Column-Logbook for the Algemeen Dagblad
June 1st, 2011
Translation for Zeilmeisje Laura Dekker on Facebook
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Each week in her column-logbook for the Algemeen Dagblad Laura Dekker will relate her journey around the world aboard her sailboat Guppy on her attempt to become the world's youngest circumnavigator.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flower wreaths and bean necklaces


Today I changed the inside of my closets. I crammed all my winter clothes into a big plastic bag and stowed it in the boat's fore section. I won't need those for the coming months at the least. And it makes things easier in the morning not to have them in the way when looking inside the closet. And then I have been very busy with cleaning all around, doing something like a Guppy spring-cleaning - I even dived under her to remove all the marine growth and snails on her hull. So now she is squeekly clean again. I spent a great week here in Hiva 'Oa (French-Polynesia). The people are very friendly and very happy all the time. If you happen to be walking along the road to Atuona village, you will be given a lift in a blink. Recently with a friend sailor we were looking an for internet-access when someone spontaneously offered his office to us. He left us there alone with all the keys and went away. If we had wanted to we could have borrowed his car too, no problem at all. Meeting such trustful people is not likely to happen soon in the Netherlands. Also it was really funny to be invited to a party as a guest of honour, complete with dancers and drummers in their traditional outfit, where I have been given bean necklaces and flower wreaths. Later I gave the flower wreaths to newly arrived sailors as a kind of talisman to wear. At sea I won't have too much use for the flowers since I am sailing out to Tahiti tomorrow. I just have to finish studying the sea charts and figuring out the route, and then I am ready to leave. The distance is 700 nautical miles so I expect to be on the Route for about six days. If all goes well, I should be writing my next column from ashore again.

Parahi - see you!
Love, Laura.