Surprise, surprise, a log from Beth!
It was an almost still night, with very light winds
from the East, which barely moved us in our nice protected bay just South of
Black Point. After gathering all the dirty clothes I could find, including the
sheets off the beds, I left the boat about 7:45 to dinghy around the point to
town to do laundry at the nice, new Rockside Inn Laundermat. I wanted to get
there when it opened, so I wouldn’t have to wait for a machine, and I hoped I
would be able to get more than one. The ride turned out to be a rough one-
there wasn’t much wind, but there were 2 foot swells that had not been there
the day before when we made the dinghy ride then. I tried to zoom across the
top of the water, but it was way too bouncy to do so, so I had to putt along at
a slow speed, which got me to the laundermat at 8:10.
from the East, which barely moved us in our nice protected bay just South of
Black Point. After gathering all the dirty clothes I could find, including the
sheets off the beds, I left the boat about 7:45 to dinghy around the point to
town to do laundry at the nice, new Rockside Inn Laundermat. I wanted to get
there when it opened, so I wouldn’t have to wait for a machine, and I hoped I
would be able to get more than one. The ride turned out to be a rough one-
there wasn’t much wind, but there were 2 foot swells that had not been there
the day before when we made the dinghy ride then. I tried to zoom across the
top of the water, but it was way too bouncy to do so, so I had to putt along at
a slow speed, which got me to the laundermat at 8:10.
As I drove up to the dinghy dock, I was a bit anxious
as there was no one else docked there. Did they really open at 8, like the sign
said, or was that only if they felt like it? As I was trying to figure out how
to unload my bulging bags of laundry and keep the dinghy from smashing into the
dock, as those swells where pushing me into the dock, I saw the door open and
the laundry proprietress come out to sweep off the back porch. I finally
figured out how to drop the anchor about 20 feet off the dock, and tie it to
the stern, and then tie off the bow to the dock so that I could pull myself in
to get myself and my stuff off the boat, then the boat would spring back to about
2 feet away from the dock, and hopefully bob there until I was ready to return.
The proprietress came down to help bring all my bags up. I was pleasantly
surprised to find that I was the first one there. I ended up having the whole
place to myself for an hour or so, when even the proprietress left to go get
her kids ready for school. I had my clothes in the
driers before the next patron showed up. Not exactly the laundry ordeal that we
have had before at various marina laundermats!
as there was no one else docked there. Did they really open at 8, like the sign
said, or was that only if they felt like it? As I was trying to figure out how
to unload my bulging bags of laundry and keep the dinghy from smashing into the
dock, as those swells where pushing me into the dock, I saw the door open and
the laundry proprietress come out to sweep off the back porch. I finally
figured out how to drop the anchor about 20 feet off the dock, and tie it to
the stern, and then tie off the bow to the dock so that I could pull myself in
to get myself and my stuff off the boat, then the boat would spring back to about
2 feet away from the dock, and hopefully bob there until I was ready to return.
The proprietress came down to help bring all my bags up. I was pleasantly
surprised to find that I was the first one there. I ended up having the whole
place to myself for an hour or so, when even the proprietress left to go get
her kids ready for school. I had my clothes in the
driers before the next patron showed up. Not exactly the laundry ordeal that we
have had before at various marina laundermats!
While my clothes were drying, I walked over to
Lorraine’s Cafe to pick up the fresh bread we had ordered from her mother the
day before when we were in town. It was so fresh that she was still taking
loaves out of the pans in her kitchen. After that, I headed back to pack up my
clean laundry for the trip back. I brought 2 giant black trash bags to bag up
stuff so that it wouldn’t get wet on the return trip. Another cruiser, Dick,
from Cheetah II, also from NC(Wayne & Janet- Dick says “Hi” from
he and Jane.)carried my bags for me down to the dinghy dock and passed them to
me, and held the bow line while I got the anchor up and stowed and the engine
on and ready to take off. It was a slightly faster ride home, as the swells
were now going my way, so I didn’t keep crashing on them and could zip right
back.
Lorraine’s Cafe to pick up the fresh bread we had ordered from her mother the
day before when we were in town. It was so fresh that she was still taking
loaves out of the pans in her kitchen. After that, I headed back to pack up my
clean laundry for the trip back. I brought 2 giant black trash bags to bag up
stuff so that it wouldn’t get wet on the return trip. Another cruiser, Dick,
from Cheetah II, also from NC(Wayne & Janet- Dick says “Hi” from
he and Jane.)carried my bags for me down to the dinghy dock and passed them to
me, and held the bow line while I got the anchor up and stowed and the engine
on and ready to take off. It was a slightly faster ride home, as the swells
were now going my way, so I didn’t keep crashing on them and could zip right
back.
When I got back around 11 a.m. I heard from Mark about
the unsuccessful hunt he and Jessie from Contented Turtle had that morning.
Noah got to play with David while I was doing laundry and Mark and Jessie were
hunting. Turtle decided to head South to find a place for some South wind
protection, while Mark & I decided that Black Point had enough of bay to
give us protection, so we decided to motor around the point and anchor right in
front of town. Could have saved myself the bouncy dinghy ride if I had waited
another day for laundry! By anchoring in town, we would be able to then go to
dinner at Lorraine’s as the dinghy ride back in the dark would be a short one.
the unsuccessful hunt he and Jessie from Contented Turtle had that morning.
Noah got to play with David while I was doing laundry and Mark and Jessie were
hunting. Turtle decided to head South to find a place for some South wind
protection, while Mark & I decided that Black Point had enough of bay to
give us protection, so we decided to motor around the point and anchor right in
front of town. Could have saved myself the bouncy dinghy ride if I had waited
another day for laundry! By anchoring in town, we would be able to then go to
dinner at Lorraine’s as the dinghy ride back in the dark would be a short one.
We hailed Lorraine’s on the radio, made reservations
for 6 p.m., and placed our food order. After reassembling our beds-putting
fitted sheets on a bed when you only have one side not right up against a wall
is a real work out- we did minor boat jobs until it was time to head in to
town. We dinghied into town while it was still light and walked around a bit.
Noah ran into Malichai, Lorraine’s son, and when we arrived at the cafe, the
boys stayed outside playing and had to be called in when the food arrived. Mark
& I enjoyed chatting with another cruising couple, Ed and Dee from Sea Fox,
and ended up having the place to ourselves for dinner.
for 6 p.m., and placed our food order. After reassembling our beds-putting
fitted sheets on a bed when you only have one side not right up against a wall
is a real work out- we did minor boat jobs until it was time to head in to
town. We dinghied into town while it was still light and walked around a bit.
Noah ran into Malichai, Lorraine’s son, and when we arrived at the cafe, the
boys stayed outside playing and had to be called in when the food arrived. Mark
& I enjoyed chatting with another cruising couple, Ed and Dee from Sea Fox,
and ended up having the place to ourselves for dinner.
Over dinner, Ed & Dee told us their horror stories
from crossing-having a garbage bag placed in the anchor locker break open and
clog the anchor well drains, which then caused the well to fill with water from
over the bow. This enabled sea water to drain thru conduits from the locker
into the vee berth area and soak their bed and all their clothes! They also had
the companionway hatch open and a port hole window that opens to the cockpit in
the aft cabin open when a huge wave crashed over the boat and ran all the way
down the boat, down the companionway and into the cockpit window. When they
arrived in Bimini, they ended up hosing out the vee berth with fresh water to
get all the salt out! What a disaster! But they are still cruising.
from crossing-having a garbage bag placed in the anchor locker break open and
clog the anchor well drains, which then caused the well to fill with water from
over the bow. This enabled sea water to drain thru conduits from the locker
into the vee berth area and soak their bed and all their clothes! They also had
the companionway hatch open and a port hole window that opens to the cockpit in
the aft cabin open when a huge wave crashed over the boat and ran all the way
down the boat, down the companionway and into the cockpit window. When they
arrived in Bimini, they ended up hosing out the vee berth with fresh water to
get all the salt out! What a disaster! But they are still cruising.
We headed back to the boat in the dark and had no
problem finding our boat, as Mark had turned on a light in the cockpit, and we
were about the 4th boat from the shore, and it was almost a full moon. All the
running around with Malichai apparently wore Noah out, as he was asleep by 9 –
almost a record for him! We messed about with the SSB radio, because I’d
recovered the serial cables from under the bed while the sheets were off. The
computer now controls the frequency tuning on the radio automatically, making
it much easier to tune the radio when sending emails like this one. We followed
Noah’s lead shortly, and slept soundly.
problem finding our boat, as Mark had turned on a light in the cockpit, and we
were about the 4th boat from the shore, and it was almost a full moon. All the
running around with Malichai apparently wore Noah out, as he was asleep by 9 –
almost a record for him! We messed about with the SSB radio, because I’d
recovered the serial cables from under the bed while the sheets were off. The
computer now controls the frequency tuning on the radio automatically, making
it much easier to tune the radio when sending emails like this one. We followed
Noah’s lead shortly, and slept soundly.