I often get the question, “What do you guys do all day?” so I am going to try and explain a typical day of boat life. I used to be a person who slept in when given the chance but on a boat, you generally have no choice but to rise when the sun rises because there is no dark place to hide. So, we get up in the morning and eat breakfast. We generally try to do most boat projects in the mornings because it is cooler. Boat projects consist of pink and blue jobs. Blue jobs are ones that Bill does and they involve yucky things like changing the engine oil, fixing the generator, attaching solar and wind generators, etc. He also takes on quite a few of the pink jobs such as cooking….those of you who know me well know why he takes on that particular pink job! I do the other pink jobs…cleaning, laundry, figuring out which show we want to watch on tv that night, refurbishing teak. I think the main difference between blue and pink jobs is the amount of sweat that it takes to complete the task….needless to say, I don’t like to sweat!
Some days, we have to wait for Poppo or Handy Andy to bring us fuel and water. They both tend to run on CMT time (Caribbean Maybe Time) so that can either be just the morning or…whenever! Some days, we have a job to do. Yesterday, it involved pulling out the toilet and changing the joker valves (joker valves are not funny nor entertaining but they keep the poop smell away from you so they are important). For any boat job, you must multiply the time you think the job will take by at least two and sometimes by four. The reason that boat projects take longer than land projects is that a) you don’t have the parts you need so you have to stop and go to town and get them…or order them if they are super special; b) you have the parts you need but you drop them somewhere into the bottom of the boat so you have to go to town and get another one; c) on a boat, you must be a gymnast just to reach the initial screw that you need to remove so getting to the screw can take twice as long; d) it’s a boat and you don’t really have any idea what the problem is so you have to stare at the situation and then guess your way through the first few hours of the project; e) all of the above. On other days, we need to go to town for supplies. Here is how those days go…..Prepare the backpack with everything you could possibly need for the day; get in the dinghy; hope the dinghy starts; drive 10 minutes over to the dinghy dock and hope there is a place to tie up; get Sally and the backpack safely onto the wobbly dock; double check the dinghy line to be sure it is secure to the dock; put on face mask; walk 10 minutes into town; now the fun starts….figure out which errands involve items that will melt and items that are more durable; figure out which stores close from noon to 2pm for siesta time….then, go to the hardware store, get squirted with hand sanitizer by the doorman, try to figure out how to say ‘acetone’ in Spanish, find no acetone, leave empty handed; next go to see the “man who can weld” to discuss some parts you need for the next project on the boat….he speaks little English and we speak little Spanish so that takes at least 30 minutes longer than it should; go to bank to get money for the welding man; get to bank…get squirted with hand sanitizer….get money; go back to welding man to pay for materials that he needs to order; next go to the vegetable stand to get fruits and vegetables, step over three sleeping dogs and one cat; go to get chicken from the “smoked chicken man” who is on the corner; go to the bakery if you need bread; go to the large market (aka market with 8 aisles), get squirted with hand sanitizer and get yogurt and eggs; go to the medium market (aka market with 6 aisles) and get soda, candy, beer and cheese; go to the small market (aka market with 2 aisles) and get rum; figure out how to fit all items into the backpack; walk back to the dinghy dock; hope dinghy is still there; hope dinghy will start; load all items into the dinghy; maneuver around all of the other dinghys that have arrived after you arrived and just tied up behind you; travel 10 minutes back to boat trying to avoid getting the backpack soaked; unload Sally and backpack safely onto the boat; put away grocery items. THAT, my friends, is why going into town takes all day! On non-town days, we usually try to squeeze in a couple of hours of computer work for Bill’s company while we sit and have beverages at the restaurant and take a shower at the marina. I use the word marina loosely because the marina consists of the restaurant, one washing machine, one dock that holds about a dozen boats, a rickety dinghy dock and two showers that we have nicknamed piss and spit due to the amount of water that comes out of the faucet. Most of the time, work turns into social hour because inevitably, a boater comes by and once the talking begins….not much work gets done. One day a week while we are doing computer work, we also do laundry. This past week, laundry took longer because the water main at the marina had burst and flooded the restaurant so there was no water. Once the water was fixed, I began the pink chore of laundry. The washing machine looks like your typical US washer but it is a far cry from my much missed GE washer. If I am lucky, the one load of laundry is washed in about an hour. If I am in a hurry, I can take the bucket that sits next to the washer and fill it with water to pour directly into the washer to get it started….that cuts the washing time to about 45 minutes. After washing, I take the clothes outside behind the restaurant and hang them on the line to dry. I remember mom hanging out the laundry when I was little and I thought it was so much fun….it is no longer so much fun! Dinner time is around 6pm each night and since there is a 7pm curfew most days, we are always back on the boat by then. After dinner, we watch a couple of hours of Netflix. Some nights we star gaze for a few minutes before bedtime and then it’s off to sleep again! So, that is an average day in the life of Luperon, DR. We are trying to plan outings at least once every other week to see the country and do touristy things. We also seek out beaches because the bay we are in is filled with boats so not ideal for water activities. Life here is a slower pace and we are both adapting very well to Caribbean Maybe Time! Manana, my friend, manana!
1 Comment
Diana
8/10/2020 09:54:31 am
Sally would you post more pics of food? Have you tried morir soñando and mangú with salami? Reading your adventures in DR makes me hungry! I am a big fan of the Dominican cuisine. However, I could not live without my washer AND dryer. Have fun and be safe! Greetings from Charlotte.
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AuthorSally Miller Archives
May 2024
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