Sometimes You Just Have to Splurge

We have almost always done all our own work on Bettie, from engine maintenance to bottom cleaning. When you're on a budget, it just doesn't make financial sense to pay someone else to do something you can do yourself. However, we have gotten our splurge on this time.

Because this is still technically the low season here on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, all the guys who typically clean boats on the docks are hungry for cash. There just isn't enough business to go around this time of year, and Bettie needed to have her bottom cleaned in a bad way. So when Jose approached us about cleaning the bottom, we got to talking to him and worked out a deal to clean the entire boat. For less than $200. Who wouldn't say yes to that action?!

As part of the deal, we had to supply all the wax and polish, but pretty soon the boat was surrounded by five guys and, funnily enough, several dogs. I'll admit, the dogs seemed more like dock groupies than active helpers, but they did give the scene a certain comic charm.

We got our stainless polished, the entire boat waxed and buffed and the bottom scraped of three months worth of marina growth. Those barnacles were on there thick, yet another piece of evidence that what we really, really, really need is a haul out and fresh bottom paint, but that's a story for another time.

Anyway, it was totally worth the splurge to have Bettie looking all clean and pretty, especially with the baby coming, and many thanks to Jose, his helpers and even the dogs for making it happen.