5 january 2026

I haven't posted anything for a while because things have been a bit quiet on the model building front, etc. I hadn't been feeling well for a while and eventually ended up in hospital as an emergency case. After a number of admissions and visits, it turns out that I have a heart condition, and it's so serious that I can't work (for the time being). In the coming period, I'll have to go in a few more times for tests, treatment, etc., but I've decided not to sit around feeling sorry for myself. We'll make the best of it.

Because of my heart condition, I am no longer allowed to drive a truck. To be honest, that was a hobby I won't miss. It's not really about the driving, but purely about the pressure put on drivers.

So I'm glad I still have Vic as a hobby and can focus more on her. I've also taken on a few other projects, such as painting with my daughter Veronique and an extra project called “Moodboard holder” with my daughter Tamara.

The latter is an extra project for her kitchen store. She was looking for a good holder to display kitchen fronts, etc., so that her customers could get a good overview. Because there is nothing available on the market, we decided to make it ourselves. We purchased mahogany wood for this purpose and have now started the initial work. I will keep you informed of developments on a regular basis.

A while ago, I started furnishing the Quarter Deck, which involves all kinds of small projects in addition to furnishing the deck. For example, the steering wheel still needs to be made, which is quite a bit of work. The necessary drawings have now been completed, and I am going to start sawing the wood. The steering wheel will mainly be made of black walnut, except for the front support, which will be made of ebony.

In addition, I have also started a small project to make the tackles for the cannons again. It had been a while since I made the last ones, but we haven't forgotten how. I have to make a total of seven sets of tackles for the cannons on the quarterdeck. First, I started by bending the hooks and then cutting the necessary ropes to length.

A few years ago, I had Mr. Max from Germany make all the necessary ropes. At the time, he produced both left- and right-twisted rope for me. Upon request, he specially produced my anchor ropes in the correct thickness. I have always been very careful with them. I saw that he no longer produces ropes, which is a shame...

The problem with these ropes is that you can't just cut them to length; you have to treat the place where you want to cut them first. I moisten these areas with a mixture of 50% water and 50% wood glue. After treating them twice, you can cut the rope without it fraying.

The first set of three tackles is now finished, two right-handed and one left-handed. So there are now enough projects underway to keep me busy in my spare time.

To be continued,

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Regards, Henk