the event yesterday became a small two-day festival. Nice weather, for the first time in weeks. It was a great weekend and I never enjoyed my ship more then I did then!