How to keep afloat on your (little) boat

The last week has been one of torrential rain and wild wind, but at last the awful weather seems to have abated, at least for a bit. This has given Koos and me the opportunity to check on the boats and do a few much needed jobs.

One of these has been to solve the problem of protecting the Vereeniging from bumping hard against the poles to which she is moored. The canal off which our harbour lies is a busy one with massive sea-going vessels ploughing their way to and from the Ghent docks. One of the by-products of what is definitely a marvellous sight is that the wash from these huge ships flows into the harbour resulting in substantial disturbance and movement.

We learnt early on that we needed fenders to stop the bumping, which can be quite irritating. A large fender tied to the pole to the right of the gangway (looking at the Vereeniging from the land) made a huge difference.

Another fender tied to the pole to the left of the gangway prevented bumping at the bow end of the barge. So, we thought, everything was secure and sorted. Alas, we were wrong.

Now the summer holidays are here, most of the neighbouring barges have left to go cruising and the Vereeniging is more exposed to the wash of the water coming into the harbour. Over the last couple of weeks, each time we’d been to check on her (almost every day, in fact), the fenders had slipped out of place. Then, a few days ago, the front fender sheered off completely in the storm that battered our part of the country (a no name brand this time). So it was back to the drawing board. 

The first solution was to string three old karting tyres together, courtesy of my daughter's speedy hobby, and tie them around the pole closest to the bow. These have nestled neatly around the waterline and are protecting the Vereeniging nicely. The stern fender has been more of a problem, though, as it kept slipping out, so today, Koos and I bit a few bullets and took radical action.

To help with access, we'd already towed our little rowing boat over from the Hennie H to the Vereeniging. Now bearing in mind, it's a very small and light boat, suffice to say it isn't very stable.

A very small boat indeed

The upside is that it was easy to drag from the car into the water and position it near the pole. The downside is that when Koos lowered himself into it, the boat acted like a skittish colt and keeping his balance while he secured the fender was similar to riding a bucking bronco. My heart was in my mouth as he clung to the pole while the boat swung in and out beneath him, but determination won the day and he managed to tie the fender in such a way it would take a major tsunami to dislodge it.

Then it was my turn. I'd noticed a nasty scrape on the hull just on the water line where the paint had come off and rust was showing through. Once Koos was safely back on board, I dragged the boat forwards, tied it to the Vereeniging and walked along the rubbing rail to climb down into it. Like Koos, I suddenly felt as if it was determined to tip me out, but I clung on and managed to kneel down so I could apply a paint and oil mix to the offending scratch. 

Getting out was even more of a challenge because I needed to stand on its edge and find my balance before heaving myself back on board. I should mention that I've never been physically agile and have had many a past misadventure in wayward small boats, when my legs have parted company with each between ship and shore (so to speak). Thankfully, Koos was on hand to help me haul myself up and a dunking was averted, but we both felt quite proud of ourselves for taking on such a physical challenge. 

I am seriously considering investing in a larger rowing boat, however. While I like a bit of excitement in life, the threat of being cold and wet is one risk I can live without.

So that's it for this week, allemaal. Plans for faring are still unclear at the moment, but you'll all be the first to know as and when. For now, we're just glad the sun has finally come out again. Have a good weekend and watch this space for more news and views from the flatlands.