Category: Daily Life around the water - page 3
17th December 2021 – I made a big walk along the canal and found some interest in taking pictures of barges again…
4th December 2021 – The weather isn’t right, a lot of rain and wind. The canal needs continues to be low for the water. I’m glad I have my new sofa and some time to read books. Working on the boats isn’t possible at all. On the other hand, I’ve done enough this year!
3rd September 2021 – This evening I picked up a Wildflower sailing boat. It is basically a dinghy that can be used as a motorboat, sailing ship or just for rowing. American design, but this one is produced in Germany in 1972. So next year, it will be 50 years old! The boat is just under 4 meters of length and 1.7m wide. I also got a metal frame to store it on. The only thing I need to find now is storage space.
The weight of the boat is supposed to be 45kg, but I had a feeling it is more. There is water in the air compartments. The ship comes with all the original equipment, even te bags for the sails are original with the brand.
Some more specifications:
- Sails: 30m2
- Type: sloop
8th August 2021 – Since I’m still new in Oudenburg I made a nice walk with a neighbour, something I do every few evenings. She lives by the water and I live on the water. Two different worlds, but both of them are just the same in many ways. Where I used to watch the boats and the people on the water, I now start looking more at the environment, trees, open fields, birds, …. Living on a canal is more then just boats!
8th August 2021 – The owner wanted to move her ship to have a few days off. I took the opportunity to move the little dinghy alongside. While we had some wind issues in the beginning because of a broken bridge, the rest of the journey was great. Just before arriving in Plassendale, I detached the little boat, jumped on it and made it to the side!
7th August 2021 – To gain some time tomorrow, and not to have to pass the lock tomorrow, I asked the lock if I could move my ship by hand. Then I rowed it to my houseboat. It took me much longer then expected. Water and wind were an enemy while in Oudenburg, I had a feeling it would have helped me. The boat is now alongside my houseboat.
6th August 2021 – In the late afternoon I salvaged a sunken dinghy. It is around four meters long (Pioner 12). Together with the previous owner we managed to make it float again. I will try to see if I can tow it tomorrow.
22nd July 2021 – A friend paid me a visit with his tug. He used to live in Beernem in the old days when I was converting the Aquarel. Shortly after he moved to Ghent and is now back. It was nice to catch up!
22nd July 2021 – A very nice converted luxe motor was passing by in Plassendale. Nice to see!
18th July 2021 – I’ve just done nothing today. In the morning I started the engine of the Baron to check if it was working again and yes it did. So the alternator is broken of the battery totally dead.
I had a couple of friends with kids who came to visit the ship and have a few drinks. A relaxing day!
16th July 2021 – The Arie sank in Ghent. It is always dissapointing to see a ship sinking, this one especialy since it once belonged to a friend of a mine and we had a great time aboard! It was ten years ago we towed it on the mooring in Mariakerke…
16th July 2021 – A converted lifeboat arrived this afternoon. Not an old riveted one, but a more modern version, the kinda of models that are now very popular in the UK as tiny houseboats.
11th July 2021 – Today we had our big jump in Oudenburg, a small event where people jump in the water to promote the clean water. With the little boat of my neighbour we mounted the safety line and I was standby on the boat if something would go wrong…
In the evening we hand another small trip with the vlet…
2nd July 2021 – An important day for the community of Plassendale, for the first time in years, a passenger ship moored at our pier. Press arrived and everybody had to give an interview.
