Living afloat

The story of the Luxe Motor MS Watergeus and how to convert a Dutch barge into a houseboat

February 2008

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.

All the stuff is cleared underneath the front cabin, so there is room to create a floor

This is the place where the six watertanks of each 1000 liters will be placed

Detail of the floor construction. Notice the bilges still need line oil or grease to be protected.

9th February

In the morning I visited a Friese Maatkast in Sluiskil with some people who are looking to buy a barge and convert into a space for young people (also office space, etc..). The weather was nice and we had the chance to make a small trip with the ship on the canal Ghent-Terneuzen.

In the afternoon I ran my engine, it had already been over a month since it ran the last time.

10th February

Before finishing the wooden floor for the watertanks I cleaned the remaining bilges and painted them with line oil. Everything looks shiny clean!

Wooden ribs in position

Wooden ribs fixed and made more solid. A small floor was created in front of the space where the tanks needs to come.

11th february

In the late afternoon I visited a spits barge in Ghent, not just a spits, but one with a very special engine, an ABC (Anglo Belge Corporation). These engines were very rare in these type of barges. The new owners, a young couple are converting the ship into a youth hostel. I was impressed of the size they made out of the cargo hold by just cleaning and painting the whole space. The back accommodation, still contains traces of the oldest accommodation in the back under the deck and the later built upper structure. They still have a lot of work, but as they mentioned it is always interesting to meet other boat owners and to learn. So did they, so did I!

The Andromeda in Ghent (Photo: (c) Liselot Claeys & Maarten Verbrugghe)

The Andromeda in Ghent (Photo: (c) Liselot Claeys & Maarten Verbrugghe)

12th February 2008

More information will follow.

14th February 2008

A very romantic day, except for my neighbour and me. The watertanks arrived, I believe the hardest day of 2008. Since my crane can't reach into the hold, we had to lower them by hand. The tanks, each around 100kgs are not exactly what I would call easy to handle.

Painted the side with white primer

They arrived at noon, so in the early morning I painted the newly built floor and the metal around it.

Unloading the tanks, 8 for my neighbour and 4 for me

Preparing everything so the tanks could be lowered in the hold

Tanks lowered in the hold (picture taken a day later)

In the afternoon we cleaned my tanks and put them in the hold, later I helped my neighbour who had a car crane. A bit easier, but not less hard.

16th February 2008

Mainly cleaned the tanks today, but not that hard. Thursday was enough for me! I just hope not to put this job on a long term project.

In the morning a company came to make a price for the insulation, I'm considering to use sprayed foam. There are many reasons why I would take it, but as many not to take the stuff. A few reasons are:

• Easy, it takes one day only
• WHole space is insulated, nicely closed and little to no chance to have condensation
• What to do with welding?
• My sides still have cement from her watersupply career, so if this falls of, so does the insulation?

19th February 2008

22nd February 2008

In the afternoon, I had some time left, I decided to make a walk in Ghent to see some barges and how they were changed. It had been some time since I made just a big walk through Ghent. It was becoming dark and cloudy, so I didn't take a single picture.

The Walhala dry-docked a few weeks before (photo: (c) Owners of the Walhala)

23th February 2008

I decided not to work. Not only am I still very exhausted from the last couple of weeks, I wanted to make some time to visit all of my friends from Sluiskil, not just the skipper of my barge but also my old neighbours and a few other friends.

One of them had redone his interior, another one had dry-docked his barge. There was a lot to talk about since the last time.

24th February 2008

When I woke up, I had an idea to clean two tanks. When I finished the day, all four tanks were cleaned, placed in position and I moved the empty fuel tank on location as well.

Clean water coming out of the tanks

Watertanks in position at the front of my ship

After placing the first tank on starboard side, I started realizing there was a big chance not all of them would fit. After three tanks were placed, I had to push the last one in between. I'm glad I didn't buy 6 tanks!