Daily report #73

Beverwijk.

Dear fellow travelers. The day before yesterday I had a problem. A Henk Bakker, so to speak, my father is a good handyman, but he almost always bleeds too. Hence. A case where you are busy with something and break something either yours or someone else's, but it almost always happens. Hitting your finger, for example. Or sawing a piece of wood too short. And then you wish yourself some things. While you have already contracted something. I am somewhat like my father, the good man.
It was just before the changing of the guard. I was almost ready for it. I had just gotten dressed except for my sailing suit/raincoat when I decided to manually pump out the bilge. I do that often, you get it almost completely empty. The floor hatch opens. There is a hand pump with a handle. Then you sit with your back against the oven so that you have good access and can pump easily. I was doing that when I suddenly felt something hit my neck and very quickly started to take off my outer clothing. The thermos cup of hot tea that I always make for the watch and which was steeping with the lid off on the stove - because then it stays up because of the gimbal suspension - had collapsed on my neck because I nullified the gimbal suspension with my back . Not so handy.
I immediately started with a wet towel and cold water to cool my skin. Then immediately called Mark.
Here my nightmare had become reality. It is difficult to continue sailing with burns. Nearest port with facilities; at least four days of sailing. Stopping the journey at an unfavorable place. Pain, scars. Lost boat, journey over. It's all going through your head.
After receiving first aid; Thank you Mark! it all turned out not to be so bad. Three small second degree burns, the largest behind my ear. But it hurts quite a bit so soon after the burn. Cooling also takes a very long time. And even after half an hour of cooling, it glows and gives off a lot of heat. Never experienced anything so painful. But after a few hours it had subsided considerably and the next day I felt nothing at all. Today we can handle it with two band-aids and Vaseline to keep the ear wound moist. It's not too bad. We'll come out of this unscathed. The importance of having a good first aid kit and someone who can handle it has once again been conclusively established. We bought one in Sydney with which we can operate on almost anyone and it cost a lot of money, but it also produced very useful equipment to deal with burns. Good to know
to have on board, better not to need it.
It probably won't help against all those other Henk Bakker kids that I will undoubtedly experience, but as long as we don't have to operate and can cover it up with plasters, I'm satisfied. And afraid of hot water. That can't hurt.

Greetings Ton and Mark.