At the end of March 2012, our adventure with the Merenpoort began. The Merenpoort had been sitting on the grounds of WSV Thales for several years with little happening to it. We had looked at it from the outside before and found it a shame that it was slowly deteriorating there. This Merenpoort deserved better!
Since last year, we had been looking for a larger boat to have more space for our family and to expand our sailing area. Restoring a boat was definitely an option for us, as we had the space nearby and had done it before.
Out of curiosity, we contacted the owner to take a look inside the Merenpoort. And so, at the end of March, we stepped on board. We quickly realized it would be a big project, but we saw the challenge in that. Additionally, it wasn’t a standard Merenpoort—its portholes gave it a unique character. It’s a mix between a classic ship and a modern sharp yacht.
The interior was quite minimal, but the Merenpoort was complete with sails, cooking equipment, an underwater toilet, and more.
After a week of calculating, planning, and recalculating, we made our decision and bought the boat in early April. Since we are also members of WSV Thales, we were able to keep the boat in place and start working on it immediately.
This website will be our digital logbook, where we will track the progress of our restoration work. Once the Merenpoort is back in the water and sailing again, we will also share reports of our sailing trips here.
Leakage
apr 10, 2012
A quick visit on board during lunch to check how everything is holding up after a few rain showers. As expected, some water has leaked inside. This explains why there was water in the keel when we first came on board. The keel is wet again now.
Additionally, the portholes we had opened are leaking. We need to address this issue quickly.