Week 13 More Boat

Week 13

Nothing much this week...been too busy trying to get the boat organised for...next week! The setback with the longer winter and extra ice has meant that I am 3 weeks behind schedule.

And it looks like we'll be needing beanies on board, at least for the men behaving baldly.

Ben is visiting this week; a touch of "home" before he heads off to Madrid for 2 weeks modelling work and then 70 days under contract in Shanghai.

These photos from de Bijenkorf folder...

Boat Works

“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
― Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

The case of the Leaking Diesel Tank

And of course the tanks were there first, so impossible to get to all the supports, or even see them for that matter!

Scraped off all the insulation, just to be able to see...

Finally found the hole - in the middle of the underside of the tank.

The tank has bulged slightly so that the lowest point is where the water collects - and where it has rusted through from the inside, after 40 years!

We tried this fix - a metal plate with epoxy and held in position with a block of wood. (photo below)

Now, here's the thing about diesel fuel. Since they have been using bio-diesel, there is more chance of algae forming in the tank, especially over long idle periods - ie the almost 6 months of "winter" here! There is a fuel additive to prevent this OR, indeed a "new" fuel...

In several ports in Friesland and a few outside you can now refuel with a new diesel fuel: GTL diesel. According to the makers, Salland oil from Kampen, GTL has many advantages. It is an environmentally friendly fuel with more efficient combustion and minimal emissions of harmful substances.

GTL is very clean according to Salland, it contains no sulfur so no unpleasant combustion air arises and because of the cleaner combustion remain valves, injectors and cylinders clean inside. This will result in less wear and tear on the engine, resulting in a longer service life.

GTL stands for Gas To Liquid. The product is made from natural gas that has been liquefied. This process is not new, it has already been discovered and applied since 1920. At that time it was developed through the scarcity of petroleum products. Synthetic crude oil is produced from natural gas, which is then separated into a few products. A derivative of this is a gas oil fraction which is comparable to conventional diesel. Because there are large gas stocks on earth, it is expected that products such as GTL have a future.

GTL diesel is virtually odorless, so you no longer have the stench of traditional diesel on board. GTL can be used in any engine, your tank does not have to be empty when refueling, it can easily be mixed with traditional diesel.

Metal plate fixed with epoxy...

However, the new fuel reacts with the epoxy, so that it doesn't set! (apparently it also reacts badly with rubber parts in old motors - ours is OK. Even so, I think we'll go off the new diesel and just use a can of additive.

Difficult to see, but we have now gone for a "physical" stopper - a sheet of rubber (non-reactive) held in position with a block of wood. When it is dry, this will be coated with epoxy simply so that it is more likely to stay in position.

Of course this is only a temporary fix. The most likely solution will be to cut out the side of the tank to make room for a new plastic tank. This will be large enough to replace both the existing tanks - then arises the question of "ballast", but that problem is for another day...

Nav lights all working... (all these fittings are also 40 years old - so I'm always pleased when they work!).

A new "tooter" to warn off the big ships...

A ventilation hole for the new "dry" toilet...

The porthole in the aft cabin has been leaking - and more water than I had anticipated had gathered under the bed base... now dry and a new rubber in the porthole - more for fresh air than light.

From the newspaper...

More than 1.5 million elvers were released into Frisian waters during the week. The eels originally came from the Sargasso Sea. They can no longer find their own way into the fresh water - hence the "helping hand". It is expected that only 5 to 10% will survive.

Climate Change

I heard a disturbing report during the week that 45% of Americans don't believe in Climate Change. Not sure how they arrived at that figure... here in the Netherlands the "belief" is in full swing. Cars, gas heating, alternative sources of energy, environmental concerns... The latest is that all "traditional" heating systems have to be replaced (when needed) with systems not using gas - by 2021. We have 7 of those systems!!! Fortunately, I'm not the only one concerned about the cost... the newspaper reported briefly that the Coalition Govt. is "divided" over concerns about the costs to consumers...

I think it is good to have "values" other than the pursuit of money, money, money - but crikey!

week 12

Boat to Grou on Sunday...

The reason I am late with this and totally out of sync. - forgot daylight saving and the boat keys!!! thus losing two hours!

https://www.plotaroute.com/route/581567

On the way, we saw quite a few big ships on the Prinses Margriet Canal... including this one which had a "small" dent at the front, near the name.

We also had a huge ship that was gaining on us. One of the tips from studying was that they can cause a "sucking effect" as they pass - tending to pull the smaller boat off course or worse! One of my boatie mates says that he does a U-turn to come in behind them - so that's what I did today - allowing plenty of time to come around - we were in his "dead corner" for some time and he couldn't see us.  Best to avoid any problems if there is enough room - and time. We're going to be seeing some more big ships when we get away on the Big Trip.

Not much of a diagram - but it does happen!

"Sucking" effect:

 If you are heading in opposite directions as you pass then it becomes a "pushing" effect - so best not to be too close to the sides of the canal.

and we ended up in Grou after 2.5 hours.

More boating stuff...

I was stumped for a while thinking that we have to go through Belgium to get to Maastricht and in so doing avoid going upstream on the Maas... but I got looking and found another canal that at least cuts a fair bit off the Maas route-

The Kanaal Wessem Nederweert.

I even found a drone video of the whole canal - it does seem rather straight - there is no sound on this one.

https://youtu.be/7gdf-YwVkxE?list=PLbe0ATDrdoczCrCn_UFysOAs8EOiYMEaT

The chap's name is Michel Henson, a professional photographer going under the name of Nachtfotograaf on YouTube. The quality is excellent. I'm slowly working my through the more than 80 videos and enjoying every minute of it on the big telly. The list includes quite a few French canals, just to whet my appetite!

Boat Registration:

Finally resolved (although I have to wait until they check my uploaded details and send it officially - usually 10 days)

Beste Ken, Bedankt voor je bestelling bij het Watersportverbond. We hebben de volgende bestelling ontvangen: ICP reguliere aanvraag: € 31,25 63522 Wij controleren de door jou aangeleverde documenten op geldigheid en juistheid. Daarna wordt het ICP aangemaakt en binnen 10 dagen aan je verstuurd. Totaal € 31,25 Bovengenoemde bestelling is reeds via iDeal voldaan. We wensen je alvast veel plezier op het water! Op deze bestelling zijn de algemene voorwaarden van het Watersportverbond van toepassing. Met vriendelijke groet,  Afd. Dienstverlening Watersportverbond  T: (030) 30 77 500 E: service@watersportverbond.nl  I: www.watersportverbond.nl  Facebook: Watersportverbond  Twitter: @watersportNL

Ben's setbacks

Ben missed out on the Europen Road Project and a scholarship to a University in Shanghai. We were disappointed of course, but then I thought about the fact that there haven't been many (if any) setbacks along the way. He was always surprising us with his high marks and awards - and he just kept on taking it all in his stride.

I was reminded, as I so often am, of something Mum would have said - I know she did to me on too many occasions "never mind, something else will turn up" or "just bide your time, it will all fall into place".

We chat with Ben almost daily, using Whatsapp...my message was

Now, I mention it here simply because we had a "truer words were never spoken" moment.

Within days, Ben had a promotion of sorts at his regular work. (He had had a difference of opinion with one of the bosses about Ben being "missing" when he was away doing modelling work. He was able to defend himself and point out that that was the agreement he had). Then followed the promotion, so it must have been OK.!

And then: the offer of 70 days modelling work in Shanghai!
He his still finalising the contract...

So, we wait and see...

Some Dutch Sayings...

Two of my regular sites are iamexpat.nl and dutchnews.nl - both in English.
This one about typical Dutch "sayings" (from IamExpat) caught my eye...
Nr 2 always came up when doing the building works - a bit like "measure twice, cut once". And Nr 3, for obvious reasons!
..and I think I am busy with Nr 1 "it is better to wear out than rust out".




1. Zuinigheid met vlijt (Thrift and diligence)


Many Dutch people grew up hearing this saying. Be frugal, work hard! The Dutch uphold these two virtues above everything. The first virtue is “soberheid” or “zuinigheid” (austerity), which should not be confused with “gierigheid” (stinginess). The Dutch praise economical talents, however, they can be very generous when they need to be.

While it may be true that many Dutchies are not fond of parting with their money, there are notable exceptions. Just think of the many times Dutch people have collected big sums of money for charity, when people somewhere in the world experienced a disaster.

Austerity goes hand in hand with another virtue, “vlijt” (thrift, diligence, hard work). Whatever you would like to achieve (an academic title, promotion), do it with “vlijt”.

Another saying with which you can practice rolling your Dutch r’s is “rust roest” (rest rusts). According to dictionary Van Dale this translates to: “It's better to wear out than to rust out”.

2. Meten is weten (Measuring things brings knowledge)

The Dutch are firm believers in the power of reason and common sense. Measuring things, they say, is the gate to wisdom. Be suspicious of your intuitions. An emotional stance can be extremely hazardous, for it might lead to biased opinions and fatal mistakes. Knowledge should therefore, be based on scientific facts.

Two thousand years ago some hot-headed conquering Romans observed that large parts of the low lands were neither land nor sea. They wondered what kind of headstrong barbarians would want to live in such uninhabitable parts. These people, the forefathers of the Dutch, studied the freaky behaviour of water and later generations developed precise instruments to measure the movements of the rivers and sea.

Accurate measurements and corrective measures eventually led to a better chance of survival. Never forget that over half of the Netherlands is located metres below sea level. Meten is weten…

So, take good care when a Dutchie utters these three simple words to you. It probably means that you have not done your homework. If he or she then adds: “gissen is missen” (guessing things causes mistakes), you will have to work even harder to regain their trust.

3. Oost west, thuis best (East, West, home is best)

Like their ancestors, many Dutch people travel a lot and no matter where you go on this Earth, you’ll meet thrifty and zealous Dutchies. However, you will find that their home will always be where their heart is (“eigen haard is goud waard” / your own fireplace is worth gold), because the Dutch worship “gezelligheid”.

4. Gezelligheid kent geen tijd (Cosiness knows no time)

Gezellig (enjoyable, pleasant, entertaining, sociable, companionable, convivial) is the cosiest of all Dutch words. It can be attached to almost any other word: coffee, film, man, fire… They can all be “gezellig”.

When in Dutch company, make sure you utter the word “gezellig” several times. This way, they’ll find you very “gezellig” and you’re sure to be invited to the next “gezellige” party.

5. Haastige spoed is zelden goed (Haste makes waste)

When you meet a Dutch person in an elevator and you ask how life is treating them, you’ll very likely get the answer “druk, druk, druk” (busy, busy, busy). Why three times “druk”? Why three kisses on the cheek? Nobody knows. It’s a ritual.

Even when the Dutch do not seem to be “druk”, they’ll insist that they have a lot to do. This is probably connected to the idea that they need to be “vlijtig” (hard working), or at least give the impression that they are. However, don’t forget that things in the Netherlands should never be rushed, because haste makes waste… And that’s not “gezellig”.

Around the farm...

Well, it has been a long winter... but finally we are getting outside more and with "warmer" weather - rather sad that you can consider 8 degrees C to be warm!

The last of the ice...hopefully.

We convinced the kids that it would be good if they could saw some firewood - we have a couple who would rather use a chainsaw.... yeah, right!

We still have a bathroom to organise, but it keeps getting to the bottom of the list after the asbestos removal, solar panel installation, boat repairs, etc., etc. (But Janny is still working on it).

Privacy Referendum

We had local government elections last week and a referendum on security legislation

The Dutch voted by a majority of 49.5% to 46.5% against the new legislation, which is due to come into effect in May and has been described as a ‘Big Brother charter’ by critics and privacy experts.

My own question would be "how many of the NO voters have a Facebook account". As we have seen, there is a greater problem there with people's privacy - than the Government having the power to detect criminals and terrorists. Oh well...

And to finish with the rather unfortunate observation that my Footy Team is awful - but far worse is to say that I am ashamed of my Cricket Team! Thank goodness it is Boating Season again!

Week 11 - Water On, Water Off, 2 man extension ladder drill

It's freezing again! (minus 3 as I write)

I had already turned the outside water back on - so we had to turn it off again, to prevent the pipes from freezing! 

My new Helper

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I have a new helper and that I was a bit worried that I might have to do more work in order to keep him busy.

Well, I'm delighted to say that he is worth his weight in gold! He "sees" things that need doing, he is excellent at tidying up (usually my messes) and he knows when to hop in and help.

Polite, respectful, looks after his appearance.... the list goes on!

From his (more important) side of things, it looks like that he has also found a place where he is a good fit.

Now, the reason for my title this week is that I found myself teaching him the hand gestures for "water on" and "water off" - as it is some distance from the main tap. I suppose they use mobile radios these days... but it was nice to use something from almost 50 years ago!

Later in the day, we were replacing several security lamps using the ladder - so I taught him the basics of two-man extension ladder drill - including the all-important "foot the ladder"(for me!).

Renovating the Toilet Block

We (Janny) wrote a letter to our Local Government about letting one of our clients "live" at our place for as long as he remains a client. It has proved impossible for him to live in a "normal" apartment - for various reasons.

He is now living in a caravan at our place and it is generally recognised, perhaps even by him, that we are his last place of refuge before being institutionalised.

Anyway, all the people involved agree that it would be a good idea - if the Local Govt. go along with it.

We have to cut down some trees, get the rooms habitable, put in a few windows and make it more than "robust" with furnishings - and with more than a few (robust) "rules". 
A local church has offered us a small donation in recognition of the work we do and so we think we could use that for this project.                                                                                                                                

Looking rather sad...

Our Big News This Week

Ben's Graduation Ceremony...

Museum at Zwolle, where parked the car.

We had drinks and snacks at the University in Zwolle and then headed off to the Old City Centre to find a restaurant (what diet?). The centre is really quite beautiful with the old buildings and narrow streets. The restaurant we decided on is called Uno and is located in the old Post Office building.

Ben had a few friends along - we were 6 in total

Did I mention that the food was very good? (what diet?)

Ben had a couple of good years in Zwolle. He had really found his "place" in a student club called Caterva. They had their own clubrooms in the basement of an old Pub in the old city... (it's a wonder, really, that he passed his exams at all, let alone so well). He took us on a guided tour...

Around the farm...

The quest for firewood continues...

Janny has tried a few places - the price ranges from €45 to €65 per cubic metre.

Luckily we got this at the lower end - and delivered!

And the Bucket List Boat Trip...

Planning, planning and list making!

I had to laugh at myself...

Never been further south than the Aremberger Lock near Zwartsluis, in 2015

So, I was planning the last leg into Maastricht - upstream via the Maas River or the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal. The canal looks like a far more picturesque option... I said to Janny, "I can't find it on our charts..."

Part of the canal goes through Belgium! 

We would have to buy a vignet for that part. Not a problem. But I am having a problem with my boat registration - which I need to have at the border if I understand it correctly. The boat was nicely registered with the ANWB (RACV) by the sales agent. But when that lapsed, the ANWB had ceased doing boat registrations and would not give the details to the new Registry Office due to "Privacy Rules". I now need the original documents from the sales office - it would have been better if I had done it myself originally - but they were being so helpful!

So, some nice pictures here of the Zuid-Willemsvaart...

https://binnenvaartinbeeld.com/nl/zuid_willemsvaart/zuid_willemsvaart

...but we may yet have to stick with the Maas - because the boat registration is not required in the Netherlands. 

(We had a chat with the new Registry Office people at the Boat Show - they said that our boat might still be listed from the time it was a hire boat - we still have a brass plaque on board).

The first 200 km to Utrecht...

I found a nice plotting program online - but only to get it in my head and then we will rely totally on the up to date charts (duly purchased).

https://www.plotaroute.com/route/574868