Category: Daily Life around the water - page 32

27th June 2008 – In the late evening I visited two houseboats in Ghent, a converted tjalk and a spits barge under conversion.

The tjalk was rebuilt from the deck up and looked in some ways more like a yacht then a tjalk. Even so, I really liked the size and the style it was converted. It looked modern on the inside and with the few to some newer office buildings outside, it was the right ship for the right mooring. I have seen some nice ideas I’m certainly will try to implement in my own ship. So once again, I believe in the idea of learning how to convert a ship by looking at them!

The spits barge had to be converted. An IBA was placed on the barge. It was a massive installation standing in the hold, even looking bigger because of the height of the hold. It was a nice ship with a lovely old back accommodation, suitable to live on during and even after the conversion of the hold.

18th June 2008  – I was briefly in Ghent in the evening. I did notice many people start having a Kempenaar as house boat.

15th June 2008 – Since I have to sail tomorrow from Sluiskil to Bruges in the very early morning, I decided to stay the night in Sluiskil. I made the time to visit my friends and to see a spits barge at they yard. It was a spits barge I had worked on a few years ago.

1st June 2008 – Since there was a meeting in the evening, I went all day to Ghent to see some friends and how they are making progress in converting their barge.

27th May 2008 – Today we went sailing on the Marie-Galante, my neighbour’s spits barge. She was built in the same year as the Watergeus, but had always been upgraded and even as a house boat she is keeping her standard very height. Having a modern Caterpillar engine, DAF bow thruster and hydraulic steering, she is a beauty to sail on.

On the way back I sailed with her and I really was amazed of her steering, so fluently so nice and that for a spits barge!

It was a great day with a great ship and lovely people! The perfect combination for a good house boat society.

5th May 2008 – Maybe it is because I work to hard or only work on my ship that made me ill, so it was time for a little break by making a little trip to England.

21st April 2008 – We started the engine of my neighbour. Even it is a modern engine, it is a beauty, turn the key and it starts. It runs and can continue to run forever (or as long as we have fuel). That’s he difference of buying an out-of-commercial ship or something like me. Mine was cheaper but on the long run it will be as expensive. But my engine still runs as well and that is the main point. I must say, I prefer a clean engine room above one with oil and lot s of broken tools…

This made me think I urgently need to clean the engine room one day…

17th April 2008 – In the evening there was a meeting in Ghent concerning the future of our moorings and the mooring concessions. Besides walking around in Ghent and the meeting, no time was left to work on the Watergeus.

22nd March 2008 – Since last elections of the board for Vlaamse Woonschepen failed (not enough members available), there was a new meeting in the afternoon. In the morning, the board came together to speak about the running projects and to talk about the future. Some very important ideas and meeting a few new people made it a successful day!

There was a person who is living on a barge on her own. She really wanted that barge, but no bank would give a loan, so the skippers arranged something with her. They helped her realizing her dream. This is not only a prove living on a boat is more then just a hype, but also many commercial skippers believe in living on water and keeping their old barge afloat as a house boat, instead of seeing them scrapped!

14th March 2008 – In the morning I had a meeting with the Flemish Government to talk about the house boat situation and the future of the ships on their mooring. Since I’m a member of the board of Vlaamse Woonschepen I spend more time these days on the house boat situation then on any other subject.

8th March 2008 – I had an exam in the morning for getting my sailing certificate. I’m not sure yet whether I have passed. It takes 4 weeks before you know the result.

In the afternoon I walked around in Ghent to take some pictures of the house boats. I visited an old ice breaking tug that was converted into a bed & breakfast. A nice ship, I would have been convinced to buy this ship if I didn’t had the Watergeus!

7th March 2008 – In the evening, while it was getting dark, a spits barge was passing by. It was the Linquenda from Terneuzen. I quickly took my bike and followed it to the nearest lock, so I could take some more pictures.