Day 57: Dishwasher duties
The friendly school of fish 🐟 spent another night cruising alongside us. I wonder how much longer they plan to stick around.
Washing dishes must be one of life’s great wastes of time, yet an unfortunate necessity. Although I once heard someone saying they find it therapeutic. We, humans, are a clever bunch (read lazy), and now the dishwasher machine takes care of this for us.
The only issue with a dishwasher is in the skill of packing it. Done correctly, it can be packed to the brim, and every dish comes out clean. Packed poorly, there will always be those dishes that remain fouled and end up being hand washed anyway.
Usually, one person in the family ends up in charge of the packing to avoid the second stage of handwashing. I take on this title at home, and I also do this when we visit the in-laws.
Many years had passed when I found out that someone else in the in-law’s household would repack my masterpiece when I was not watching.
I was devastated! Felt inadequate!
I made a fuss and vowed never to pack it again. After a little discussion, the guilty party agreed not to repack the dishwasher.
Why do I tell this story?
By the time I see another dishwasher, three months will have passed, and I am not sure if my skills will have survived.
All I have used on board Osiyeza are four items.
An enamel cup.
Silicone spoon.
Square Tupperware 500ml.
Silicone zip lock pouch.
Washing is a dip in the seawater, shake under water and then shake out the water.
DONE.
Not sure just shaking it will cut the mustard next time I visit Ma & Pa in Langebaan 😜
Early in the afternoon, the conditions calmed down enough that I decided to go for a swim. I had company in the form of a blow-up flamingo 🦩 although I had no drinks for it to hold while in the water. Being carefree and just living in the moment is a wonderful feeling.
Around sunset, I had a new visitor. It was a full-size Dorado that looked to be about 1.5m long. He spent the early part of the evening cruising around Osiyeza and every now and then, would leap out of the water and come down with a tremendous splash. Stunning colours of green, gold and blue.
Getting closer to the land, we had our first hitchhikers. Two birds decided to take a break for the evening. One sat on the front deck, and the other on the rear solar panels. 🐦
I heard a scratching noise while lying in my bunk. It was the typical sound of a bird’s feet trying to get a grip and keep balance. Neither were particularly concerned with me taking pictures of them.
They took flight just before sunrise.
The solar panels are self-cleaning with the amount of water that washes over them. The cabin top, not so much.
The moon 🌝 is still very bright when it rises, and now that I am sleeping the other way around, I use an eye cover when the moonlight is pouring through the hatch.
‘T’ minus 6 days.
