Guests announce their arrival

We haven't had any visitors since June. And Brigitte and Peter will be the first guests at Katinka Enjoy. Logistically, that wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have so many clothes. I have now put them away in a cabin. To my credit, however, I have to mention that it wasn't just my clothes that were cluttering up the guest cabin. The sewing machine and other items that we hadn't yet allocated a place for were also parked in the cabin. Now the guest cabin is completely free and I can start with my favorite activity, cleaning.

Fruit, so healthy!

Obviously, this cabin hasn't been used for a long time. Left and right in my belt, armed with various spray bottles that promise “bang”, “rapid” and whatnot to tackle the dirt, I stand there and try to get to grips with the situation. Limescale deposits and dust are the easy things to remove. The challenge is greater with adhesive residue and silicone, some of which is still from the shipyard in France. In the meantime, the belt is no longer enough and a whole row of small  and large bottles containing some kind of miracle product is piled up behind me to completely and easily remove what doesn't belong there. 

Double bunk guest cabin

But the reality is a little different, and anyone who disparages the housewife profession in my presence will have to deal with me. Unfortunately, it's still raining heavily, so the hatches can't be opened. In a shower cubicle with half a square meter of floor space at 30°C, it's a sweaty affair. Especially as the contents of the bottles don't remove the dirt as “bang” and “quickly” and you have to help a lot. It's amazing where the dirt gets stuck. The design and interior fittings reach their limits. Joints that were too large were simply filled with silicone. Like blowflies, the dirt has pounced on them and stubbornly persists. A particular highlight is the toilet, with its nooks and crannies. To get it clean, you have to hold it in your arms to get everywhere. The advantage of this is that you are close enough to the area with your nose to detect unpleasant odors and eliminate them if necessary. That's why I have the bottles set up behind me, which I can feel with a firm grip and skillfully identify by the shape of the bottle. I dare say this guest cabin has never been so clean.

Guest cabin with separate shower

As various switches and sockets take some getting used to and are located where you wouldn't necessarily expect them, I have labeled them. Now they are still where you wouldn't expect them, but at least you know straight away what function the switch has. And while we're on the subject of labeling, we can't forget the toilet instruction that only what has gone through your stomach is allowed in the toilet. You never know with landlubbers.

Restroom

Well equipped, we are now waiting for our guests. Anyone who knows me knows that these will be unforgettable vacation days. Peter must have a masochistic streak, but he hasn't been on board since the Mediterranean. I definitely know that about Walle because he visits almost every year. He's already announced he's coming to Fiji. Anyway, we're looking forward to seeing Brigitte and Peter.

Access to the guest cabin

In addition to the preparations for our guests, everyday life naturally continues and so we are once again very busy this week. The crew of SV Odysseus has now arrived in Switzerland. Before that, Adriana and Max hosted another leftover dinner. Maintenance work continues on SV Tuvalu. New challenges in logistics and communication are overcome with the replacement of the timing belt. None of the so-called service centers for Perkins really dare to tackle the job, so it takes a few attempts at various places to find someone suitable for the job. Maybe we'll have to do it ourselves after all, which would have the advantage that Gottfried could buy me an extra beer because he has saved the cost of the service technician. But I don't want to take away Gottfried's hope of finding a service technician who can change the timing belt and water pump after all.

Here on the Katinka Enjoy, all the appliances are running at the moment (I knock on wood) and as the saying goes: “Don't touch a running system.” With this in mind, until next week, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.