Despite the wintery coldness the men work hard to get the
boilers clean for the boiler survey. The led plug of the pile drive
boiler is detached for inspection. The non-return valve cages, safety
valves and the remaining valves and fittings are cleaned and
overhauled. One spindle is made moving again. The seats in the valves
are slightly grinded etc etc. The survey for the boilers is requested
for sooner because of the work load at Lloyds. On YouTube a mysterious
video shows up about a boiler phantom. The boiler of the Hercules is,
after passing the survey, heading for more than 100 years of service. A
great performance!
Dennis is assisting "Irado" with the Argo. Their garbage boat
has (appeared later) a log in the propeller and gets out of order.
Volunteer "Jan", a first class lathe operator, fabricates
five new covers for the heater on the floating crane. Flanges are made
on the lathe machine for the steam pump. Various parts of the generator
are cleaned and polished.
Ton of
"Technomotion" is collecting the cylinder of the generator for
leveling the panel plate and the shell valve.
February
After the boiler surveys the re-assembling of the boilers is
commenced again slowly. Drain valves and sight glasses are
reconditioned. Manholes replaced. Auxiliary steam valve starboard and
port are reconditioned, as well as the valve of the "breinpan". Various
gaskets are produced. The grate is replaced into the pile drive boiler.
Fire proof cement is purchased for the purpose of the fire bridges in
the fire tubes of the boiler of the Hercules.
So plenty to do, but time is reserved as well to have an
enjoyable chat with friends and acquaintances who are visiting. With
the heater on, a nice cup of coffee or something stronger, it’s a good
stay in the mess room on the floating crane. Dennis and René are facing
the cold and are visiting with the vlet at René’s younger brother
Frank, who is heating up the boiler on the floating steam crane "Ajax".
Lathe machine operator Jan is producing a bar enabling to
manually turn the light generator engine, new piston and sliding bar
and crosshead pins. The cylinder of the light generator engine is
recollected in Breezand with a perfectly nice sliding surface as a
result.
March
The fire bridge is reconstructed with fire bricks and fire
proof cement. Fire grates are adjusted. Not a convenient job in the not
so wide fire tubes what has to be done every two years. Parts of the
sunroof are repainted.
Dennis is working with characters for the coming new sponsor
funnel plates. The old ones are magnetic and are going down due to the
vibrations of the steam whistles, by which it looks like we took a
glass of the sponsor’s product too much.
Jan is working with the shafts of the steam pump and the
piston rods are planed on the lathe machine. The engine room bench is
disassembled and applied with a new layer of varnish. Via Fred
gentlemen are coming aboard who do want to know how the inside of a
sirene looks like. They are producing whistles themselves and are quite
interested.
April
A letterbox of quite a size…this one develops during the
usual maintenance jobs at the bulwark. Sometimes you find out during
chipping that certain parts are not in such a good condition anymore as
thought before. But fortunately the crew is not easily impressed by one
hole. A right size steel plate is made, welded in the hole and new
rivets are riveted. A good postman who yet is able to find this slit.
After waiting more than 8 months, our little one came, more
original than we thought, great is our happiness… Herewith we announce
expansion of the fleet. The Hercules is getting a little sister. The
Boekweit family buys a "wreck with potential" as it is cynically called
now. Around the "ss Goudvisch" an own foundation and probably an own
website will be established.
May
The bulwark is scoured and painted black. The line around is
undercoated first and painted yellow later. A bracket is produced for
the drain pipe in the boiler. The bottom of the boiler is coated with
Apexior 1. The safety device is reassembled. Inspection hole covers
installed. The waterboat arrives to fill the afterpeak and the boiler
and a fire is made. Lloyds is invited for the warm boiler survey. Both
safety devices, the one of the floating crane as well as the one of the
Hercules are opening within the assigned limits.
The living quarters are cleaned. The light generator is
reassembled again and adjusted. The wooden gratings astern are
replaced. In short, lots of jobs have been done before we are departing
the Voorhaven bound for the first event of the year
"De Vaardag Sleepboothaven Maassluis". We are departing for
Maassluis the afternoon ahead already, enabling us to have a chat with
the other participants. On Saturday we commence with a fleet parade and
are doing four roundtrips with passengers thereafter. A successful
start of a new navigation season.
June
The sunroof is re-erected. This is done because of the
sponsor tour for Ketel 1. Traditionally it is bad weather then, and the
week ahead is not presuming something else, so Pim requests to build up
the sunroof. Fortunately it is different this year and it is beautiful
weather. We are steaming a tour around IJsselmonde with the
"Bedrijfshulpverlenersgroep". A few hours prior departure a promotion
video is shot for the
"Maasboulevardfeest" what is held for the 25th time.
Two days after the trip the vacuum valve on the boiler can be
opened. This avoids that during cooling down an underpressure is
developing and the boiler can absolutely not withstand that. Old
iron/steel is disposed of, dirty overalls are washed in the washmachine
on the floating crane. From the store at Willem’s brother pipes, flat
iron and U-profiles are collected with the "Argo". The racks on board
of the floating crane are re-organised and jobs are done to the
sternwinch. The floating crane is turned and various lifting jobs are
carried out for the "ss Goudvisch". The wheelhouse and the engine room
skylight are removed.
July
Plenty work is done on board of the floating crane this
month. Pipe lines are bended/spot welded and welded. Flanges and bends
are produced. A steam valve is installed on the forward winch. A steam
line is installed towards the fore deck and the hoisting winch is
connected. And there is a steam supply line towards the stern winch as
well.
We are under steam for three weeks. It is going to look like
work. On Friday we do a private tour around IJsselmonde. The day
thereafter we proceed to the Spuidagen in Oud-Beijerland. There we
commence with a fleet parade for the Mayor where after a few roundtrips
with passengers follow.
The next weekend is reserved for the Maasboulevardfeest. The
weather is beautiful but because of, what revealed later, a mistake
with placing fences we are barely visible and accessible. A pitty.
The latest of the month is the voyage to the "Hardzeildagen"
(sailing regatta) in Veere. The bunkers are almost empty and two days
prior departure we bunker around 12 tons of coal. Because of the
beautiful and quiet weather we decide to steam over sea. Under
the
coast just outside the piers the mist is catching us surprisingly. Who
did expect that? Also the wind force is more than predicted.
Fortunately the GPS works better this time and we do have sufficient
crew to lookout for buoys. It is traditionally an enjoyable weekend
with lots of mussels, herring from Dave and pancakes from Cor. Watch
the
photos for an impression.
August
It is this month 30 years ago already that the "oldies" among
us felt oneselves in a water ballet when the engine of the "Hercules"
was under steam for the first time after restoration. Water was gushing
out everywhere, buth that was not a burden to the joy. Since a long
time there was activity in the ship again. One must be a litle bit (mad)
to want to commence such a project.
As such hard working is done now to pipelines and winches on
the floating crane, enabling to also experience the same feeling here.
The rules and surveys for safeguarding the safety on board
are many, and this month it is the turn of the fire extinguishers,
which are passing and approved for the next two years.
September
The Hercules is steamed up two times this month for a
voyage. The first one is with the youth members of the club of
"Hoogaarzen" and on the way one can enjoy as well the activities around
the World Port Days (Wereldhavendagen) in Rotterdam.
The second voyage follows a lecture of the "Cultureel Forum
Schiedam" what is performed as from the pontoon "Gaston" in the
Voorhaven. The lecture is about the floodings in 1953 in which the
personal experiences and memories of some Schiedam citizen are crucial.
Before commencement of the voyage a few ladies are asking concerned if
there's accomodation below deck and if the female crewmember is also
joining, when the latter appears to be so they are joining unconcerned
and I don't believe they did regret.
October
After a visit to the notary and a few signatures under the
statutes the new foundation "Stichting Stoomboot Goudvisch" becomes a
fact this month.
In preparation for the upcoming
Furieade a fire is made,
provisions are taken in and a new dynamo is connected. During the
festival opening the Furie is escorted overwhelmingly by a beautifull
water act. All curious to the interior of the George Stephenson owned
by mr Strik we do visit there by turn.
After 40 years the winches on the "Heibok 4" are under steam
again. This opportunity is used immediately to lift the GM and the
gasoil tanks out of the future "Goudvisch".
November
An exciting period is commencing for the children in The
Netherlands, it's time again for
the arrival of "The Saint". It even
becomes quite thrilling for the adults this year when navigation
through fog must be done. Locally the assistant "Saints" did cancel the
event because of this. But the children in Vlaardingen and in Schiedam
are lucky and they are watching the "Saint" and his disciples stepping
ashore safely. Due to the fact that the
"Hercules" and her crew did participate in Vlaardingen for 30 years
already, captain Kees receives as appreciation a nice decoration from
the Major.
December
Who doesn't know the expression in the maritime world "buy a
boat...." That's why we are glad that two new volunteers did enroll
during the last two weeks. An allrounder and an electrician who is
checking the wiring already.
During the last few months a lot of jobs to pipelines and
winches have been done on and around the "Heibok 4" to make everything
operational again. And on the deck on the accomodation a coal storage
and a watertank was placed. The Hatz, the generator in the aftpeak of
the floating crane has been started, did run and will take care for the
power supply enabling us to produce our own power. We do wish in 2014
to take along the "Heibok 4" for the first time to festivals to exhibit
it to the public.
