Rudi has been diligently painting the outside of the boat to the great admiration of all who pass by. She has been offered various painting jobs on other boats and Linquenda is looking really good. Through her frustration the fickle nature of the Zaandam weather has been brought sharply into focus to me. One cannot paint when the ambient temperature is close to dewpoint nor when raining, nor when the wind blows too strongly. With painting the boat being her primary focus over the last month and only about two days a week that the conditions have been favourable for painting the task has dragged on much longer than she had expected and has led to a sense of frustration. The end result, even though some parts require a second coat and the deck and various bits still need painting, is simply stunning and Rudi has been complimented by all and sundry not only for her skill and perseverence, but how "keurig" our boat now looks!
It has been so cool that we have switched on the central heating a few times this week to make the boat a bit more comfortable in the morning. The prevailing Northerly is indeed a chill wind and makes being outside quite unpleasant. Can this really be summer? Apart from a very pleasant April, we have not often had two consecutive days with sunshine since then. Note I say with sunshine, not of sunshine as it seems that even when the sun struggles out it is but for a short while before its is again blotted out by clouds and the cold. Most of my work has been inside the boat so the weather has not affected my progress as much as it has delayed the completion of the painting.
In the last two weeks we have completed the structure of the guest cabin and Rudi has given it a first coat of paint which has brightened it up considerably. We have hung a door in the bathroom and it closes firmly with a satisfying precise click! Another “new” job that took much longer to complete than a second attempt would have. While I have hung doors before, it is some time ago that I last did so and thus the order of business was not familiar and the skill which comes with repetition was missing. As with most things I have done on the boat, just as I understand and become skilled in doing the job the job is done!
I had been reflecting on whether anused 1 100 litre tank in the engine room had been originally used for diesel or water. Willem our welder friend and I concluded that judging by its location and the type of fittings it sported it most likely had been originally intended as a diesel tank. It had obviously not been used for years and led me to suspect that it might have leaked. However, I concluded that as it was structurally strong it should be perfectly fine for fresh water with a cement lining. Our fresh water consumption is about 60 litres per person per day, taking into consideration the weekly washing, and the new tank should extend our supply from the current 6 days to more than two weeks.
While commissioning this tank I found that the fittings had all but rusted off and required replacing. A new tank fitting was been welded on and the tank cement-slushed. After slowly filling it with water, to my disappointment, some seepage was evident and it had to be drained completely, opened again and further layers of cement slush applied. That was done which solved the problem and the tank is now fully functional.
While considering the previous life of this tank my attention turned to the current rather small diesel supply on board. The existing tank is a regular fuel drum of 215 litres and although my best expectation is that our engine should not consume more than 5 litres per hour, this will provide only 7 to 10 days worth of cruising. Willem’s opportune presence during this deliberation quite quickly convinced me to have an additional tank made up and this was brought round and fitted in place on Friday. I fitted the pipework, and connected the two tanks and the tank was spot welded into place on Monday evening. While not in our original budget for the renovation, the convenience of extending our cruising capability to three or more weeks will surely pay for itself in the long run. With the diesel tank fitted the only other “major” item to complete before departing was to erect the bimini we had made at an obscene cost in England.
I tried to install the bimini but it turned out it would not fit, they have made it too wide so back to the British manufacturers I went with a request for advice on how to proceed. I must admit to being rather unhappy as on the instruction sheet and enclosed plans I already noticed three errors in measurement which did not correspond to the measurements I had provided them. They advised that we should try to bend the stainless steel supports into a position that would make them fit and if this were not successful they would make up a new bimini with the correct measurements. Once again Edo from Willem the welder came to the rescue with his big pipe bending machine and we were able to at least erect it in a way that would provide shade and protection from rain during our cruise Southwards. We will make the necessary adjustments under way and have the manufacturers redo the work correctly during the winter.
I have been meaning for some time to put to paper the little things that I have found that distinguish a place from one’s regular or normal “home” experience. These are not big things like the character, constitution or politics of a nation, but little, practical but important differences that make a place completely unique.
The first thing that comes to mind here in the Netherlands is the role of the bicycle. It is not a special object, but completely part of almost everyone’s daily life and commands a priority in practice and law. Everywhere there are two-lane bicycle paths. They have red paving to distinguish them and where pedestrians cross or the paths cross roads for other traffic, they have priority. On trains there are sections where people with bicycles have preference and special parking facilities at every station for bikes. There is a bicycle rental facility linked to the national railways network. The saying around here, quoted as a fact, is that there are more bicycles in Amsterdam than people. Everyone cycles.
One cannot believe what one can transport with a bicycle before actully putting it to the test. We have variously transported a 32” LED TV, stacks of 2,6m long wood trimming and bathroom cladding, every pocket and carrier loaded with stuff. It is quite entertaining watching the bicycle stand outside the local hardware supermarket store to see what can be achieved. Without a car of our own, we have tried it all, with success I might add. Probably the most unusual was Steve arriving back on the marina from a shopping trip loaded up with three six-packs of beer, four chairs and a dumb waiter! We have seen all sizes, shapes and ages going about their business by bike in all types.
Another interesting feature in the Netherlands is the intelligent crossings for pedestrians and bikes. When one pushes the button to cross a thoroughfare a visual sign gives one an indication of the length of time before the crossing will be authorised and an audible signal supports the green light. Small, but convenient, people centred instrument.
Single person miniature cars and motorised tricycles for the elderly and infirm abound in Holland. They utilise the bicycle paths and the latter may also operate in pedestrian areas.
On the food front our experiences have not been memorable, with one or two exceptions. It is surprising that with the global popularity of Gouda & Edam style cheese one might have expected Holland to have outstanding cheeses. However, while cheese abounds, we have found the variety rather limited or at least much of a similar taste. Having said that Old Amsterdam and one or two other excellent mature brands are a pleasant, albeit expensive, exception. Generally, consumer prices of dairy products are not high due to European farm subsidies and in many cases dairy products are cheaper than similar products made in South Africa. On the fishy front I have thoroghly enjoyed the fresh, raw "Nieuwe Hollandse Haring" and we have both regularly had the brilliant "warme kibbeling", succulent deep fried kabeljouw with a mayonnaise sauce on the side, that is available in special fish stall caravans parked at shopping centres and markets all over the place.
We flew to Geneva on 20 July on a short break to visit friends Jon and Niki Low and to apply for the renewal of our French long term visas in Pont de Vaux, the charming village we have chosen to over winter our barge. As always the break with Niki and Jon was superb and warm and the break from the slog on board was magical. Katherine also turned up from England and Niki’s mom was also visiting so we could catch up with them all.
We returned to Zaandam to complete preparations to set off on our voyage to France. We have worked our butts off and focussed so on the renovation that we have excluded normal pastimes. The main distractions are a card game or so on the computer, watching Boston Legal late night and the infrequent visit to various shops to buy what we require for the boat or for sustenance. We intend to switch to holiday mode upon our departure and leave any large work or sub-projects that have not yet been completed for the next winter. The boat now has to serve us for the rest of the summer and I am sure she will do that quite nicely.
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