There’s a mindset that comes with boating and clearly I was not in it when we returned to Pelican after being away for a while. The heavy rains of recent days have taken a toll on things on board. Despite my cousin’s vigilance in checking our vessel the damp and dirty have settled on her like a blanket. After months of not-so-salty living I am out of practice and out of patience for the effort it takes to get this girl back to livable. It’s so blasted hot outside that we have to run two air conditioners 24/7 and that makes for a claustrophobic feel to things. Worst of all the roaches have taken up residence on board in our absence. One jumped on me at night the first night back and when I couldn’t sleep I got up to read and three of them were crawling the walls. I am freaking out!! Time to sell… or scrub! Yeh, this is the stuff that boaters don’t share. Just when you think you have everything spruced up the way you like it you leave her for a few weeks and the elements take over. Leaks cause stains. The dampness brings bugs. The old girl just looks old and tired upon our return. And I feel old and tired looking at her. So after assessing the damage and more than a few cuss words, out come the rubber gloves and the Bengal roach spray and then the boric acid gets replaced in all the nooks and crannies. Check out my methods in Tips and Tricks.
Now I can’t lie. My job is easier than the skippers. He has been under water scrubbing the bottom of the Pelican and the dinghy for two days. The props are pretty crusted over with growth and he can’t crank the engines until he checks all the exhaust intakes. He finds our zincs are pretty bad so he’ll be down there again tomorrow I suppose. Yes, I know, these are first world problems. But the few days after one returns to the boat are filled with not-so-pleasant tasks. The good news is the heat moved out last night and there is a lovely north breeze today enabling us to open her up and let the fresh air blow through. I’m thinking Fall might just be peeking around the corner!
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