Category: Daily Life around the water - page 34

1st – 2nd – 3rd – 4th November 2007 – As I mentioned before, the best way to learn and do is to watch! Therefore I traveled around in the North of Holland in Volendam, Enkhuizen, etc… The last day I visited Rotterdam. Not only did I take plenty of pictures, I found many good ideas, colour scheme’s, etc…

In a few shops I bought accessories for my ship such as old publicity panels of Bols drinks, copper plates for doors, etc…

By talking to people, you hear their experience, their way of thinking and often they have tips and suggestions that can help you further.

24th October 2007 – This evening I removed the insulation of the exhaust to find out how badly it is damaged. While hitting the noise reducer with my head it felt down. So I discovered water must have entered through the deck into the exhaust making it rusty and fragile. As far as I could see, it must have taken years to become so bad.

20th October 2007 – Today I sailed aboard the Sermar, my new neighbour in Bruges. The ship came from Merelbeke. We sailed around 6 hours to Bruges. A very nice spits barge, just out of service, but perfectly suitable to start again!

The spits was built in 1944. She had been sailing with the same owner for 42 years.

The skipper moored the boat in a small spot in front of my boat in no time. The water in the canal was green, had never seen it so bad. While I were sailing, my parents had cleaned the cargo hold and painted the inside to make it look a bit nicer.

20th October 2007 – The skipper would bring the Sermar from Antwerp to Bruges. This was part of the deal. In Merelbeke we joined the skipper and his wife for the last bit of the journey. For them it was hard to take distance of the ship. They slept one last night on the boat.

1st October 2007 – The only event worth mentioning today, besides heavy raining, is the passing of a Luxe Motor called Zorg en Vlijt. The owner was underway to England. A lovely hull, such a nice shape and length, I believe priceless.

As so many Luxe Motors, they go to England and get sold their so expensive, no one over here is ever going to the UK to buy it back, believe me!

Later that day another two barges passed along. I believe it were two aken, but don’t ask me any details. Both together next to each other, they passed at a reasonable high speed.

30th September 2007 – Today we went to Antwerp to visit some Dutch vessels in a steam event. Well indeed we organise a steam event, but don’t have any steamboat left as far as I can remember.

I made a trip on a Dutch steam tug. I didn’t have any words after I left the ship. Unique, magnificent, wonderful. A tug powered by coal. It was over 35° in the engine room and I stayed there to watch the man working. He could talk about it with so much enthusiasm, I wanted to do it myself straight away. I know what I’m missing on my ship….

Next to the grain elevator, I noticed a friend of mine. He was there with his (commercial trading) barge, loading grain to show the people how it used to work. We started talking. Last year I wanted to buy his old coal cabin, but he didn’t have the time removing it. He plans doing it next year. Sad, but hey not many spits barges from 1927 are still trading!

23rd September 2007 – Today, there was a big event for the Flemish House boat society in Ghent. They did not only change their name to Flemish instead of Ghent, there was a brunch and a list of items that will change as the negotiations with the Government go along. If these are positive, I don’t think so, but we will have to wait. I did have the chance to meet some nice people.

In the afternoon we moved along the docks and Canals in Ghent through little boats with outboards. So I have a nice collection of pictures from ships seen from the waterline. While sailing, taking pictures, there was still some time for drinking. Fun was over when batteries of camera were empty, just like the bottles.

I noticed a luxe motor being converted; I’m holding my heart to see how it will be adopted to the 21st Century. I agree on modernism, but often in Ghent it goes way to far. This is also an argument of the Government. Once a houseboat has a mooring, the owners often convert the boat and it makes a complete change in view, for the landscape, the boat and the people living around in the houses. People like me, who only built a roof under the hatches are having trouble doing these works on location because of the other people. It also causes more paperwork and we need these days permission before changing the boat.

17th September 2007 – Raining today and not light rain! Couldn’t work so I wrote a few articles on the history of barges for a Dutch project. Many people often says when a commercial barge ends up in the recreation, it is lost.

Now I believe in many cases the boat is saved. Therefore am I writing about house boats ‘ history for a website called Binnenvaarttaal. The boats I have written are Libra, Watergeus, Cawcher-V and Arma. I tried three times to go outside and start working, but useless, to much rain.

16th September 2007 – Last weekend I really enjoyed the waterways around Furnes that I decided to have a look at Diksmuide. I would love to sail there one day, I don’t know when yet or with what boat. Sadly there were not many house boats around, 1 only and it was an alternative restaurant, so was the boat.

8th September 2007 – In Furnes there is an old yard, for spits barges. That yard is known by everybody but no longer very active these days. I decided to have a look. I was surprised to find so many barges in Furnes, at least 5 Luxe Motors, two klipperaken and a few spits barges. There was even a Humber keel. I spoke to a few of the owners.

Later we drove to Nieuwpoort, were I found another two Luxe Motors. It was a fascinating afternoon.

One of the people in Furnes is already converting his boat for 24 years. It is a nice and well-maintained boat. He gave me some good advice as well. He had the same problem as me of buying a boat with no den/deck. His boat used to be a crane barge.
There was a spits barge, nearly original, all specific items such as mooring posts, railing, doors, etc painted in colours, making a nice contrast. I know most people wouldn’t like it, but it accented the originality of the barge so much. If I would have to  choose a spits to become a museum, she had everything original looking from the outside! You don’t find that many spits barges looking so original!

In the evening I had a drink with Andy. He will assist me on Monday moving the boat. When we got back it was already dark, the perfect time to test navigation lights.

2nd September 2007 – A day of no work seemed a good idea, so I visited two second hand street sales. On the first one I bought a nice kitchen cupboard from the 50’s. I didn’t argue the price since I needed them to bring it to the boat. It was way to big for our car. While these sales used to be cheap in the old days, you find rarely cheap items these days. It has become a business like any other ordinary commerce.
On the second sale I found a few portholes but didn’t buy them, they were so expensive, 250 euros for one window.

In the afternoon I walked to the old harbour of Bruges, which is still being used by many inland vessels. I hadn’t been there in four years. Besides a few container lighters, I found three French ‘Strasbourg’ spits barges.

13th August 2007 – In the morning I went visiting a spits barge with a young French couple. They were looking for a spits barge that could be shortened to 30 meters, since the locks in Canal Du Midi are only 30 meters. Spits barge are expensive in France, in The Netherlands they are cheaper. They would make their decision to buy it this evening, depending on what they do, I would join them again tomorrow. For many people in the Netherlands, French is often a barrier for selling a boat.

In the evening, the contract was signed for the roof, finally I’m certain. This was the only thing that kept me from breaking down all the hatches.

21st July 2007 – Sluiskil, a small village, I just can’t leave it. Went to say hello to everybody. A friend of mine has bought the spits barge from the other side of the dock. Used to be a total wreck, but he is going to make it into something nice.

His spits barge was built in 1912 as a towing spits, motorized after the war. She is still so original from the outside with her low den and original back-accommodation. No more engine, but he will place one in the boat! Another boat has been saved and I wish him all the luck he needs!

14h July 2007 – Decided to do some new ideas for the boat. I visited Antwerp. I was very disappointed in finding boats. So little boats were left there. Two years ago, there were plenty of boats, now I could easily count them on one hand.

When returning home, I stopped at the scrap yard in Ghent. There is, what used to be a nice, spits barge. It was moored in Bruges before. I don’t believe there will be any hope left in saving the boat.