Photo: Workboat Car 54 at the docks, on the job...

When we're not sailing, we're working. Work can be just as eventful as sailing...

Captain Bill was certain that poor luck occurred in multiples. Having to replace a costly piece of fishing equipment was enough bad luck. Having an entire day with nothing but misfortune was something else. It was a winter day in Key West and we were expecting the usual routine at our respective jobs. It was anything but that.
Bill first noticed the off-kilter day after discovering that the license plate was missing from his scooter. Someone had stolen it. So Bill wouldn't be late for work, I volunteered to help complete the police report and show them the scooter's registration. After I repaired an ailing Honda outboard, my business partner, Neil, came along with me to go ashore for the mission of bringing Bill's scooter paperwork to the police station.

While we were ashore, we stopped by a tiny, outdoor café for some snacks to eat while we walked to the station. Hoping to compensate for a recent splurge on donuts, I ordered a thick, green smoothie. While Neil and I walked, we cut across the parking lot of Ace Hardware. I stumbled, the frothy concoction clutched in my hand sloshing upwards as I jerked my arms to regain balance. Green goo dripped from my face, ran down the front of my shirt, and was oozing along one arm.

"Are you okay?" asked a concerned couple who happened to witness my sloppy stumble. Embarrassed, sticky, I grinned and made a squeaking noise. Amused by my mess, but glad I was okay, the couple continued walking. I bee lined to the bathroom in the hardware store to clean up.

We resumed our trip to the police station. Ruffled, wet, faint green stains on my light yellow shirt, I wondered what absurd impression I'd make. Thankfully, Bill's stolen license plate report was processed without further trouble and he was issued a new one. The officer who made copies of the forms was tall and nearly as wide, looking like he'd be at home in a wrestling ring. Feeling small, I hoped he hadn't noticed my smoothie stains.
On our way back to the docks, Neil's sandals began making flapping sounds. The glue in his shoes had started to fail and they were literally falling apart at each step. Tropical climates were harsh on shoes and clothes. Neil forced himself to walk funny, trying not to completely loose his footwear. We made it back to our workboat and boarded with weary relief. Seated in the skiff, I gazed at my shorts, wondering why the seams were so prominent. And where were my back pockets?

"My shorts are inside out," I said, appalled. It was disturbing to realize that I'd been running around all day wearing an inside-out garment. When I'd dressed in the morning, it was still dark and I hadn't noticed that my black, skirt-like shorts were on wrong. Neil laughed, then suddenly quieted, staring at his knees. Wincing, he wiggled his legs, which were cramping painfully from walking the wrong way in his disintegrating shoes.

"We've got to get out of here," Neil said, grimacing. The outboard rattled as he increased the throttle, Workboat Car-54 speeding out of Key West harbor.
I slowly nodded, fingering the seam on my inside-out shorts. It was one of those days.

***
Captain Bill is the main character in the true sailing adventure: Sail With Me.