A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove

On the fourth day of his probationary week, Carl notices a black hose on deck. Skip explains that it’s attached to a tank of fresh water which he uses to rinse the salt off the deck at the end of the day. He shows Carl how to use it. Later that day, Carl starts offering to rinse the sand and salt off the chassis of parkgoers’ cars on their way back to Wattle Beach. Soon, he’s on the bridge explaining his idea to Skip. This free service might help them entice more customers. They won’t be able to take quite as many cars, as Carl needs to have room on either side to work. But, as long as they have 10 cars on almost every run, they’ll still be making enough to keep the business afloat.

So, on Friday morning, Carl puts up a sign on the pier offering free car washes to patrons on the red barge. He works hard that day. He’s getting faster at cleaning the cars, but it’s still a lot of work, and by the end of the last trip, he’s exhausted and soaked. But he’s happy. And Skip decides to keep him on for a few weeks. Carl is ecstatic.