Life On A Sailboat Is Weird

I've lived on a sailboat for so long that sometimes I forget just how weird it is. But then there's the bilge to remind me that's it's a weird life. And the turkey baster. That's weird too.

This is the bilge on our boat. It's usually covered up by a floorboard because it's scary inside. Wires, hoses, bilge pumps, keel bolts and the thing you don't want to see. . .water. Water belongs on the outside of your boat, not the inside.

We're in the rainy season and there's been a lot of thunderstorms. So much rain. So much water. So much water that isn't content to drip off of the decks, but instead likes to worm its way inside and drain into the bilge. Where exactly it's coming from is anyone's guess.

Every day, I've been monitoring the bilge and draining water out of it. When it gets too high, the automatic bilge pump takes over. But because our manual bilge pump is acting up, I do my part too, by emptying it out myself with a tiny cup and my trusty turkey baster. Yes, a turkey baster. I told you life on a sailboat is weird.

Turkey basters aren't just for Thanksgiving anymore, they can get liquid out of hard to reach spots, including the marine toilet when you need to change the joker valve. Don't worry, I made sure to label my baster with a warning >>Do Not Use On Turkeys<<.

It's amazing how much more relaxed I am these days about water in the bilge. I remember back a few years ago when we had an issue and I thought out boat was going to sink. Nowadays, I just sigh and get out my turkey baster and reflect on the weirdness of life.

{You can read more about how Nancy Drew's investigation of The Case of the Slowly Sinking Ship here.}

What's weird about your life? Do you have to label your turkey baster?

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