A tjalk, lifted and refinished

A tjalk, lifted and refinished

Doorgedacht is a tjalk whose project begins where every great houseboat does: with the hull. Before any interior can last, the steel beneath the waterline has to be sound, and that work can only be done out of the water. So she was lifted clear of the quay by heavy crane, giving our team full access to the bottom of the ship.

The work below the waterline

Out of the water, the hull was inspected, prepared and finished with a fresh red coat below the waterline, beneath her deep black topsides. It is work that nobody sees once a ship is back afloat, and exactly the work that decides how long everything above it will last.

Back among the sailing ships

Back in the water, Doorgedacht took her place again among classic sailing ships in front of a monumental brick warehouse, her masts once more part of the harbour skyline. It is a reminder of what the name says: well thought through. True craftsmanship begins below the waterline.