My friend arrived safe and sound in the evening of the 27th after trying all she
could to catch her airplane at Sal’s airport; her flight was actually cancelled. On
her first day with me, she quickly puked all over my boat. We are still not certain if
it was caused by the bad food at Sal’s airport or by the heavy bobbling up and
down of Guppy in the swell… It also might be caused by the difference in
temperature…
I thought that I had a big disgust of cockroaches, however, now I know that there
are people who react even more frantically than me. When I spotted a cockroach
in her room, she ran away screaming, making the guesthouse owner rushing to
us, thinking that someone had been killed, at the least. She stayed outside until
the critter in her room was dead and taken away. We really have lots of fun
together anyway. This morning we were walking around the village when some
people told us in a panic that there was something wrong with Guppy. Something
with the mast; it was moving back and forth. I really don’t know what kind of
drama they imagined for themselves. Therefore, we walked back and paddled
towards Guppy. It was simply the sheet cover on the boom that became a little
loose, so the boom would swing back and forth slightly. However, this is nothing
serious…
Then as I had just come aboard Guppy, and as my friend was doing the same, I
suddenly heard a splash. Gosh what’s it ? – I thought – and when I looked behind
the boat there was my clumsy friend lying helplessly in the water, for a moment I
was in doubt wether I should get my camera first. There she was in the water and
with her balloned dress she looked like a huge jellyfish with a small head and her
legs trashing. I do not have a swimming ladder because I can get out of the water
easily but she could also not get back in the dinghy… Fine, what now… Ok I said, hold
on to the dinghy and we will paddle towards the yacht Amygdala. They have a
swimming ladder. From my dinghy, I call them to see if they are awake and
someone immediately comes outside… We wish each other a friendly Good
Morning. But when he sees my friend lying in the water next to me with all her
clothes on, he looks doubtfully at me. I explain to him in German that she ended
in the water, and I ask if she could use their ladder to climb out because she
cannot re-enter my boat as things are. He bursts out laughing and gives a helping
hand to my friend. We have a nice chat while my soaking wet friend is recovering
on deck. After a while, he brings us back to Guppy and we decide to go ashore
again. We take out the waste and bring some empty Cola bottles with us to fill
them up with water. Refilling the water tank here is not that easy, so I use Cola
bottles for that. Tomorrow afternoon my friend goes back home, and on Thursday
I will really start with the ocean crossing!

Laura