Final we’re off and running The Hague Boat business. It was a crazy time, the last days before the official inspector was coming for the test, and the deadline in mind, for the bachelorette party last Saturday June 13th. Fortunate the kick-off wasn’t Friday 13th, otherwise we could have bad luck….now we had nice weather and everything went well! We did a tour through city centre ( well because of the beat box we skipped the historical facts) and after city centre we set course to MaMaKelly restaurant in Binckhorst harbor.

So much fun to have the first boat tour with lovely girls on board. Daisy loved the combination sailor cap & prosecco …

Well Daisy got her body! Jan closed every part of her now….It wasn’t an easy job. Specially to make the round curves connected with the small front (or back) side, is probably the most difficult part of this boat building project. Finally it all has to fit in. The difficulty is to make the right shape vertically perfect, but also horizontal the perfect rounding.  With an old cylinder, waltz & hammer and good old fashion handicraft he made it! And i have to say: ” she’s bodylicious“. An eleven metre tall lady, we love her already. Now she need some power: next chapter….

I will try to tell something about an old traditional maritime skill; riveting. Nowadays probably only used on old classic vessels or air-planes. Craftwork like hammersmith a railing is also possible. Years ago Jan made a beautiful foot for a mast on a nice classic vessel. Some piece of art, if i may say…You need more persons to help you with the bloody hot metal pins, and to strike the pins hard and properly into the hole. Thankful Jan is treating Daisy more nicely …

Riveting is a fixing technique whereby metal parts are fixed to each other using metal pins known as rivets. Between 1875, when there was a major increase in building ships using iron, and 1950 all metal ship structures were riveted; from 1950 onwards riveting was almost replaced entirely by welding. Due to the use of riveting in a number of famous historic ship restorations the interest in riveting is starting to increase, also amongst private ship owners.

Materials and tools
In addition to the metal parts that have to be fixed together, you will need the following tools for riveting: a furnace for heating the rivets, a punch and a drill for making holes in metal, a cutting and bending tool for making the metal parts into the required size and shape, a riveting hammer and, dollies in various shapes and sizes and tongs for holding the hot rivets.
Riveting is hard work, that was previously undertaken using hand tools. These days pneumatically and electrically-operated tools are used in addition to the hand tools. Wear heavy-duty gloves, a face mask and hearing protectors. If want more information about traditional maritime skills, check this website.

A very special detail on a boat is the butt. It certainly makes a boat beautiful, the shape lift it gracefully out of the water . I can´t deny to see some similarity with the curves of a women. And if you hear male boat lovers talking about shape, how touched they are ,you almost think its feminine. It probably explain why a lot of boats has a female name….secretly its the boat owner first love. I don´t mind to compete with the Iron lady `Daisy`. Unfortunately her butt is flat! In fact her head, front-side of the boat, will have the same shape. And i´m sorry but no women want to be flat! But respect please, its al about character and i do adore her already! I really don´t have the courage to say something about her tight line……

The roots of making Daisy goes back in time…back to the time that our grandfathers were farmers in the area called `West-land`. My grandfather was a farmer who worked in the glass houses.  To pick up tomatoes, flowers or vegetables and prepare them for transport for auction. The transport in those days was by boat. We had a lot of small canals between the glass houses and everybody brought there stuff to auction for sale. The grandfather of Jan was a skipper in those days. To deliver your products easily on the boat, the flat butt was very useful. Just lay the front or backside of the boat near the dock and with a wheelbarrow you hop on and hop off. Heavy physical work, by the way….

See how a boat is put together? were do you start? well mostly by thinking a lot…and with a drawing on the kitchen-floor. On a piece of cardboard, like making a dress. Sewing pattern for grown-up boys! Instead of fabric you have steel, you need another scissors too! No sewing machine but a lot of welding. A number of welding miles  is needed. The distance of several soccer fields.

But basic it’s the same, cut the part and bring it all together. Starting with one tall piece for the bottom, lift the front & back side up…like a banana and with a lot of imagination you already can see a boat!

For those how want to try, i add a ship pattern.