Chapter 29. Laundry

We’re doing laundry. As you might know, or not, it means we are actively jumping in a bucket and splashing in the cockpit. I notice a dinghy in the distance :

– They are coming toward us it seems Sam.
– Maybe… they seem familiar… he says frowning (because of too much sun in his eyes.)
– It’s Chris and Christine from the boat Sympatico in the boatyard!
– Let’s go on deck to welcome them… says Sam leaping out of the cockpit.

We attach their dinghy to Pablo as they smile to us :

– Hey Pablo!! How are things for you?
– Awesome! We’re happy to see you guys, says Sam lifting a bit his sun hat so they can see him better. (His hat is hhhhhuuuuuuuuuge)
– Are you staying in the Abaco for a while? They say enthusiastically.
– Oh actually not. We are crossing to the Exumas tomorrow morning.
– Good for you! Exumas are beautiful, you’ll love it. Your kids will love it too. Beaches are incredible.
– My parents are visiting us in a few days so we need to get closer to Nassau.
– And what about all the work you’ve done Sam!? Everything is fine in that regard?
– Terrific! Everything goes well! Except our autopilot that kinda died on us when we crossed the Gulf Stream.
– Ahhhh that’s too bad, says Christine. Autopilot does steer much better than I can do.
– True! And with the kids, it is annoying that one of us is fully dedicated to steer. At least with the autopilot, one of us can be outside with the kids AND watch them while the other cooks or clean, for instance.
– What are you gonna do? It’s hard to find a tomato in the Bahamas, I cannot imagine an autopilot…
– Since my parents are coming, we ordered it in Québec directly. We don’t pay to ship to Bahamas then. They will bring it to us. Anyway, we could not find a dealer in the Abaco nore in the Exhumas.
– Well. Everything seems to settle great for you! We are happy for you. Where are the kids?
– In their bedroom playing.

(In the bedroom we can hear them repeating partly what they heard :

– it’s Chris chris chris chris chris chris chris chris… says Salty
– Chris, chris chris chris chris..!!! says Matey

This is enough to make any Quebecer parent feel bad about his parenting skills. Fortunately, Chris and Christine don’t speak french and don’t get offended. Sam offers :

– You want to come aboard and have a cold one!?
– Nahhhhh, we have some friends waiting for us at the beach in front for a happy hour.
– Life is good ain’t it! replies Sam with a smile bigger than his moustache (still not bigger than that huge hat)
– It sure is! Bye bye Pablo! See you another time!

They go away toward the beach that time.

– What a great life we’re having, right Cass!

I look at Sam from head to toe, to head again (I should say to hat…) :

– Oh yeahhhhh. Only in the cruising life can you welcome and chit chat with acquaintances with a weirdo moustache, giant straw hat, only in your underwear on top of that.

He looks at himself and realize that, yes, he is in underwear. We had a good laugh.

Then I realized … I was in underwear too. Oh well.

---

That story starts to feel old and I almost decided not to publish it. But, the day before leaving the Bahamas, Sympatico with Chris and Christine appeared at our anchorage and popped by! It was so great to see them again. They came aboard for a small tour of the boat and proper farewell as we knew they are slowly heading back north and we are slowly heading back south.

Just when we saw their dinghy leaving Pablo I realized that, yes, again, Sam was in underwear. Oh…well…..