Reflecting Badly - Part Uno

No kidding, what's the worst part of living on a boat?

-A few quick jabs around Calypso's "salon" with a tape measure reveals my total interior living space (including the "bathroom") is less than 70 square feet. A bit more spacious than say, living in the back of a cargo van ... but then I can run the air-conditioner 24x7 at Warp Factor 4 and still keep the electric bill under $80 bucks a month. I like staying cool, so small is good.

Plus there's practically no space left over for clutter, which means there's even less mess to hide or clean up.

-Laundry's still a headache, but I'm gonna invest $43 in a Mini-Wonder Washing Machine ... and let the sun, some clothespins and a nylon line do all the rest.

-The Groceries & Cooking situation is a non-issue since I heeded ORP's advices and replaced Calypso's tired 1984-issue microwave with a Sharp Carousel Grill 2 Convection/Microwave oven. Now I can do popcorn, toast bagels and cook full-sized frozen pizzas ... about all that really counts.

-Repairs, Maintenance & Upkeep? The old adage "Something's always breaking on a boat" simply is a myth. The truth is that Everything's always breaking on a boat, just like something's always breaking with a house or a car. Or with a computer ... or anything else that's manufactured by human beings and sees regular use by fallible people.

Besides doing 95% of the work myself, the key to living with repair issues is understanding that Maintenance and Repair isn't actually a goal ... it's an on-going & perpetual spiritual process intended to develop patience, perseverance and boundless optimism in the face of overwhelming odds.

So those things merely amount to minor aggravations and annoyances.

What keeps pushing my buttons and testing my witness are the inconsiderate boaters who blow past the NO WAKE buoys; the week-enders and Gotta-Get-There! amateurs who ignore the NO WAKE ZONE signs and roar through the marina at speeds fast enough to haul tandems of water-skiers.

Speeding through a NO WAKE ZONE creates surprisingly powerful waves that spread across the water behind the offending vessel ... waves which then plow into nearby boats tied to the dock, which results in any occupants on-board (meaning, me) getting literally & violently tossed around inside like a cat inside a clothes dryer [sorry] as they're trying to cook in the proximity of hot surfaces, or exit the shower on a slippery floor.

And every weekend it's getting to be the same thing.

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Ignoring NO WAKE signs and buoys is more than being inconsiderate or stupid, it's also against the law:

• In South Carolina, "Idle Speed" or "No Wake Speed" is defined as a speed not greater than that which is necessary to maintain steerage.
• If operating your boat or PWC in a No-Wake Zone and you cause damage to another person's boat or property, you are responsible.
  
• Boats and PWCs may not be operated in excess of idle speed within 50 feet of a moored or anchored boat, a wharf, pier or dock, or a person in the water.

Part Dos - Look What That Guy's Doing?!