My wishes for a dry night are not granted. It’s been raining and things are dripping wet. We plan to get the boat on the trailer tomorrow so today is another clean up/chore day. I get the upholstery covers off the forward cushions and take them up to the laundry. The machines are "commercial" but have a gentle cycle and are only $1 each. After the covers are clean and dry, I spray the foam mattresses with Lysol to kill any mold, struggle to get the covers back on, and spray the fabric with Scotch Guard. As the day gets dryer, I set the various pieces an end in the forward cabin under the open hatch so they will dry and air. By evening all smell is gone and our bed feels much nicer.
While I’m futzing with things inside, Craig works on a couple of bilge drainage problems. We have a couple of small places there where water stands. It’s really does no harm but we like a dry boat. We figure out how to get the water to drain to the bilge pump. We also figure out that while a small portion is condensation, the rest comes it where the forward samson post comes through the deck into the anchor locker. I seal the area and make a "mast boot" to protect the sealer.
At the end of each season we treat the tubes with 3M 303 and leave the tubes inflated. In the afternoon Craig works to figure out how to clean the tubes before we put the protector on. The internet offers a number of ideas and we try several. By day’s end we have a plan but still need to get the plan executed.
I have been trying all day to get enough done that I take the time to get to the grocery store. Bellingham Harbor is quite a distance from the closest – a Fred Meyers. To address this, the marina has a curtesy shuttle available until 7 PM. I finally decide we really need a few items to gets us through the next 3-4 days and arrange for a pick-up at 4. The store is about a 15 minute drive through town. I discover it this store is being re-modeled so it’s a bit confusing and disorganized. It’s been a long time since I’ve had any real "retail therapy" so i take my time looking through the household items as well as the food. By pick-up time I’ve had enough and am out the door in plenty of time.
Chatting with the van driver, I ask about Bellingham. He moved here from Seattle to attend Western Washington University and likes it a lot. As a small city with a college there are plenty of activities and it’s easy to get around. The one draw back is lack of jobs. After getting his BA in history, it took him 5 months to find a part-time job. He then found this current job with the marina but it is only seasonal. He is planning to go back for his masters in Scandinavian medieval history – a course which will take 3 years as he has to take 2 years of a language (he has chosen Latin) al well as the normal courses for a master’s. I wish him luck in finding a permanent job and in completing his studies. ( Many decades ago, I, too, got a BA in history. While I never worked "in my field", it was a worthwhile education. Through serendipitous events, I eventually found a wonderful job and made a decent living. I hope his life leads him down an interesting path.)
Conepatus 