Dinghies and Dummies

Hey everyone! It's Nele... This blog is supposed to make it easier for friends and family to follow us on our journeys. If you are interested in our journeys and our website, you already know that we are going to sail the baltic sea this summer. The past weekend was the last time on board before my dad and some friends sail the boat to Rostock. We used the weekend to prepare not only the boat but also ourselves for the long summer.

Since it's going to be a long trip for all of us, I thought it would be nice to have some company for at least a part of the journey. Therefore, I asked a friend of mine to join us for the summer. In addition, I asked her to join us for the weekend to see if she'd get seasick. So, it was friday afternoon and the car was packed. After a carride of 3 hours we arrived in Hindeloopen and made it to the Lyonesse only minutes before it started raining. After a nice dinner in Hindeloopen, we went straight to bed because there was work to do the next day. We got up late and enjoyed the sun (to me it didn't feel that warm since it was windy). We decided to sail for a little while to see if Franzi (my friend) would get seasick or not. She didn't get seasick although she didn't feel too well when the wind and waves incresed later that day. Back in the harbor, we had work to do. Franzi and I wanted to use the Dinghy, so my dad helped us to pump air into the small boat and to get the motor started. After some really exciting time in the dinghy (Franzi learned how to handle the motor), the two of us returned to the boat. When I said that I was bored (my parents thought I was annoying...), my mom proposed to go and have coffee in Hindeloopen. In the evening we grilled, played games and then went to bed. Okay, so that was friday and saturday. So far so good, but now lets see why this entry is called "Dinghies and Dummies". On sunday, Franzi and I prepared the dinghy for a last short trip to get ice cream. We left the boat and got ice cream. When we returned, we obviously had to turn on the motor again. Unfortunatly, it is not that easy to turn it on and I couldn't do it. After at least fifteen minutes trying, I gave up and decided to use the paddles instead. So, I started rowing. It took me at least half an hour to get back to the Lyonesse, where my dad was waiting for us. I thought that I had messed up the outboarder and that we had to clean and fix it. However, my dad tried to turn on the motor and made it with the first try. Although, I was happy that the outboarder was working, I felt like a dummy.

The weekend was very nice and I think we are all set for the baltic now. I am sure that it is gonna be a great summer in which we are going to make many experiences. I hope that the rest of the crew also thinks that this weekend was a good way of preparing everything and everyone for the trip, but even if the don't, at least I have learned how to work the motor correctly :) So baltic, are you ready for us, 'cause we definetly ready for you!