Week 253: Doing nothing (mostly)

We promised ourselves that we would take this last week "off"—no work on Delfine. Instead, we'd enjoy all the effort we'd put in and relax aboard in Gent with our guests.

Sunday was a relaxed day. So relaxed that I didn't even do the blog, instead, completing it on Monday morning, which was an unusual delay.

Delfine is not completed. We had to bounce back and forth between our apartment for deliveries, the washing machine, and to retrieve missing items. Lots of things needed for the setup were still coming – like our BBQ, which we wanted to celebrate with Inge for Midsommer. We discovered that some things we thought were ready to use, like the dishwasher and washing machine, weren't. Overall, though, Delfine was well behaved for the week.

Although it was just family aboard, we tried to think about their guest experience. How does it work using the hatch to go up and down onto the deck? What about areas they can and can't access? How does sitting around and chatting on the sofa work? We found that some things were used in ways we didn't expect, but overall, it all worked well.

With hot weather, the new air conditioners got a workout. We were very pleased with how quiet they are (from the outside, you can't even hear the external unit when it's on) and despite having 35C on Sunday, we managed to stay cool inside the main salon. There are additional measures we can take to help with heat management (such as covering the skylights), but honestly, it was very pleasant. We have no regrets about pushing ahead hard and getting that one in. A big win.

The units did drop some condensation, and Bart returned on Friday to address the issue. He added a second drain to one unit, which wasn't quite level (especially as the boat moved a little), and tweaked the hose on the other. Everything has been fine since then, but we'll be testing them some more as more hot weather is coming.

The hot weather also brought strong winds, and the Belgian flag on the stern disappeared! We emailed Ketels (which now has the ship chandlery) and our contact there, Tom, kindly offered to come and deliver it to us. "I live just near Portus Ganda, I'll drop by tonight when I walk the dog." He enjoyed a tour of Delfine and seeing how she's progressing.

Gro arrived on Tuesday, and while she didn't quite get the full luxury experience (having to share the bathroom and shower in the stern cabin), it was still wonderful to see her again and for her to spend some time with Ella and Inge as well.

That evening, we invited Chef Keam to cook for us. Initially, we'd intended for this experience to be on Delfine, but without a kitchen, it wasn't practical, so we held the dinner at our apartment instead. We wanted everyone to enjoy part of the whole experience, which includes a luxury meal. We had a fantastic time, and Chef Keam cooked another delicious meal.

On Tuesday night, a violent thunderstorm dropped a huge amount of rain, accompanied by a lot of lightning. The downpour managed to find some more leaks that require attention. Partially, this is because the boat is now exposed in new ways and not sheltered by the quay. Partially, because the large dog hatch is still problematic!

We enjoyed sharing Gent with everyone. We love this city. It's lively, with numerous cafes and stunning buildings. Ella, Gro and Karina went on a canal tour. Ella & Inge visited the Museum of Industry. And Ella, Inge & Gro visited Gravensteen Castle. We walked, explored, shopped and ate plenty of good food.

Another lesson learned during the week was that if it's not broke, don't fix it while you have guests on board! I'd been meaning to replace the water filters, and so decided to do that one morning – a 15-minute task. Oh boy.

When I removed the housing, an O-ring was missing – which explained why I'd previously had to jam it on so hard to step it leaking I guess. I couldn't stop it leaking when I reattached it, so I headed to the hardware store for a new O-Ring. Then a second hardware store. Couldn't find one, so I purchased a new housing, because maybe the O-Ring in that would fit. Sorted!

Nope. The housings didn't match, the O-Ring was slightly different. Uggh. In a fit of enthusiasm, I decided to replace the housings. It makes strange sense – because I now know WHAT the housings are, I can order new parts online. I also know this particular brand is common in the hardware stores here, unlike the existing housing that was probably 20+ years old from France. Shouldn't be hard.

Having removed the housings, I ran into issues. The joints in the pipes were cracking as I moved things. They are 30 years old, and it seems they didn't like being moved, as I had to twist pipes to detach the housings. Now I'm replacing hoses and joints up the pipes as well.

Long story short, I managed to get it all done, but 15 minutes turned into 7+ hours. And I should have just waited until the guests were gone.

Tom, a heritage architect, visited on Wednesday. We inquired to see if Delfine should be on a register of historical items, and they were interested in visiting, which was easiest while we were at Portus Ganda. The short answer is that there have been too many modifications to warrant registering Delfine as protected, but we learned a lot about the history of Klippers in Belgium, discovered two that are still in their original condition, and made a very useful contact for connecting with others who can help us learn more. Tom has also made a photographic record of some of the original hull. We're in good shape and he said in future, we could be a useful reference for someone doing a full restoration on another Klipper.

Simon came by one evening as well to deliver the new portal insert (which will cover the portal where the AC ducting has run) and to return the cupboard doors, which have been drilled out, ready for painting and then the insertion of the new brass rings.

On Thursday, we drove over to Brugge and enjoyed walking around that historic city as well. We did the Fritjes Museum, which was both corny and full of interesting facts. The reason we call French Fries "French" is that a group of American Soldiers during WWI ate Fritjes, provided to them by Belgians who spoke French, and that's how the name stuck.

On Friday, we headed back to the shipyard with Delfine, departing around 10:45 am—this time with our guests on deck. Things started smoothly. I pulled off the dock, we turned around (not easy in a 27-meter boat with no thrusters), and then, when Gent Control finally answered on the radio, they told me that the bridge we needed to open to pass was closed until 12:30. So we pulled up back where we started from and waited. A good excuse to have a last cup of coffee.

At 12.15 we set off again! This time we made it past the bridge without any issues, then had to wait for about 15 minutes for the railway bridge. Travelling on a canal is never fast. All the delays meant that my plan to arrive earlier, before the wind picked up, was out the window. Now, it was very gusty where we needed to pull alongside.

It took a few attempts to dock. I find it trickier coming alongside a boat, because I don't want to "touch it". Coming into a dock, especially with wooden rub rails, we'd be a bit more aggressive, but trying to dance the bow of Delfine (without thrusters) close to a boat, while the wind is pushing us away, proved tricky. We got there in the end. A good reminder to take it slow and not be afraid to do a complete reset and try again if you don't get it the first time. It was also a good reminder to communicate with the guests. While no one was worried, they didn't understand what was happening, and we could have helped manage that better.

This time, we've parked on the outside of Woulter's boat – it's still technically in the shipyard, BUT we're further along, out into the canal and out of the line of fire of the sandblasting dirt. It will be a lot easier to keep the boat clean and do the final coats of paint. We won't be hauling things to and fro quite as much either. The last major addition will be the stainless steel countertops.

On Friday, the architecture firm submitted an entry for a heritage award. Someone following the blog had mentioned it to me, and I sent it over. The architecture firm was excited and keen to enter. On Saturday afternoon, Eva and Steven came out to Delfine to shoot some more photos with a better camera. We'd love for the entry to be successful, not only for the recognition of the architects, but for the prize money, which would be a welcome contribution towards the cost of refurbishing Delfine.

Today, we are having our first fully relaxed Sunday in a while, back to our usual routine of writing the blog, enjoying a relaxed breakfast, and simply resting.

Tomorrow, it's back into it again! We're not sure exactly what we'll tackle – there's plenty to do. Still, it'll involve balancing the heat (we're expecting 35 °C during the week) and the availability of tradespeople as we tackle the remaining jobs to finish Delfine. We're heading to Terneuzen on Wednesday afternoon, staying overnight, and then on Thursday, we'll have our Class-A AIS installed. I'm told they are swamped, but by going there, they let me know they can fit us in. Thursday evening, we hope to return to the shipyard again.

It's been a wonderful break, spending time with family, and we enjoyed having them aboard as our first semi-official guests.

Until next time,

Tiim & Karina