There is something oddly therapeutic about washing a boat. There’s a simple honesty to it. Start at the top and work your way down, first one side, then another, until you’ve completed the lap. After a successful—and especially after an unsuccessful—day on the water, the spray from the hose and the cool soapy water on your hands has a way of simultaneously lowering your core temperature and blood pressure.
I was reminded of these truths this past summer after one of those weeks where you just can’t get out of your own way. I was fresh off a trio of work trips, I was getting a cold, the lawn was overgrown, Karen and I were long overdue for a date night, too many meals on the road had me feeling like a slug, and I had to get down to check on the boat. I’ll let you take a guess as to which of those items I decided to tackle first.
Early in the morning, I strolled up to the Bertram. She looked a bit lonely but otherwise was resting nicely. I hadn’t planned to stay long, I was just there to check the bilge and shore power and discard whatever I’d forgotten in the fridge. I was simply going to check the boat and head right home, honest, your honor. But myriad dirty footprints from Connor’s size 5 light-up Sketchers were screaming at me: “Clean me up, ya lazy bastard!”
I poured some Dawn into my white True Value bucket and filled it with water. Sneaker footprints on the sole take a little elbow grease but they come out quickly enough. “I’ll just give her a quick rinse,” I lie to myself like an addict.
About 45 minutes later, the ol’ Bertram was cleaned from top to bottom and shining under the now-mid morning sun. I made myself a quick cup of coffee but it was really the taste I was craving; I was already fully awake, thinking clearly and feeling better about the day ahead.
This article originally appeared in the November 2025 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
