Open Monuments Day

 I don't know if I've mentioned it on my blog before, but every year in the Netherlands we have an 'open monuments day' when the public get the chance to either go into historic buildings that might otherwise be closed, or get into old cars, machinery and, in our case, boats. 

Our harbour in festive mode

In our area, the focus is different every year. This time, it was on the historic boats in our harbour at Sas van Gent. As permanent 'liers' (liggers in Dutch), we were asked if we'd be willing to participate and be on board to receive visitors to tell them about Vereeniging and her history. At first we weren't sure if we'd be here, but once we knew we would, I set to and made an information board to explain about the history of the barge. Below is an image of what I used, although the main board was in Dutch. The English text was taped to the electricity box in case there were any non-Dutch/Flemish visitors. :)

I must admit I hadn't expected much interest, so when I saw the other boats with their bunting, I was a little sorry I hadn't thought of doing more. As it happened, it didn't matter because the organisation by the local society was very good.

It was a scorcher of a day, so they set up a table with an umbrella on the quay and directed visitors to the boats. We had several sets of people coming to see us and it was really lovely to be able to tell them more about Vereeniging's past life. The interest was genuine and the contact was very rewarding. One woman told me she frequently walked around the harbour and had often wondered about the boats, so she was especially pleased to have the chance to see them and ask questions.

Of course, the men amongst the visitors wanted to know more about the engine, so we started it and Koos entertained the eager diesel fans with stories about oily bits past and present. In her 125 years of life, Vereeniging has only had three engines: a horizontally placed paraffin engine (installed in 1898 when she was built), a single-cylinder hot bulb engine (installed in 1921) and her current two-cylinder 1950s Samofa (installed in 2006). Her current engine is still a classic and the reason for much attention for those in the know about pistons, valves and all the other associated parts. Cooling systems are always of interest, as are exhausts. I am not immune myself, as I'm quite fond of our old engine and very well acquainted with its innards.

The Historic Harbour, Sas van Gent

Anyway, by lunchtime, we were fairly well roasted and the number of visitors had dwindled. I couldn't blame them; it was over 32C in the shade and we were in the full sun. Given the situation and the fact we'd got a little dog parked under an umbrella, we decided to call it a day and retreat to cooler climes. All in all, though, it had been a great day and well worth the effort. 

Have a good week allemaal and hoping the weather gods smile kindly on you all wherever you are.