Money laundering

WHILE reading a recent article in Cruising Helmsman, I noticed that a lot of couples settling into the cruising life had a common complaint about not having a washing machine on board. I thought, if we told our story it may help others and perhaps shed some light on the fact that it may not be as big a problem as it first appears.

The reality is, the more things we can do to make life on the water easier the better it is, so we can have more time to spend doing what we enjoy.

For a long time we did not have a washing machine on board, I would not enter into the argument that it would save time and effort. However, looking back, I think my main aversion to having a washing machine was due to not being able to get my head around where to store it.

In my mind’s eye all I could see was domestic machines and I think the size added to my concern. Besides, at the time we were in a marina securely fastened to the dock, in a stone’s throw of the amenities block. Really it was all too easy to sweep the problem under the rug.

Having full time employment we determined that the cost of the week’s washing was not going to break the bank. At the time we were allowed to hang the washing on the boat to dry. If we weren’t, no one said anything about the boat being full of clothes so we took that as an endorsement of the practice. Although, now we do know some marina managers are on to a line full of clothes quicker than a hungry kid eats a jam doughnut.

Once we went cruising full time, I quickly learnt that we