Column-Logbook for the Algemeen Dagblad
September 08, 2011
Translation for Zeilmeisje Laura Dekker on Facebook
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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.
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Guppy has to be lifted out of the water


David, the French owner of the Yachtclub in Darwin is looking worryingly at me. He came over to Guppy with me to have a closer look at her rudder. Now it is totally stuck. It will move a little only if I push on it with my full body weight- oiling it has only little effect. So, the steering wheel is going to pieces, the Yanmar exhaust is broken, and the anti-fouling paint that protects Guppy's hull from marine growth has to be redone and both my engines need a good overhaul.. and another thousand little jobs need to be done too. Preventing these weathering damages is next to not possible. The sea, the salt and the sun take their toll, especially on a long sailing like I do. To do some of those repairs it would have to take Guppy out of the water for a few days. Two shipyards here are asking for the same price to do this which would put a dent in my budget. But luckily my father is here and there is nothing his hands can't do! Myself I am not too handy even though my technical skills have improved a lot since the start of my trip. Once Guppy is lifted out of the water we will still be sleeping aboard her which is fine with me so that I won't have to leave my home for a night. Still it will be different sleeping ashore, it will be warmer and obviously we can't use the wc. In short, we have a load of work coming in the coming weeks but if all goes well I should be able to safely set sail before the next storm season. It would be nice too if we have some time off the repairs for I have not seen my father for a very long time so we could have time to catch up on everything.

Until next week,
Laura