Officer diary Nov. 21st, 2006

I like being on a wharf, where you can get many people to pull in the same direction, if you take care of them as they deserve. You get a lot done that would not otherwise be carried out and you also get to know many people better, as compared to when you are out in the offing and mostly have to deal with your own watch.
 
I liked the little wharf of Zhejiang Yunhai on the island of Taohua in the Zhoushan province in China. Everybody was very helpful and kind. One may however wonder what they thought of us, especially after the first day when we built a carpenter shop and a sailmaking shop ashore, in two small rooms made of concrete, in less than 4 hours as soon has we had a gangway ashore, and then started working rightaway.
 
It has been tough with early mornings and sometimes late evenings, but a wonderful feeling working as a team and get big things done.
 
We stayed at a small hotel which we, by and large, filled up with our crew and the meals we had there were equally fine. We did miss real bread and big chunks of meat, but apart from that there was loads of fresh vegetables, noodles, sea-food and the like for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Luckily we were able to teach the staff how to make coffee in our coffee-brewer, so that we had with our meals.
 
The departure ceremony before leaving the island was grand, considering that there are only 20,000 people living on the island, and as usual we received lots and lots of gifts, among them several crates of local wine.
 
I shall finish here, expressing my gratitude to everyone in my crew and the helpful and kind people on the island of Taohua.

Ulf Hed
First mate