It all started back in September, when we fished four Saturdays in a row. My schedule of cleaning up the boat mid-week of the following week after each trip suddenly got up and took a hike.
I found myself taking only a cursory look at the sides, maybe wiping off a little bit of scum line, then standing back and saying, "Ah, that isn't so bad." At that point, I'd throw the cover on it and call it good. The trouble is that this breakdown in routine quickly became the new norm. I was repeating this scenario trip after trip...until my conscience started working on me. The truth is I knew from the beginning of the collapse in routine that, sooner or later, I would have to get back on my old schedule...or pay a price for being so slipshod about cleaning up my "toy" after a day on the water.
That day of reckoning came yesterday. My wife took off mid-morning to go to an event of her choosing, and I soon found myself sitting and stewing about my boat. I tried walking it off, but it persisted...so I grabbed the vacuum and case of oil I recently purchased online and headed to West Neck Marina.
Before going any farther, let me share a little piece of advice for anyone who hasn't been to the marina in recent days. The parking lot is full of holes--big ones, in some cases--starting at the entrance, so as you turn in, be careful, especially when all the holes are filled with water as they are now. And the trip down, around to the ramp, and back up the other side isn't any better. The same also is true of the area up beyond the gate. I swapped texts with Gene yesterday after I got home, and he indicated he's working on the problem. Unfortunately, though, he evidently is having some issues with his boss, which leads me to believe that it may be a spell before anything gets done to the parking lot. I have a plan I'll only execute if nothing has been done by spring; however, I'm not even sure the problem can be allowed to persist that long. I'm not kiddin', folks; the situation is B-A-A-A-D! If you don't believe me, be my guest and try making a high-speed entry--with or without a boat tied on behind.
That situation aside, however, I maneuvered a winding path to my boat shed, whereupon I threw up the door, removed the boat cover, and took a long, hard look at how bad it was. Moments later, I had the vacuum plugged in and was busy going over every square inch of the carpeting. Once that was done, I grabbed the Bass Boat Saver and started going over the entire hull. The only thing I didn't get done was wiping out the bottom of the storage box I use to hold my oil. I would have had to pull the boat partly out of the shed to gain the necessary working space, and it was too late in the day to do that. Subsequently, I left my new case of oil sitting on top of the box until I get another chance to wipe out the storage box.
Best part of my whole day was when a couple of friends showed up to "bat the crap" for a spell. Gary hadn't much more than found me, 'til Dave drove up and joined in the conversation. One topic of interest to all of us was the aforesaid current condition of the parking lot. We also talked about fishin', of course, boat props, and choices of doctors, to name only a few. Not one of the three of us has been on the water for a spell, so there were no tales to be told. Just wait 'til spring, though--it'll be different then, I promise.
In any event, at the end of my day yesterday, I felt relieved that I had eased my conscience, and the boat indeed was clean again...for how long, however, is anyone's guess. You can be certain that if I get a chance to go, I likely will, but I'll also allow time to clean up the boat again before I call it a day. Don't like wrestling with that feeling of having something I know I need to do. It has a way of not letting you rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment