October, 1999
Heiligerlee, The Netherlands - Shipment time again
The central metal axis for the sails, to be installed in the head, was originally planned to be part of the second shipment.
This axis though, was the only part of the windmill that had to be constructed by an outside company, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Unfortunately the Rotterdam company suffered more than a 2 week's delay in delivering the axis, and therefor it was decided to send over the head, tail and the brick for the masonry work to Fulton first.
This would give Eric and Guus the opportunity to start working on site in Fulton already, while awaiting the arrival of a third shipment with the sails and the central cast-iron axis.
The planning of the work now became critically important, and equally critical would be what the weather would do, it already being late October when the third shipment had to be scheduled.
Friday November 19, 1999 had been set as the date for the "big lift". On this day a huge crane would put the octagon, the head and the sails into place on top of a concrete substructure that had been constructed in Fulton during the absence of the mill builders. Press releases had already been sent out, a 200 ton crane would be available on that day, invitations had been sent to dignitaries, contract #2 for landscaping had to start before Thanksgiving: lots of reasons to hope that the 3rd shipment would not suffer any extra delays while on sea.
One of the Molema employees (Henk) loading one of the three containers for the 2nd shipment.
Obviously a crane was needed again to unload and load the containers unto a truck.
The second shipment already well on its way to Fulton by sea container, the central axis was finally delivered at the Molema workshop.
After finishing the axis in the Molema workshop, the preparations for the 3rd shipment to Fulton began: loading the sails and the axis into the 6th of the containers.
Then fate began to play tricks. The container ship had to remain in Rotterdam harbor for almost a week extra, due to bad weather at sea...
A new planning allowed for this extra week provided Johan Havenga of Havenga Bouw, who had travelled to Fulton already to lay the beam structure for the 2nd floor, would stay in Fulton to assist Guus and Eric during the construction process on site.
Hippo
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