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18 May
2001
Nat drove to the airport with the innkeeper(/proprietor) and I left for the
hospital at 09:00 a.m., where I had an appointment. For some days (now), I have
been to control because of an infection on one leg(/of my legs). (It turns out
that, edit) It's a staph infection and we've been waiting for the right moment
to cut (in) it. No anaesthetics(/drugging). I don't (really, edit) know if it's
because they didn't have any or that it doesn't work(/can't be used) on
something that inflamed, but d... it I felt(/could feel) the knife(/scalpel).
Medical treatment(/help) is free of charge and medicine likewise.
I received 80 pills I have to eat(/swallow) during the next 10 days and a
colossal(/gigantic) pile(/heap) of bandages, rinsing fluids, etc.(/and so on).
And I had to sign(/put my signature on) my journal because I broke off(/stopped)
the treatment. He didn't think it was a good idea(/much of) being alone on the
sea for the next 10 days, but he did however give me instructions how I on a
daily basis had to pull 5 centimetre bandage out of the wound, cut it off and
rinse around it.
The nurse volunteered to go with me to inspect my wound which I declined(/turned
down). I could imagine Nat's face when we arrive at Papeete, me and my private
nurse.
I promised to have the doctor in Papeete phone (there) when I arrive. I'm not
really enjoying this. It is almost as if he is anxious(/curious) to see if I
would ever make it(/arrive there).
I checked out just as easily as I did checking in and went back to the boat.
There is a rough(/tremendous) sea at the anchorage which almost made me feel
sick.. Maybe(/Perhaps)
I have been on land for too long? It's probably(/most likely) because of all the
medicine.
I changed the bandage when I got(/arrived) back on the boat. It was soaked(/wet
through) and couldn't hold back(/stop) the blood from running down my leg. It
looked awful.
I had to climb the mast to mount the radar reflector and the brail(tracing line)
for the foresail that fell(/came) off when I nearly lost the mast. I ought to
have changed one of the upper shrouds. It looks (rather, edit) poor at the
bottom(/below), but I don't have the energy (to do it) with this damn leg of
mine. It's f...... sore(/painful).
I hope that I'll be all right. I'll lead(/take) two halyards down on one side to
support the mast. If it(/that) doesn't work, I have to climb the mast. I can
only be hoping for flat(/level) water........
I have just made the(/my) Waypoints for the trip, all from the book "Routes Of
The World" and have decided to wait until tomorrow morning. I'm completely
exhausted(/worn out) after that walk and climbing the mast. I promised the
doctor to keep the(/my) leg at rest and not be walking on it, and for the first
time here I had to walk all the way back to the boat (4.5 km). There wasn't any
traffic in this(/my) direction around noon. (Though,) They always stop to offer
a ride. It's simply the custom(/usual thing to do) (around) here.
I haven't got a map over the group of islands, just a general map that covers
most of the southern Pacific. Moreover(/Besides that) it doesn't cover(/include)
the Tuamotus. So I have decided to sail(/go) round instead of running the risk
of (suddenly, edit) ending (up) on one of them(/the islands). In that(/this)
case it'll also(/furthermore) be easier for me to relax (read: sleep). And I
have to arrive at Papeete in daylight, since I don't have a map of that place.
19 May 2001 (Leaving for Papeete, Tahiti)
I was sleeping at the anchorage because of my leg and the fever. I felt quite
poor(/unwell) and wasn't feeling at all like sailing. I was almost unconscious
from tiredness(/fatigue).
I set the alarm to (sound at) 5 a.m. and felt that I was (feeling) better, so I
picked up the anchor and left the place(/anchorage).
I had to dismount my "big" engine and tried sailing(/going) with the small 2.5
HP. (That's) The most troublesome(/difficult) on board Trojka is that I
need(/have) to dismount that(/the) engine to be able to install(/mount) the
Windpilot. It can be quite annoying manoeuvring(/handling) it when there's a
rough sea.
It actually turned out pretty well(/good) using the small engine. It took some
time to gain speed but in fact it manages to sail(/keep) Trojka at 4˝ knots. But
the propeller(/screw) isn't far enough down in the water. So after some time I
decided to dismount the engine. As usual there was a rough sea and(/so) it
couldn't reach, then installed my wind steering, but the wind changed from poor
to none and after a couple of hours of drifting (around) I installed the big
engine and went by that for the next 21 hours.
I spent 48 litres of gas so now I only just have enough for the entering at
Papeete.
Incredibly, after all the antibiotics I take, I still have a fever. And the
wound didn't look too good (either). I was told to pull 5 centimetre bandage out
of the wound and cut it off on a daily basis. But everything was so festering
that it "ran" out. So I took(/pulled) it all out and started cleaning the wound
internally with some cleaning fluid. I scraped and rinsed(/cleaned) the wound
externally with iodine and ???, which I received from the doctor. Then dipping
half a metre (of) bandage in the same fluid and "stuffing" it on my leg, closing
it well with sterile bandages. I'm hoping for it to be better tomorrow. |