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from
Caribbean Cruising
by Jane and John Gibb
CHAPTER 13: CHORES AND STORES
Laundry
There is seldom difficulty getting laundry done in the Caribbean and in most
places you will find a Laundromat or local women who will do it for you.
Getting to a Laundromat can involve a walk and a cart comes in useful
here, as laundry is likely to have built up to several bags by the time you
reach a convenient anchorage. Surprisingly, in the Caribbean, most Laundromats
have tumble dryers, despite the sun and wind that would be welcomed
on an English Monday. It may seem madness to use a tumble dryer
in the tropics but you come back with clean, dry, folded laundry that goes
straight into the locker.
In some anchorages, local women will collect your laundry and return it
washed, dried and folded. This is convenient but not always the cheapest
way and your laundry may go in with other loads. Nearly all washing machines
in the Caribbean are American, the old fashioned top-loading,
paddle-agitator type and detergents are similar to what you’re used to. The
washing cycle is fast, about 25 minutes, but the single rinsing dulls clothes
after a while.
Hand washing is fine if you can spare enough ship’s water for a proper
job, have wrists strong enough to wring and don’t mind the chore of pegging
it out, away from salty rigging and watching the sky for the next shower
or seeing it fly away in a squall.
With the easy access to Laundromats, hand washing seems hardly worth
the bother. Make the laundry part of a trip ashore, have a quiet read or write
letters. Laundromats tend to be social places and you’ll probably find other
cruisers to swap yarns or books. This is also a good place to learn about
local facilities and get help on any boat-related problems.
Don’t even think about washing laundry in sea water; you’ll use even
more precious fresh water trying to rinse the salt out. The slightest hint of
salt and your dried washing will come out of the locker smelling of mildew.
Fuel
Diesel is readily available throughout the Caribbean and the quality fairly
reliable. Some cruisers carry Baja fuel filters (available from West Marine),
but these are cumbersome, need special stowage and slow the filling rate
considerably. They do, however, guarantee pristine fuel. Another option is
to fit at least two in-line filters as well as having a drain or sump facility at
the bottom of the fuel tank to remove water. Keeping the tanks topped up
helps to reduce condensation though this is not such a problem in the tropics.
Condensation can still form on cooler nights and the less air in the tank,
the less condensation can form. It’s a good idea to keep the tanks brimmed,
just in case you need to make a quick get-away.
In St. Martin/Sint Maarten and other French islands, diesel is called gasoil.
Gasoline and kerosene are also available but you may carry these in
smaller quantities in jerry cans.
Always enquire if the filler has any quirks. Some blow back easily, others
leak, or drip, the auto shut-off doesn’t work or the lock doesn’t stay on
unless held. In any case never leave the filler unattended.
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