They Launched This 60-Ton Cargo Ship Before It Was Finished—Then Started Upgrading Mine!

Today, the workers finally began the second major upgrade on my cargo ship. The first job was removing the old engine exhaust system so we could prepare for the much larger new exhaust pipe. One of the workers used an oxy-fuel cutting torch to cut away the old exhaust pipe, while my husband worked on removing the exhaust connection near the turbocharger That part turned out to be more difficult than expected. Years of rust had made the bolts and connections extremely tight, so my husband went to the market to buy penetrating rust remover and a small heating torch to help loosen the stubborn parts. At the same time, another group of workers continued improving the stern of my ship. They are welding additional steel plating over the exposed structural framing underneath the stern. This should make the area easier to clean and give the structure better protection from corrosion, which is especially important because my ship frequently operates in saltwater. While work continued on my ship, something very interesting was happening elsewhere in the shipyard. The crew was preparing to launch a newly built 60-ton cargo ship—even though the vessel was not completely finished yet. The owner had chosen this particular day for the launch, so the ship would enter the water first and the remaining construction work would continue afterward. The workers carefully prepared the vessel and gradually moved it toward the river. I watched the entire process up close, and everything went remarkably smoothly. Little by little, the new 60-ton cargo ship entered the water—and the launch was successful. Although it is now afloat, the vessel is still not finished. The workers expect to spend approximately another 10 days completing the remaining work while the ship is in the water. Back on my ship, progress was slower than I had hoped because the shipyard was short of workers. The old exhaust has been partially removed, but the main work on my new exhaust system will have to continue tomorrow. The good news is that another crew is still working on the stern reinforcement, adding the protective steel plating that I hope will make this area stronger, easier to maintain, and better protected during our future journeys through saltwater. Upgrading this cargo ship is going to take time. Some days bring a lot of progress, while other days require patience. Because I cannot afford to rebuild everything at once, I will continue improving the ship step by step, whenever each cargo trip gives us enough to move forward. I’ll end today’s video here, but Upgrade #2 is far from finished. In the next video, I’ll continue sharing the stern reinforcement and the installation of the new engine exhaust system. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for following not only my journeys on the Mekong River, but also every small step of turning this cargo ship into a safer, stronger, and more comfortable home for the journeys ahead ❤️