2nd February 2008 – Since the metal for the ribs still hasn’t arrived, I decided to build a floor in preparation for the water tanks. Under the front cabin, I cleaned the whole area and started putting a floor. I’ll hope to finish it during the week, so whenever the water tanks arrive, I can place them straight away!
The floor is build on the same idea and with the same structure of the big floor in the hold.
28th January 2008 – The best advice for the interior dimensions is of course to bother your friends and colleagues at work. All of them recommended me to make the kitchen bigger, so I did. I’ll draw it again on the floor somewhere later this week.
26th January 2008 – The most important job while building a framework is to figure out where to put your stuff and to get an impression of how big every room will be. With chalk I drew the bathroom and kitchen on the ground. After I was finished I noticed the original idea was not that great. The kitchen was way to small for working in. I couldn’t even put some furniture in. On my plans I never had a big kitchen but I enlarged it by one meter.
Another important job was to plan where I should put some more weight, some ballast. It took me nearly an afternoon to draw the whole plan. When I was finished, I measured it and wrote it on paper for further plans.
I worked on the wood as well that was delivered. Since once the boat is finished, I can no longer get to the wood, so I’m protecting it now for the future.
27th January 2008 – After a long time, I decided to go to Terneuzen and picture every ship that was moored in the harbour. Since the fences around the old water supply ships were gone, I had a perfect opportunity to take pictures of the Viking and Schelde, fleet mates of the Watergeus!
25th January 2008 – In the morning the phone company put the cable and created a switch box on my gangway, so in the future, it will become easier to spit the cable for my neighbours.
In the afternoon, they delivered the wood for the framework of the cargo hold. We put everything inside through a porthole, just like we did last time.
23th January 2008 – The phone company came again, they would now put the cable, wasn’t the problem they did not have 80 meters of cable with them. Instead, since they were there anyway, they mounted a cable on the inside and placed the fittings for the modem, etc… They really did a nice job.
18th January 2008 – Today would be a great day if everything worked out the way it should have been planned! Normally the ship wakes me up, but today I woke up with the ship. In the early morning I was expecting the men of the Belgian phone company to come connect my Internet cable. They were not only later, the just could not help me. A new cable has to be laid and this can only be done by another department of the company, so next Wednesday the earliest.
I went ordering the wood for the interior framework of the ship and I found a system for placing wood against the sides without having to drill in the wood.
The gangway of my neighbour felt next to the ship. After trying for an hour we had to give up. The gangway is on land and another gangway in wood is placed. We’ll have another look on Sunday.
16th January 2008 – Last night was very windy. A man a bit further on his ship lost a tier and his ship was banging against the land continuously. Therefore I helped him yesterday with a spare tire. My neighbour had some trouble with her ropes, so I put on an extra rope on the front. So she could sleep well!
The only damage I had was my flag of Amsterdam. I took it of before it became worse, but I’m not sure if I can save it. I might have to buy a new one, a good reason for going to Amsterdam!
7th January 2008 – Last night there was a heavy wind, which became worse during the day.
6th January 2008 – Such a nice, day, I wish it was warmer, so I could sit outside and enjoy having a ship instead of having to work on it. Unless I want to wait another year, I have to work to make sure some progress is made. Therefore in the afternoon I finished painting the roof and den on the inside with line oil. The sides of the ship will follow when I have cleaned up the cargo hold.
My neighbour tried again to start the engine, and yes this time somebody found the cause. The batteries were empty. The water compartments were empty, the same problem I had at the end of November. We’ll try again somewhere this week.
I finally made some time to setup my computer nicely. I always updated this site from home, now I can do it from aboard the Watergeus whenever the Internet connection gets ready.
In the morning I went to the old docks in the harbour where an oil boat is moored. It is a ship from the fifties or early sixties. I took some pictures for the Binnenvaarttaal project,
5th January 2008 – Nearly finished with the oil in the hold. It does take longer then expected and it does bore me more then in the beginning. Nevertheless it is a job that needs doing and that is part of the long life of the ship.
Last summer, when I dismantled a part of the anchor winch, the break of the chain with anchor moved forward. So I could not put back the cover on the winch on a nice way. Since it wasn’t raining, I took out a small winch and tried pulling the anchor and break backwards. I put it around the mast and around a bollard. It took me over an hour to pull the weigh in the right position. I had to jump on the cables and put my whole weight on the system to make sure it came back. Now everything is bolted and safe again.
The hatch cover can be taken of quickly now. It needed doing, since I’ll have to put some more grease on the winch to prevent it from rusting.
24th December 2007 – Mainly worked in the cargo hold putting line oil. The nice thing on the job is you directly see the difference (you smell it as well) and it is good for the metal.
22nd December 2007 – I woke up this morning. A pusher was sailing in the canal I was moored. I heard some nice but decided to sleep a bit longer. When I woke up, I noticed the nice. A thin coat of ice was over the water. Since there was no wind last night, the canal was frozen. It must have been much colder then last night. Since I left my both fires on I never noticed any difference.
It is not recommended to start the engine while it is so cold. Therefore I put a heater and a halogen light next to the engine. After a few hours I ran the engine for an hour, a bit in reverse (forward is to risky with my neighbour so close). When everything was hot, I switched the engine of and closed the engine. Enough for this month!
The I went over to my neighbour to start her engine, but with no success. Probably the batteries or her charger don’t work properly. You hear the starter motor running once and then it is over. Anyway since that didn’t work, there was also the water issue that needed solving. The hose was in the grass in the sun and yes the ice melted. Both of us took water, so we are safe for the rest of the winter, well I am. I have around 2000 liters storage, she has around 800 liters.
They say tomorrow will be above 6°C, so I can continue putting oil on the roof of my cargo hold.
21st December 2007 – I didn’t like the cold, so I went buying anti freeze for the engine. Yesterday night the fire went out, since there was no petrol left. My spare fuel is in the hold, so I wanted to get it, only all locks were frozen.
With a candle and a spray I was able to undo the two locks I needed. I filled the fire and put it on. Nice! Since tonight would be cold as well, I put in the anti freeze. Tomorrow I run the engine to make sure it is all over the engine.
20th December 2007 – Presumably the coldest night of they year (and the year before). I forgot my camera, but it was nice to see everything frozen, even the spider’s web!