Category: MS Watergeus - page 48

10th July 2007 – Yesterday I bought four air vents for engine rooms. Two of them are my engine room, the two other ones for the new kitchen in the cargo hold. One of them was already cleaned and could be placed straight away on the engine room pipe, wasn’t it from the fact the tube was 0.5cm to wide. Looked easy to solve, but with bashing on the pipe It didn’t go as fluently as I thought. In the end the pipe became smaller and the air vent fitted nicely on it. The whole neighbourhood was awake!

I moved my front anchor and welded it to the side of the boat. It takes less space, looks nicer and now it can be used as a decoration piece.

8th July 2007 – Since I’m considering putting back the hatches, I’m trying to find out a solution. With only one spare hatch and a strip of metal I started simulating my future roof. I took around 30 pictures and I am now trying to figure out how it would be best. I believe some people must have thought I’m crazy taking pictures of a single hatch.

Rinus came in the afternoon to have a drink. He gave me some tips on how to ameliorate my boat. It is nice to have ideas and suggestions from experienced people. I don’t know many people like him having the knowledge and sharing it for free!

6th July 2007 – My first day of a week aboard the Watergeus. I loaded a old computer and a few hardware components on board, such as a writer, printer, etc… Since these components take less space, the back accommodation looks bigger again.

In the late afternoon, the yard came again for making the final price on the roof. I still hadn’t made up my mind whether to put the hatches back or to create big platform.

24th June 2007 – Since the front of the boat had been cleaned last week, we built the floor in that area.

17th June 2007 – We moved the wood from the back till the front. While moving we sorted everything out, what is bad is for burning, the rest for reusing as the final layer on the floor. It always looks nice when the old freight floor can been reused.

9th June 2007 – In the morning I continued on the anchor winch, removing piece by piece to clean it properly. I have rewelded the handle for the breaks. It broke while trying to loosen the break a few months ago.

In the afternoon we went shopping and I bought a small cupboard for downstairs in the living area. When getting back to the boat, I discovered, and this has happened multiple times, that it was to big to fit downstairs. So it is now standing in the wheelhouse…

8th June 2007 – In the late afternoon the last of five people came to make a price for the metal roof. I’m very convinced of the ideas of the last person. I believe with what I’ve learned, I’ll make nice detailed drawing of what I want.

A friend of mine came to have a drink. She noticed my idea of removing the hatches and found it a shame, so I’ve decided to put the hatches back after the roof has been placed.

3th June 2007 – As expected, we continued on the floor, while my mother cleaned the wheelhouse. It is a common place where everybody drops his stuff, so it was getting time to clean it out…

2nd June 2007 – A great day, we worked quit hard and made good progress on the floor. One third of the floor has been covered with multiplex and half of the boat has gotten it’s wooden structure. It is taken longer then I taught, but it is a pleasant job, where you notice the progress you make.

1st June 2007 – I went shopping in the morning, while in the afternoon I cleaned the anchor winch, removing all the rust and old paint. I’m not even half way and already tired.

The good thing, she starts to look good. A shipyard from Ghent came to check the boat and make a price for the roof. I’ll have their answer next week. I’m quit surprised what they will ask. The man made a few remarks such ask:

• “we offer paint services” (while looking at my deck)
• “A boat is made to sink or have leakage”
• “Your engine is worth scrap, so keep it”

28th May 2007 – In the morning we continued working on the floor till the last screw driver bit for the drilling machine broke. I learned my lessen, never buy cheap ones again!

A reasonable big tanker (83 meters) moored next to me. They plan to leave tomorrow. While they were mooring, I had to undo a piece of my gangway and put on some more ropes. Last Monday, a friend of mine had put some spare ropes on my deck, good idea since I needed them straight away.

After they were moored, we had a nice conversation. I visited their ship and stood up their roof of the wheelhouse that could go up a few meters. Time to take some nice pictures form the Watergeus and the vessels around!

27th May 2007 – I don’t know, but I can’t see any screw anymore… I turned over 1000 screws and really, I have enough of it. I’m not even half way. Every time going to the shop, starting with 50 metal corners, next time 100 and now 200. Still I’m not having enough. Sometimes, I just don’t know where they go to. One thing is sure, the floor is very solid!

26th May 2007 – Great day of work. Continued on the floor till the drilling machine went down, smoke getting out.

21st May 2007 – I calculated myself what a metal roof would cost. It means, waiting two years before continuing converting the cargo hold. I’m writing to every shipyard in Belgium and asking for a price. By the end of the evening, I went back to the roots, looking for new hatches. I called Blommaert and they will send me a few solutions for hatches. At least it will be cheaper, I think.

20th May 2007 – We continued working on the floor till the afternoon.

During the morning the sky became more cloudy and a few minutes later I didn’t have enough buckets for the cargo hold. On nearly all the gaps between the hatches and the den water was leaking. I finished some part of the floor and went home. Depressed, disappointed and sad. It felt strange. I made up my mind to build a metal roof.