Living afloat

The story of the Luxe Motor MS Watergeus, the bakdekkruiser Escapade and how to convert a Dutch barge into a houseboat.
Also containing one of world's largest house boat gallery

July 2010

4th July 2010: Neighbours

A few neighbours came over for a drink. Since the deck of the Frantsis is always clear, I don’t like to have a messy boat next to me after the Ontario has left, there is enough space for people to sit comfortable on the water. I'm now pretty much convinced when converting a boat to make sure there is enough space to sit outside!

15th July 2010: Deck

It was getting time to work on the Watergeus again. A ship needs maintenance and somebody to take care of her. The front deck was cleaned and painted, or at least a part of it. Where rust was coming through on the spots I did earlier this year, I brushed the metal and put a new coat of primer.

17th July 2010: Drawing plans

The bathroom in the Watergeus was finished last year, but a little step to get into it wasn't made yet. A small job I did this morning.

The good thing about our project is partly we think before we do! With the Watergeus, I did while I was thinking. The more negative side of this is I made another plan for the conversion. So at this moment, I would need four little barges like the Frantsis, because every plan we make has some potential. To be continued...

18th, 19th and 20th July: Holiday

After two months of intensive work, I'm going to Amsterdam (to see some boats ;-) ).

24th July 2010: Back accommodation of the Watergeus

Since I have some big plans in the near future with the Watergeus, I want the back accommodation to look as good as possible.

The whole weekend I had the help of my parents, so it was a productive period. While my father and I did the front area, my mother cleaned the back. I had been living for nearly four years in the back accommodation. It was surprising to see how much stuff I had collected and stored in that little area during those years...

Back accommodation

25th July 2010: Front cabin

The front accommodation of the Watergeus exists of three areas, a working space with the water tanks, the front cabin and the fore peak. At the moment we are finishing the front cabin in the same style as the living room. The two other areas are for a later period, probably next year.

Front accommodation

Nearly a year ago I bought some light armature for the living room, corridor, sleeping room and entrance. I was still using the old bulbs on a socket with a few wires. I finally changed this. A little job but a big difference!

One of the light armatures

26th July 2010: Meeting people

Since I have my ship I met many wonderful people. There is an English person waiting for her barge to be brought over to London. next to her, another English couple is moored with their barge. We all went for a drink!

28th July 2010: Deck

It must be done, but it certainly is a boring job: cleaning the deck. Paint was removed between the fore deck and the front accommodation.

Paint removed (picture taken a few days later)

29th july 2010: Heating

I continued removing pipes and heating elements. I disconnected the fuel from the heater and moved it slightly away. That old rusty thing is just to heavy to be moved by one person. Once everything will be gone, the engine room will look much larger. All those pipes made it look like a very complex system. There is now better access to the propeller and the water tanks. I'll fit the new boiler and pump for the back accommodation where the fire used to be.

Pipes and heating elements, ready for the scrap man

>> August 2010