You Can't Always Get What You Want...

My two hour long nap after anchoring off in Bahia Honda did indeed make things right in my world at that particular moment. That afternoon sun had worn me out and it felt good to plug in my 12-volt fan and cool off down below in the boat's cabin.

Four hours of sailing on a hot afternoon can most certainly wear a sailor out and it was a relief to finally get out from under that bright, oppressive sun.

Investing in a bimini had once been at the top of my priority list upon initially purchasing my boat but somehow that small investment continued to get pushed further and further down my list of things to do until it was no longer even an afterthought.

I'd be sure to regret not having a bimini even more so the next day when sailing some seven hours on down to Key West. For now I'd simply have to make do with my well-worn, broad-brimmed safari hat.

Not long after that nap was I gathering up my toiletries bag and rowing my dinghy ashore to make use of the State Park facilities which were sure to include both his and hers bathrooms and showers.

My row ashore was short and easy and one in which I certainly wasn't going to bother retrieving my two-stroke outboard motor from down below only to then have to mount it onto the dinghy's transom. Especially since I'd only later have to reverse the entire process and stow it away for my sail early the next morning.

It was now past five in the afternoon when I tied off my dinghy to the Park's seawall and went off in search of both the bathroom and shower facilities. Unfortunately, in my haste to go ashore, I forgot to bring along my flip-flops and even more importantly small bills for the vending machines.

Gingerly walking about barefoot in that park was something that I could deal with but not having change for the vending machines was most certainly a misfortune worthy of a "May-Day" distress call.

It was indeed quite disconcerting to see all those ice-cold, 16 ounce plastic bottles of Coke inside those machines all beckoning me to insert but a mere $1.75 into a slot and then make my selection.

But alas it was not to be for lack of me having but another single dollar bill in my wallet.

I did momentarily consider going off in search of a crow-bar to pry open that vending machine and help myself to an ice-cold Coke but I thought better of it.

That would have been the Puertorican thing to do but I haven't resided on that island for some time now and consequently decided that it wouldn't have been a prudent thing to do.

I suppose that I could have sought out a Park visitor and requested change for a five dollar bill but that visitor happened to be a German tourist with a large gut spilling out over the top of his speedos.

And I for sure wasn't going to bother engaging that guy in any sort of conversation no matter what the circumstances might have been. I'd much rather have gone off in search of a crowbar before wanting to chat it up with some German geezer wearing little else but his speedos.

Eventually I did take a leisurely stroll about that delightful State Park but not before taking an outdoor, cold shower at the one and only rinse station.

My one pressing concern while wearing but my boxer-briefs and while discretely attempting to lather on a good amount of soap in all the right places was of the serious shrinkage going on below.

Two matronly looking European park visitors had just showed up for their turn at the rinse station just as I was beginning to soap up. That public display of shrinkage was almost as bad as having to fore-go my ice-cold 16-ounce bottle of Coke before heading back to my boat empty handed.

And I was reminded of the song, "You Can't Always Get What You Want", a great rock classic from the Seventies.