Bath time
VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Sun 9 Feb 2014 06:15
|
Our watermaker is broken again at the moment
(it's the bane of my life). I am going to take great pleasure in ripping it out
of the boat and chucking the pieces in a skip when we get to Bayswater Marina
shortly. Almost all other cruisers report the same problem - they are just not
robust enough for their harsh environment. I'm putting in a much simpler
modern Swiss one instead. I'm telling you all this as an introduction as to
why fresh water is in short supply around here at present, and that means
fewer showers (no baths at all, because we don't have one). Unsurprisingly this
state of affairs is not meeting with the full approval of the female half of the
crew.
So, while at the wonderful Great Barrier Island we
repaired to the locally famous Smokehouse Bay where a local eccentric set up
some useful facilities for passing yachties. Not only is there the
eponymous smokehouse to satisfy the Kiwi obession with fishing, but also,
miracle of miracles, hot fresh springwater for washing clothes and people -
or at least, there is if you spend considerable time scavenging for dead wood
along the shoreline and in the bush, cut it up with the provided axe and
saw, and then use it to heat water in a wood stove boiler.
Simple!
So, here is the team getting things
underway:
 Alison on the bow saw, ably assisted by our
American friend Rich Crowell from Slipaway with the other half of the
VS crew giving helpful advice while standing around doing nothing. You can see
the bathouse behind me with an astonishingly effective wood burning stove
complete with plumbed-in water jacket and smoke poring out of the chimney.
Inside the shed is a huge water tank of stone cold water. Actually I' not doing
nothing, honest; I'm waiting for the sawn wood so I can split it up small with
my trusty axe.
Here I am again, still working hard supervising the
stove with Rich giving helpful advice this time (perhaps it's because we share
the same name?):
 While the boys were playing at fires Ali set to
some real work, doing the washing using an old fashioned wash tub and
washboard:
 Now the washboard is something really special.
Purchased new in the USA , this is a genuine Columbus Washboard from the
Columbus Washboard Co, Columbus Ohio. It says so on it. It also says: "Ideal
for silks, hosiery and lingerie. Pail Size No. 2133. Just the right size to fit
a bucket pail or lavatory (..!?, Editor). Packs easily into suitcase or
travelling bag". Clearly life in the USA is not always as advanced as
they'd like you to think.
And here she is again, evidently having a laugh a
minute on the mangle and pining for the days of yore:
 But, back at the bath house a while later things
are hotting up. Here she is, peeking out of the door before trying out the bath
inside:
 And, couretsy of our friend Jan Schwab of
Slipaway (actually, all these photos are hers - thanks Jan), is
that half of the crew of VS actually trying out that bath:
 It was amazingly hot - in fact too hot. Cold spring
water had to be added to make it bearable. We could get used to
this!
|