Category: Daily Life around the water - page 26

Hallingdal in Ostend

13th April 2011 – No matter what planning I’m making, it is always ending up the wrong way. I had to do some more painting on the back accommodation of the Watergeus. A friend of mine, which I once helped before I had the Watergeus, just came back from dry dock in Ostend. I drove there to say hello…

London part II

4th April 2011 – I went for a walk on the beach in Brentford. taking pictures between the barges, walking around at the old shipyard, etc… After having a chat on nearly every boat, we went back to Belgium in the late evening and arriving the next morning at three O’clock.

London

3rd April 2011 – In December last year, I had no time to make a small trip to my friends in London. I went on a quick journey to London, leaving today in the early morning and coming back Tuesday morning.

For the first time, I went a bit further then Brentford, making a nice walk along the Grand Union Canal. After about walking for twenty minutes, you could hardly imagine being in one of the world busiest city.

In the afternoon, I met a few people living on a barge. I had a nice chat with them.

Shopping & Ghent

15th January 2011 – In the morning I went shopping, buying wallpaper and tiles to finish the back accommodation of the watergeus. In the afternoon I went to Ghent to visit some boat friends.

More important today is the article published in the newspaper De Standaard. A two page large article on my barge and myself.

Replacing a diesel heater

15th & 16th November 2010 – My neighbour is having some trouble with her diesel heater. On Monday I temporary mounted a small heater, but it was to small. So today I had to put back the other one. It is one of the most dirty jobs since fuel and ashes really get deep into your hands. It takes ages to clean them.

 

Dutch Barge Consultancy

9th October 2010 – Many people asks me for information. Wherever possible I always tried helping them. Since these questions and barge visits are taking a lot of my time, I’ve just started doing this as a semi-professional job.

Please have a look at my site (under construction).

Watergeus – Painting front accommodation, wood delivery and a last goodby to the Ross Leopard

4th October 2010 – In the early morning I went to the Ross Leopard to take some pictures of her being towed away. The tug never showed up and I felt asleep in the wheelhouse. Half of the morning was gone…

While I was waiting for the wood to be delivered, I painted the front accommodation. When this was done and the wood aboard the Watergeus, I finished the second entrance to the boat.

16 locks

27th August 2010 – While driving in the country side I noticed a little sign “16 écluses d’échelle”. It were 16 locks spread over a distance of 4 tot 5 kilometers. Skippers need an hour and 15 minutes to pass them. Two girls were turning the lock, after a little chat I discovered one of them was the lock keeper.

A few locks further, they had a little barge. That lock was different from the others, it was nicely decorated, including the house attached to that lock. It had a style, something like the hippies in the 60’s and an English cottage house.