Busy Weekend
25th
Robin's Birthday on Saturday - so we "surprised" him by arriving for dinner on board their boat - stew and cheesecake - not bad considering the kitchen limitations - I'm sure he'll eventually figure out how to get an oven on board!
Ben's Birthday
The King's Birthday
and 12 months since Hendrik passed away.
So we had a family gathering - observing the Social Distancing rules...
We later walked down to the cemetery to put a flower on the grave. (One from each of the 6 kids)
Empty Apartment
Anneke left after almost 12 years - so I have yet another job - repainting. Janny and Ben are thinking of summer hire to families. Depends if things loosen up enough. It was only ever intended for short term use - so we were very lucky to have Anneke for so long.
And, we do have room for any Aussie visitors....oh, wait!
We're also thinking we'll get a builder in and do a bit of remodeling, including a new roof, if I can figure out the rainfall drainage from the adjoining rooves - they just run onto the flat roof ATM.
Fibre Optics Internet
Fibreoptics internet to be installed within a couple of weeks - not sure yet when it will actually be operable.
I have to find someone who can set up usage for other people on the premises.
100gb up and 100gb down - should be able to do something with that! I guess the tenants will have to pay for it now. At the moment I just turn everybody off if it is slowing down my bookkeeping.
We're open again - sort of...
We had a couple of kids - mainly to give their parents some respite - it went OK - everybody keeping their distance and washing hands and so on.
We're also prepared for May 11 - should the Government give the go-ahead for "the new normal" - we have makeshift partitions for a few of the workers - plus separate worksheds for two of them and "outside" for our volunteer...
Sourdough Starter
It's hard to avoid any talk of sourdough at the moment. I resisted the temptation but I finally made the move when I heard a chap raving about the crumpets he makes - almost with the residue of his sourdough "starter". They don't require an oven so it will be something to try on the boat.
( crumpets aren't a "thing" here).
I also dusted off the 20 year old bread making machine (too big for the boat!).
 |
| Starter - Day 1 |
 |
| Old bread machine |
Bridges and locks will be operating as usual from May 1st. Our Turfroute will be open on 16th of May - I'll probably bring the boat to Felder's Boskje on the first day! - just to have it that little bit closer - I can combine work with a little bit of "living on board" - just for the feeling...
Frank is still holding out hopes for a trip to Europe - but who can tell, at this stage?
A new stool for the boat...
Robin made two of them, using some of our old chairs...
So, we tried one in our boat - it didn't look too bad, so I made one for us as well.
(Who's been looking for things to do...?)
and the new (external) shower for the summer months...
(just poke it through the porthole - after the motor has been running - for warm water).
Speaking of boats...
Boat Nr 1
A "fixer-upper" at the grand cost of €1,00! (ONE).
The historic school tjalk Ortelius has a new owner. The city of Antwerp sold the ship for a symbolic euro. Initially, the minimum bid was 15,000 euros. But that turned out to be too much for the costs associated with the ship. That is why the college of ships lowered the minimum offer price to a symbolic euro. Conditions were attached to the sale, such as a clear vision of the restoration and future use.
The college decided to sell the Ortelius to Pieter Ghysels, manager of the sailing travel agency Atlasail. "With his company, this sailor has the necessary experience with classic sailing ships and sailing trips," says Fons Duchateau (N-VA), chairman of AG Vespa. "We are delighted that an experienced company will not only restore this sailing heritage in our port, but will also make it accessible to a wide audience."
Restoration
De tjalk is currently located on the Dry Dock Site in Antwerp. It will be transported by land to a yard in Doel for the renovation. The goal is to refurbish the ship in two years. "We hope to launch the sailing ship as soon as possible and deploy it for boat trips, training, team building, school trips, participation in maritime festivals, and so on," says Ghysels.
The tjalk will be included in the non-profit association 'De Maatschappij' in Doel. This makes the ship accessible to anyone who wants to put their shoulders under the restoration. "The restoration project is an extremely suitable platform for teaching crafts such as wood and steel processing, engine mechanics, electricity and even plumbing," says Ghysels. Some sails have already been promised from UB-Sails from the Netherlands.
Historical
The story of the 5 meter wide and 22 meter long tjalk starts in 1898. The ship is named after Antwerp cartographer Abraham Ortelius and was initially used as a cargo ship. In 1945 it was bought together with the tjalk De Gerlache by then Antwerp mayor Lode Craeybeckx and donated to the city. After that, the ship was repurposed and renamed school tjalk. The Ortelius and De Gerlache had to make school-going youth enthusiastic about water sports. They did short boat trips on the Scheldt and longer trips to the Netherlands. The schoolchildren could then stay overnight on board.
Boat Nr. 2
This one, complete with mooring in Amsterdam...
Just a little bit more expensive at €1.75 million!
There is one lightship in Amsterdam, which is now for sale: 'Trinity House Light Vessel No. 12 '. It is bright red and has a 12 meter high lighthouse. Very special floating heritage with a price of 1,750,000 euros.
The ship has a fixed berth in the Johan van Hasselt Canal, a side channel of the IJ in Amsterdam-Noord. A walkway with a length of almost 20 meters provides access to the ship. In recent years, the ship has been completely restored and converted into a luxury loft with the living comfort of today. The renovation was led by Julian Wolse of OTH architects, commissioned by Jeff de Wolf, a Dutch media entrepreneur. All steel walls have been sandblasted and re-coated and all electrical and technical installations have been renewed and rebuilt.
The ship has a floor space of approximately 365 m2 and outside decks of approximately 200 m2. It is an XXL houseboat with the allure of industrial heritage, the beauty of a loft and the ruggedness of a raw seahorse. This ship is ideally suited to combine living and working. With this lighthouse boat, every creative company in Amsterdam can associate and it will not only be easy to remember, but also difficult to forget.
A more detailed view here...
https://www.funda.nl/koop/amsterdam/huis-87249585-mariadistelkade-6/
and the pumpkins are beginning nicely...
Another great read, glad to know you are all holding up well and getting to use the boat. We are still in total social distancing measures, no fishing, golfing, boating. But hey we can still cook,read, walk and catch up on all the jobs that needed doing or may need doing in the near future.
ReplyDeleteHorrie & Evon