7th June 2020 – Final touches were done to make the accommodation ready again for renting out. Looking forward to start renting it out next month.
Author: frederic - page 61
6th June 2020 – Waking up a little late, I decided to finish the deck plate and while I was welding, a few more items were done like supports for the gangway, a basic frame for the cover of the skylight.
The deck on portside was cleaned and painted in black. It starts to look good!
I secured the windows and cover a little more since wind is coming hard.
5th June 2020 – There was bad weather last night , heavy rain in the morning. I was surprised to see I only had two drips.
4th June 2020 – It was becoming to late yesterday to put a layer of Silicon around the windows. I got up early in the morning before the rain would start and sealed the sides of the windows. Let’s hope it is dry when it starts raining.
3rd June 2020 – With better power to weld, I continued welding the windows inside and outside. In the afternoon I went to Tordino to get another lifeboat and in the evening, after a visit from a good friend, I continued. Sadly enough it was already late and they are predicting bad weather tomorrow. So I had to continue cutting plywood to cover the windows. Happy with the result, but it is the second day of hard working and I feel it!
3rd June 2020 – Aboard the Tordino is a plastic lifeboat. A common Janneau model I don’t like. It was already painted brown to look older, but today I had the chance of getting a riveted lifeboat with inboard engine and spare engine. The Antares came alongside and with a small davit, we managed to swap boats and had a coffee as well!
2nd June 2020 – I started early in the morning welding the windows frames. All four of them were mounted and partly welded by the late afternoon. I am welding on solar panels and batteries. This has a negative influence on the start of the weld process. Anti stitch doesn’t work that good. Secondly I ran out of welding rots.
There was still the plan of moving the ship to Bruges. It was now alongside Tordino, but commercial barges had issues of taking a mooring. I want to keep them as friends, so it was time to say goodbye and leave. I had no friends who could join, so I just went by myself to Bruges. Everything went fine till I got to the pedestrian bridge at Steenbrugge. I couldn’t fit under that bridge with the mast sticking out. I had to run several times to the front to lower the mast, return to the wheelhouse to adjust the steering. Knowing I had no deck to walk on, people were watching, but it didn’t go wrong!
At the lock, the bridge was broken, so I moored alongside Rio Claro, in the lock my ropes were to short but again, I made it safely. Next bridge: also broken, since I had no ropes left, I floated for one hour and made it safely after four hours to the mooring alongside the Watergeus.
1st June 2020 – If there is one ship I would be afraid of putting he back in the water, it will be the Maxx. I had a look today and discovered several new holes in the hull. Welding another plate or putting a thick coat of epoxy on the ship. I just don’t know…
31st May 2020 – I picked up around 300kgs of metal for ballast. I got it for free from someone who had just bought three containers of old stuff from a warehouse. On the way home I picked up free curver boxes to store the metal in. It took me some time to unload it and store it on the Watergeus.
In the evening I went to the Stern and made a frame for the first of six windows. I’m not so happy with the result, but if prevents rainwater from coming in, I’m happy.
30st May 2020 – A surveyor came to measure the damage. He gave us advice and explained some more about what to do next.
29th May 2020 – A friend started welding two big sheets of metal to the bottom of the ship.
28th May 2020 – I still don’t know what to do with the wheelhouse of the Stern. A wooden wheelhouse looks older and has more charm. A metal on is watertight and better on the long run…
Since it was sanded down earlier this month, I put a coat of oil on it to feed the wood.
28th May 2020 – My parents came to do the gardening around the Watergeus