The weddingday

After lots of preparations like: baking trial cakes (and not eating to much of them), making the real cake with all the trimmings, cleaning and decorating the ship and, really important, making the aft deck wind and rain proof (the weather threatened to be grim), at last the big day arrived.

René in his uniform and you can see how the deck is closed off

Malka wanted, very traditionally, to spend her last night as unmarried woman in her parental house. Although she never lived on board, our barge is just that and so, for old times sake, Steven came to stay as well. So, all of a sudden, we were sleeping as a family under one roof (deck, that is) again.

On the big day everyone had to dress up and be groomed. Michel had bought a new suit, a suit that Steven fancied!

Steven assists Michel in getting dressed

 Malka was beautiful and radiant. And, though Michel had said earlier “What a pity I have to give you away” he performed his duty well and handed her over to the very distinguished looking groom.

father and daughter

René is in the army and was wearing – a special for this occasion – the dress uniform of his regiment, sabre inclusive which was used to cut the bridal cake.
 

The official ceremony took place on board ‘t Majeur. For two hours she was a public place, being an extension to Town Hall.

The civil servant who married the couple came on board in full regalia and thought it was a nice change.

the civil servant in offial gown

Although the weather was bleak in the morning, it didn’t rain and we had a patch of sunshine during the wedding ceremony.

than they say I DO

So, then they were married; time for champagne and cake. Good for me, everyone liked the cake and thought it beautiful. It had been quite a job …..

3 layers and on top the bride and groom with 2 cats

The cake was cut with René’s sabre, all according to the official ritual. That is to say, the sabre followed the cut, previously made with a kitchen knife, the sabre being to blunt in any case.

cutting the cake

And this time I cannot pass up the opportunity to post a picture of the brides parents and brother.

Whilst everyone was sipping champagne rain came pouring down, drops were clattering in the water and on the sun roof, making quite a racket. Had that happened during the ceremony we could not have heard the official text.

Now there was no problem, everybody stayed dry.

it didn't rain it poured

As said before, the weather was really fine and when the champagne had been downed the sun started to shine again, so we could make a trip after all.

Waved at by the bridge-keepers and some passers-by we left the harbour, returning after about an hour.

the weather turned again, so we could go sailing

We stayed in Amersfoort for a few more days and we were addressed a few times by passers-by who had seen the marriage, or the boat or the married couple and they all agreed that it was very romantic.

One women – living near by – had even told her boy-friend that she would consider a proposal, provided the wedding would take place like this.

And the newly-weds were very happy, which is most important.

Mr. and Mrs. Lelieveld-de Lange

 

Now we have left Amersfoort and we are on our way to Oostend (in Belgium) were there will be a festival for tall-ships and barges.

More about that in my next blog.

Groningen - Amersfoort

When planning the work on the barge – moored at the quay at Willem’s – we planned a weeks time, leaving again on Saturday.

Off course we knew it would take longer, which it did; as it turned out we left on Thursday, but by that time a lot of work was done (most of it and in any case the expensive bits now invisible).

back on well known territory

It was very familiar to be back, we had been there for almost two years when being converted and we actually lived aboard for the last year.

Although it was fun meeting up again and the work was useful we were glad to be happily cruising again after a short period!

Via the Noord-Willemskanaal and the Drentsche Hoofdvaart we headed South, it is a nice route but it takes time.

I do love it every time the bridge keeper opens the smaller pivot bridges by walking the half moon shaped pontoon.

the hand operated bridge in the Drentsche Hoofdvaart

 Again we spent the weekend in Dieverbrug and this time we did make the bicycle tour to the Hunebedden.

Although a Hunebed looks like nothing but a pile of rocks (2 – 20 thousand kilo’s each) it is an impressive sight when realising they’ve been there for a long time (5000 years), what they were for (burying mounds) and how they got here (rolled over and pulled by hand).

Compared to the Egypt pyramids a mere trifle, but still impressive.

het Hunebed bij Diever

this construction lies on both sides of the water

On our way up we had already spotted a kind of metal armadillo laying on its side on both sides of the Ramsdiep; in Dutch called a "balgstuw", a kind of dam.

It is an inflatable dam made of rubber which fills automatically with air and water when the water level rises with 50 cm or more within an hour.

The 10 meter high dam offers protection against the rising waters of the Ketelmeer. 

behind the rubber lies the inflatable dam

  

It is the biggest balgstuw in the world and the only one meant as a dam against rising floods.

 The idea was that the stuw (dam) would be used at least once a year, but the 2012 occasion was the first since 2007.

 balgstuw instruction movie

 balgstuw in operation

This leg we didn’t do the polder again but went via the Randmeren and the river Eem to Amersfoort.

Luckily the weather got better so we could paint a bit; we have to look our best for the party aboard.

At long last the hatches are painted after a 3 year stretch in primer and all scratches and damaged spots have been painted.

We enjoyed the wind breaker we had made in Groningen; just a few hooks and we have it hanging on the windy side offering protection.

behind the wind breaker painting is much more comfortable

Now we are moored till May 14^th in the harbour of Amersfoort with a nice view of the Koppelpoort (an ancient walled gate).

These days are all to be spent on the marriage of our daughter and our son in law that will take place next week on board: cleaning, scrubbing, baking cakes, brushing up our clothes, dressing up the boat and so on, and so on...

In my next blog I will be violating my own rule and so it will contain text and pictures of our social life and not of us barging.

It will be about the festivities.

Drydock

After a week in dry-dock we are afloat again and the result of a week's hard work is great.

It was tough on Michel because he has worked as helping foreman and for me because I couldn’t get off the ship for a few days (did not dare) and therefore had to stay inside. After all it wasn’t too hard as I had time for useful things and also for serving the coffee, rolls etc.

There were three boys to help and they stripped the whole ship from just below the waterline to the ‘berghout’.

 

fully protected all-over, it was hard and dirty labour

That part of the ship had not been treated yet (that is to say, in our time) and the many layers of tar were cracking and the hull was getting rusty underneath.

 

this is what it looked like and this is not the worst spot

Each year we had to choose between applying a new layer or do the right thing and strip.
We decided to go for the second option and to our delight now you can see the original depth marks next to the rudder and on the bow.

depth marks next to the rudder

now well discernable where previous invisible

 We hebben besloten tot kaal halen en tot ons genoegen werden nu ook de oorspronkelijke diepte merken naast het roer en op de boeg weer zichtbaar.

It was heavy and dirty work, but after 2 days it was completely bare and smooth and the first layer of primer was on, giving the ship a silver shine, which looks very strange; we finished with two layers of paint.

a pinkish-silver coating of primer

and than the black, for security we went for anchor so nobody could steal this beautiful boat

Now we are back on the quay where the conversion took place and this coming week we’ll do a bit of painting on the outside and some repairs.

But first all the black dust and grit has to be washed off, ‘t Majeur was really dirty.

I’m happy that I have the run of the ship again and can work alongside (vertigo is impractical).

In the middle of April we can go back to pleasure cruising.

On our way to Groningen we passed a curious barge. 

At the time we decided that the pilot house on our barge was too small, so we had it removed in order to get a more spacious one.

Now, when you think your cramped for space you can also get an extension by putting a second one on top. Practical???

Haarlem-Groningen

We left Haarlem on March, 19^th to the start of a new barging season. We left earlier than last year because we will go to Groningen first to go into dry-dock and to do a bit of work on the hull. 

After six stationary months we left, neighbours waving us goodbye – we are settled in Haarlem – on a beautiful, sunny spring day.

Our plans originally were to go North via the Randmeren, but at the last moment – going down the North Sea Canal (Noordzee kanaal) we decided to go to the Flevo-polder, first cruising the Markermeer and entering a lock near Almere.

The weather was very calm, so crossing the Markermeer was no problem. We will do the Randmeren on the way back as we go to Amersfoort.

the IJ, left the new museum and at the right the Central Station

But first we cruised the IJ, passing the newly built Film Museum and the Central Station, feeling Amsterdamers again.

The welcome in the Flevo-polder was a bit confusing as at the first opportunity for mooring we came across this sign.  

But, no problem, cruise a bit further and we spent the night in the Noorderplassen, pitch dark, very quiet and heaps of stars. Really no comparison to Haarlem.

What to say about the Flevo-polder, it really is a polder, flat, rather barren, windmills and the A6 highway all over as background.

lots and lots and lots of windmills

architect played around with colours in Almere, this is modest

  

But also vista’s, beautiful skies, remarkable architecture in Almere, Easter eggs on the bank and nature reserves like the Oostvaardersplassen and the park near Lelystad.  But also vista’s, beautiful skies, remarkable architecture in Almere, a kind of "Easter eggs" on the bank and nature reserves like the Oostvaardersplassen and the park near Lelystad.

in the background the A6

Easter eggs, Hunnebeds, whatever

This picture shows the water level of the former Zuiderzee – now IJsselmeer, we did go down some 6 meters when entering the polder.

the water level was at the top of the pole

Like the Schokland harbour in the midst of pastures we came upon the remains of a ships wreck, a 17^th century fishing boat in the middle of this wood.

 After the drainage the wreck became visible because of the surrounding land going down as a consequence of lowering the water level. The wreck was now drying and exposed to the air it was a feast for fungi.

They made a very ingenious construction, covering the wreck with earth, having an underlayment of plastic sheeting and now the wood is wetted by rain and conserved in a kind of tumulus.

 

We left the Flevo-polder through the Ketellock and then cruised the Keteldiep, the Ramsdiep and the Zwarte Water (Black Water) and via Zwartsluis to Meppel.

There we were entering well known territory because we cruised the Drentsche Hoofdvaart in 2010, when going from Groningen to Meppel.

All the more fun because we knew that Smilde offers very good French fries!

French fries delivered on board

  


















We are the first ship to cruise the canal this season, very quiet and nowhere we had to wait as the man who operates the locks and bridges accompanies you all along this stretch.
As you can see the locals are well prepared for a season of barge watching.

A new season

After another good winter in Haarlem we start travelling again today, a new season and new adventures.
We start a route that we do not know, so far we came in and left Haarlem from the south side,  now we are going  North and through the North Sea Canal and the Orange locks to the Randmeren (all of our plans can be found on the web site) and all the way to Groningen,  more about this in following blogs.

We have, in the end, had real winter and the Spaarne was fully frozen over. A lot of skating around the ship good for pretty pictures.

 

Although the winter is really is over now, Apollo's foot, standing on the shower building in the centre of Haarlem is still dressed with the sock a creative knitter has put on it, it looks cute.

This winter again a lot of work was done in and around the ship. The biggest eye catcher is the new (collapsible) platform  Michel build in front of the steering wheel, in any case, whatever we will have good visibility.