In 1991, Bea PijnBlom and her late husband Jan Pieter Pijn bought the Bregetta, a small freight ship converted into a sailing houseboat. She was built in 1914 on the Czaar Peter Werf in Zaandam. ‘It was a freight liner for clean goods,’ tells Bea PijnBlom. ‘It sailed with flour and coffee to Amsterdam en sometimes to Groningen and Limburg. This year we published a book about the Bregetta (‘Motor vessel Bregatta, sailing through the time 19142019’) that describes her time as a freight liner. Up until 1978, it was a freighter. After that, she was converted into a sailing houseboat by the grandson of the skipper.’ Originally, there was a Honig of 24 hp in the engine room. It was replaced by a Kromhout of 30 hp. In 1958, the ship was lengthened, the cargo hold was raised and the current engine was put in place, a Van Rennes 2DC of 60 hp. Paul Huygen, a study friend of Jan Pieter Pijn and a specialist on old ships engines, demonstrates the starting procedure of the Van Rennes and takes her sailing on the Hoge Vaart near Almere.

00:00 Intro
00:23 About the engine
02:05 In the engine room
03:10 Checking fuel filters
03:45 Lubing various points
05:23 Cranking the flywheel
06:20 Starter fuses
07:39 Starting the engine
08:35 Sailing away
10:05 About the ship
11:32 Sailing home
12:59 Stopping the engine