A deckwash

A visit to the Chandler with the Bloke has provided me with ammunition to deflect shopping criticism for some time to come and demonstrates the hidden danger of ever visiting such an outlet. We went in for a new bucket. The last 'replacement' the Bloke bought was always going to be inadequate for the task.... a $1.00 jobby that was never going to cope with being drilled to allow for the spliced rope "handle", nor with UV light, nor the rigours of daily and sometimes twice daily scooping into the ocean to enable the Bloke's obsession with swooshing the cockpit with 'salt water washes'. These washes have occasionally become saltwater floods if our cabin portholes are not secured PRIOR to commencement. But the Bloke has reformed it must be said, and does now check first that they are closed. Having experienced a degree of wrath from his deck hand, it is proof he can be trained, just like Paovlov's dog.

Having been delighted to locate a robust and proper white fisherman's type bucket the Bloke marched to the counter where he met Mr Helpful. "An excellent choice sir, is there anything else you are looking for?". The Bloke fell for it! "Oh, yes I'm wondering if you have a deck wash kit?". Mr Helpful's eyes of course gleamed YES. "Come with me". So the two wondered around Aladdin's Cave for the next 20 minutes until the job was done.

For those of you that are not familiar with the word BOAT, it's actually and acronym and not a noun. It means Bring Out Another Thousand. In this instance it was a lucky escape as we were only required to commit to a little less than half of that. By now the bucket had morphed into a useful shopping receptacle and contained, clips, clamps, hoses, hose fittings etc...and the receipt. The real trophy was carried under the Blokes arm: the Deck Wash Kit.

Having squared off with a replacement for swooshing saltwater around at one end of the boat the new trophy item would enable squirting at the other end. Always thinking ahead, the Bloke is getting ready for muddy anchorages in Queensland where one needs to hose down the anchor and chain as you haul them up. My eyes nearly rolled right out of their sockets. Really? We won't be getting to Queensland for at least 2 years yet but we will be ready!

Understanding that one needs to buy things when you have an opportunity, I envisaged that installation of all this new kit would be a winter project for those days when the rigging will be hooting and Marina time is the only option.

I never imagined that installation would commence the very next day although Murphy would have predicted it wouldn't he?. The job left only our cabin and aft bathroom intact. 2/3rds of the boat was a riot of open and emptied lockers, plus removed panels from cabin sole to cabin roof. It took 3/4's of a day to complete and was the same day we were expecting Ian from Midnight Blue to arrive after lunch to then stay the night after collecting his car. I was in the midst of cooking curries for dinner and cake. Jim and Jeannie from Onora had been invited for dinner so that they could catch up with Ian again. A client rang for support (1hr) in the middle of making the pear tarts. Half my ingredients were buried beneath the contents of emptied lockers. Somehow we pulled it altogether. The cabins were restored. We had somewhere to eat and entertain. Ian had a cabin with V-berth made up and importantly, the Wine Club had delivered and we had some wine. Actually, there was a lot of wine and 7 empty bottles needed to be disposed of the next morning.

Although it is not yet wired up, this is the visible evidence of what all the fuss was about.

Hear no evil.  See no evil etc... they'd better not poop some evil!