There are many things I love about my boat. It is a comfortable home. It sails beautifully in heavy weather. It is very pretty. But even Papillon has its flaws.
The girls and I were playing a game in the cockpit. Stylish rolled, and the die skittered off the table. All of us shrieked and grabbed for it, but it was too late. It fell through the cockpit floor.
What, you might wonder, is the big deal? Our floor is painted aluminum with a teak grid overlay. It is a good concept: when water gets into the cockpit, it falls through the grate and disappears down the drains in the corners. Meanwhile, you have something non-slippery to stand on. Simple and practical - two of my favourite things.
But let's think this through a little. More than water can fall through those holes. Noodles, Lego people, beads, coins, shells - down it goes. Now add some dust and hair, and you've got a thick mat of yuckiness coating the floor.
I made a face at the die nestled in one of the squares. The squares are too small to allow you to extract anything from the top. Instead, I had to put a finger in each of the adjacent squares and nudge the die up from underneath.
"Catch it!" I cried as it toppled out of my fingers and fell into another hole.
I washed the dust off my fingers and the die. "That's it," I said. "Time to clean the floor."
Which is no big deal... as long as you have a few hours to kill.
