33. Back to Work

The first few weeks onboard M/Y Puffin Quest flew by as we got into a daily routine while at the dock in Jupiter. Eitan was busy learning the boat’s mechanical equipment and systems and organizing the engine room and lazarette while I spent most of my time cleaning the interior and exterior of the boat. After the six months of separation from my career, it definitely felt strange having bosses and a daily routine again. If you have seen the show Below Deck, you would know that being a yacht stewardess is more or less a glorified maid/waitress. Luckily, this job is much less formal and my daily activities were primarily just cleaning and meal prep, and I didn’t have to wear a uniform.

Generally, my day would consist of waking up, eating breakfast, setting up the back deck area for the owners to eat breakfast, wipe down stainless appliances, wipe hand rails, empty trash, clean windows and smudges off surfaces, clean bathrooms, vacuum, and then help Eitan if he needs any assistance. After lunch, I help with dishes and clean-up. Then, I take a break, after which I help prep dinner and then do the dishes that follow. Finally, I make sure the boat is closed up, pillows stowed, and table covers on before everyone heads to bed.

For the first time in my life, I had a job that didn’t involve sitting at a desk and I was on my feet almost all day. My feet certainly felt it and I realized that on S/V Sierra Wind, we were doing a lot more sitting than I had thought. I had a good amount of heel pain for the first few weeks as my feet adjusted to the constant pressure. For the most part, it’s easy work, especially if it means I can listen to all the podcasts I want. Cleaning and podcasting were what I filled my weekends with in my past life, so it didn’t feel much like work at first.

However, I did feel some internal conflict, going from a salaried engineering career to working a service job with more hours and a fraction of the pay. I am a firm believer that you can learn and benefit from any situation or experiences. I learned where Eitan gets his OCD cleanliness from. I’ve learned how to properly set a table and where all the silverware goes. I’ve learned alternate meanings for common words including: a “dog” is also a form of locking mechanism for a door, a “charger” is the plate that is placed beneath a soup bowl, “wing” is the name given to a smaller secondary engine, and “whipping” is a decorative way to finish a line. I also learned how hard it is to keep stainless appliances smudge free, a water-vinegar mixture is a great cleaner for most surfaces, and how to splice a three-strand line and whip it.

Some days were more exciting than others. We were at the dock for most of the time except for the weekly excursion when Eitan would have to drive the boat to the pump out station to drain the blackwater tank. Some days were quite with just the four of us onboard and others were packed with contractors coming to install or replace equipment. The living area began to take shape as the couch, carpet, cushions, and covers were delivered and an endless procession of Amazon packages seemed to arrive daily. The name decal was finally installed and we had a small renaming ceremony that involved pouring wine into the ocean, asking Poseidon and Neptune to forget the former boat name and show kindness and fair seas to M/Y Puffin Quest.

Eitan and I did have some days off that were spent at Juno Beach, which is walking distance from the marina. I had never been swimming on the east coast of the US and after wading into the seaweed-filled water and getting hit repeatedly with choppy waves, I missed the steady and somewhat predictable wave sets that the Pacific is known for. The beach here was either ridiculously hot or ridiculously windy, but generally made for an enjoyable afternoon. We also spent some time relaxing at the marina pool or setting up a picnic near the ICW to watch the boats go by. Since we didn’t have access to the car and Uber prices were about 10 times what they were in Mexico, we stayed close to the marina most weekends. However, we did manage to plan two weekend getaways which I will write more about next week!