Dirty Laundry

One of the first things that many sailors do when they come to shore from a short or long passage is laundry (the real first thing is usually a shower).  That was my job the second day in port.  And I don't mind, it's something I've always liked to do.  It's easy and you get warm clothes to fold when it's finished.

Well, the laundry spot is the place to be here at the Marina.  It helps that the showers and heads are situated right there.  This laundry is in a niche but still outside, so I had to dress in layers to get the job done.

Just two loads this time, so it wouldn't be too bad.  I got the washing machines going, and plugged in my computer for some blogging time.  And then the traffic flow started.  Men and women came in to shower and rejuvenate.  What a difference when they emerged from their steamy chambers.

My wash had finished, but one of the dryers had clothes still in it, and just as I readied to empty it on the table, the owner of said clothes came by with his sailing partner.  They were talking to some other folks, but I listened in and joined in the conversation, eventually introducing myself as a house concert promoter to Captain Salty, who is out of the Annapolis area, plays in a steel drum band, and knows a musician I've been trying to book for some time.  He and the other cap were delivering a boat to Charleston for the owner and would be flying home in day or so.

Then a chap named Len arrived and looking a little bleary but still wild-eyed, settled in to do his laundry.  The Cap before me had given me a few minutes left on his dry cycle, which was very kind, so my laundry was not far from done.  Len had hired a salty old guy, Captain Tuccio, to help bring his boat down from New York, I think.  Captain T is almost the spitting image of Ernest Hemingway, with a gravely voice and a real twinkle in his eye.  Hey, maybe he's Santa!  

Anyway, at one point he asked me if I had a pen because he saw, on the wall of notices, the name of a woman who captained a boat nearby his in some exotic port and he'd been wanting to get in touch with her about work.  I didn't have a writing instrument, so I sent him an email with the information.  I hope they can work together again.  As we talked, he gave me good advice on visiting great anchorages in the Exumas. 

I gave Len some detergent to do his laundry and also shared a few minutes of MY leftover dryer time; he seemed very grateful.  That's just what sailors do, though; we look out for each other.  We've been the recipients for months of kind-hearted people on boats to help us with work problems or just keep our wits during the long hours of waiting for work to be done.  I hope to keep paying it forward for as long as I can.