Building a Boat

Boat Daisy

In the winter of 2014 we’re starting with the idea of building a Boat for boat tours. January 2015 the making off our open boat took place. 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 scissor 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!

Stable passenger vessel

The boat already has its shape, but is not yet a stable boat. To prevent the boat from twisting, two bulkheads have been added, which we already needed to attach the fore and aft deck to. Some rafters on the bottom plate and the wide curved edge-on top- around the boat provide a solid body for Daisy. We are now a few months later in 2015 and the miles of welding work begins. Strips on the side that have to be welded off both at the top and at the bottom. Packs of welding electrodes have been blown through. More and more a boat is being created, but the lady has no head and no ass yet. That is also a difficult part, because it is both tapered and round. We prefer to work it without pits, tightly towards the straight fore and aft bow

Stairs

Another special aspect of the boat is the stairs. At the front is the integrated staircase that also has a hatch to the front. By letting the stairs fall back, the guests sitting in the front of the boat can easily lose their legs. An additional advantage is that people cannot miss it either. A stainless steel post that we put in a hole next to it serves as a banister. An important item for a passenger boat for the SI inspection; passengers must get on and off safely. Gradually Daisy is established and we are very content! Now the finishing touches: painting! what a lot of work!

History

The roots of making Daisy goes back in time…back to the time that our grandfathers were farmers in the area called `West-land`. The grandfather of Leonie 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 “ass” 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…