Friday, March 14, 2014

Me And My Water Boy

Taking our water jugs to the dock!
No matter how much you read about Cruising life… until it happens to YOU… You just don’t get it.  Or at least, that’s how it is for me.  Yes, I read about how Cruisers decrease their water consumption big time when they have to start schlepping it from the shore themselves.  I hear you.  I get it.  Nooo.  I really didn’t.

Maybe I wasn’t paying that much attention at the time, because I thought we would have a water maker.  Evidently I didn’t adjust my thinking when we found out that we would indeed NOT have a water maker.  Because until we came here to Ft. Myers Beach… until today… the thought of having to run water from the shore just wasn’t in my head.




Filled and ready to go back to the boat.
In fact… so far from my consciousness was it, that when we called to get our mooring ball assignment and were told that there was water available from several sources around the basin, it still didn’t sink in.  But, when we called to arrange for outboard motor repairs through Salty Sam’s and asked them if we could just pull up and fill our water tanks when we brought the Yamaha in… and they told us “Sure!  It’s $5.00 for 10 gallons.”!!!!!  WHAT!?  You want to charge us for water!?  But we’re customers!  We’re about to pay you $260 for repairing an outboard that was “repaired” before we left home!  

I was insulted.  I was shocked.  I was highly irritated to say the least!  How dare they treat us like that.  This is America!  American’s don’t have to PAY for water…  It comes with the service.  So for a while, I fumed.  It was like I was slapped in the head with a rubber chicken.  WhaaaaP!  And then I remembered.  The lady at the Matanzas Inn, who assigned us our mooring ball, had ALSO said that there was a place to fill jerry jugs at the dinghy dock.  

We used a juice bottle with the bottom cut out as a funnel
OMG!  We’re actually supposed to schlepp the water from the dinghy dock to our boats!  And for a day or two, I had to let that sink in.  Well, today… I put on my big sailor britches and we used our jerry jugs for the first time.  And it was not so bad.  It was actually kind of liberating.  One more layer of my former self was peeled away today.  A thin layer of self entitlement.  A nearly invisible shield of expectation.  Me and my Waterboy worked together today and got it done.  And it was OK.  

4 comments:

  1. Get one of these from your next NAPA store. It'll save your back and free you up to lounge.
    http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx/Siphon-Hose-6-/_/R-BK_7302501_0168251739

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    1. Thanks! We'll keep an eye out for a Napa. Darn, we just passed one on the bus the other day... Actually I had seen something similar that you shake to create a suction and didn't buy it. Now I'm kicking myself... I appreciate the tip!

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  2. Remember when drinking fountains were everywhere, and we would laugh at anyone trying to sell us water?

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  3. Glad to hear that hauling the water wasn't so bad! When reading cruiser's stories about it, I can't help but think that it's still much better than a day at the office!

    Once again catching up on your posts ... kayaking with manatees, walks on the beach and "rendezvous in the cockpit" to watch a sunset ... ahh! Yes, you're definitely a cruiser! Can't wait to catch up with ya'll!

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