Month: August 2016

Leaving Ostend

30th August 2016 – In August a dream came through for me. I was able to join and help on a crossing with a Dutch barge from Belgium to London. It was a pleasant experience and I hope to do it again. I made new friends and discovered a different look at barges and how people use them. Many thanks to my English friends!

At 3 o’clock this morning, we left Ostend, heading to London. It was a nice journey with no issues. We arrived the next day, 29 hours later in London.

From Bruinisse to Ostend

26th August 2016 – We left Bruinisse in the early morning and head to the Veerse Meer. From there we continued to Middelburg, where we added some more fuel. From Middelburg to Vlissingen was a nightmare. We had to wait 20 minutes before they would open a bridge. There were five bridges, so we lost a lot of time!

Once in Vlissingen, we passed the lock and went over sea to Ostend. Arrived in Ostend, we had a beer and a good meal! A successfully journey. If we didn’t had to wait for the bridges in Middelburg, we could have been in Bruges….

Op Hoop van Zegen – Mounting the engine panel

19th August 2016 – I knew it would become a busy day since I had to go Antwerp. There was one job I wanted to do, cutting a hole in the engine room to have access to the wheelhouse. When I broke down the previous wheelhouse, the panel for the engine room wasn’t disconnected. it was lowered in the engine room and now I had put it back. So I made hole big enough to fit it through. I also pushed the forward/reverse handle through that hole.

Op Hoop van Zegen – Painting the boeisel

17th August 2016 – I painted the boeisel around my ship. Eleven meters on each side, looks simple and easy. I didn’t want to bend over the side, so I used a small boat to do the paint job. People would describe it as a nice and warm day. I was sitting in a black boat with the sun shining on me. I was boiling. The little wind helped a bit, but I was cooked like a lobster.

Op Hoop van Zegen – The roof and sides needed a second coat of paint

16th August 2016 – The roof and sides needed a second coat of paint. I want the metal to be protected and looking good for a longer period. The green is not exactly as expected. it is to flashy and did hurt my eyes while painting. It should have been a more traditional colour.

In the evening, I painted the boeisel on one side. Halfway, I had to stop since hanging over the side with paint isn’t that great!