Cruising Friends, Bahamas 2023-2024 season

Socializing this winter has been in spurts, and mostly reconnecting with old friends (or people they’ve introduced us to.) We’ve met a handful of people the “old fashioned” way - by running into them somewhere interesting like the laundromat or the bar or at the start of a hike - but mostly, our sundowners and even dinner gatherings have been with those we’ve met somehow already.

*Sender under sail in Elizabeth Harbour*

Take Sender. We first met Brian, who owns BVI Yacht Sales, last winter when he commented on a couple of Instagram posts. His handle there notwithstanding (@yachtbot), he turns out to be a real person who shared some of his favorite BVI hideouts. Our boats are similar enough in style to be mistaken for one another; we’ve been trying to catch up since Annapolis in the fall. We saw him and his girlfriend, Lizzi, when we were in Beaufort, NC, and then had the good fortune to hang out with them in the Abacos and again in George Town. There may or may not have been excess rum involved in at least one of the gatherings . . .

*Christmas dinner with the Sender crew and family*

We had a memorable round robin of evenings on small boats in GT with first dinner on board Sender (a Heard 28 - 7 people), then on Mischief (our BCC 28 - 8 people), and finally on Ghostlight (a Pacific Seacraft 34 - 9 people. ) Hanging out on larger boats (we had sundowners one night with Carolyn and Bob on a Jeanneau 53, FitLady, in Sampson Cay) is lovely and comfortable, but it’s very very fun when a gaggle of cruisers who sail on smaller boats get together. Shared elbow space, the dance required to get settled - there are no apologies needed. It all just works.

*Mischief salon. Jeremy, Nick and Dani (Ghostlight) on port. Sender (Lizzi, Brian, and Emily) on stbd. Alex, from Hecla, not shown.*

Meeting Dani and Nick from Ghostlight definitely was a highlight. These two extremely interesting people truly define “carpe diem” as a philosophy. If you get a chance to share an anchorage with them, make it a point to stop by and say hello. Be prepared to be wowed!

*Ghostlight dinner. Added people: Gabe and Mariah from Kai! (Photo cred Ghostlight)*

One of my favorite things about the Annapolis Show time - working The Boat Galley booth, teaching at Cruisers University and being asked to speak at the SSCA Annapolis Gam - is the people I meet. This past fall, after the SSCA gathering, a group of us set up a WhatsApp chat to cheer each other on for fitness stuff. This has quickly morphed into a general life check in space. What fun to share an anchorage (and a few delicious dinners) with Halekai, an Alden 50, with Ann and Greg aboard. And at least do a fly by with Loka, a Caliber 47 with Pinky and Charlie!

*Dinner with Greg and Ann at Lorraine’s Cafe in Black Point*

*Deranged early morning selfie fly-by with Pinky and Charlie*

The booth work offered more chances for on the water connections. We’ve been trying to spend time with Amy and David from Starry Horizons, a Fontaine Pajot 44, for a couple of years now. Finally we made it happen in Red Shanks, one of the anchorages to the south end of Elizabeth Harbour (George Town). Breakfast on SH, a boat tour of Mischief, a shared dinghy ride in Marauder . . . what fun.

*David and Amy (and us) in Marauder, with Starry Horizons in the background*

And another fly by to check in on Kimberly and Mike on AllyCat, a Gemini 32, as winds and disparate plans made spending more time actually anchored together not work. That didn’t preclude a good half hour of gabbing non-stop in the Shell Beach anchorage of Great Harbour Cay while they circled a slowly-sailing Mischief in their dinghy, boat dog Tori hanging on the bow with a massive grin on her face.

*Less deranged, less early selfie with Ally Cat crew and boat in the background!*

We’ve seen people who we last saw in the boatyard. Endeavour, an Allied 30, with Andrew, Sarah, Conrad, and Caleb aboard, left just a couple of weeks ahead of us, bound offshore for the Bahamas. We caught them in Green Turtle Cay (one of those overindulgent nights on Sender) and again in George Town. We’re hoping to see them again in the Chesapeake.

*Sunshine makes good photos hard. With Andrew, Conrad, Caleb, and Sarah! (photo credit: Endeavour)*

Ritual, a Sloucum 43 with Lisa and Fred aboard, left Oak Harbour in the fall of 2022 heading to warmer spots. We’ve traded mails and even radio calls when they were in harbor in the Abacos and we were northbound on Calypso in April of 2023 (and again when they were in Vero Beach and we were offshore heading to the Bahamas in November). Finally FINALLY we caught up with each other in the Exumas, where we were able to share a couple of evenings on the boats. Yippee!

*Sundowners on Mischief with Lisa and Fred!*

Once upon a time we were members at Fishing Bay Yacht Club with Caroline and Duncan Jones. They moved away, we left the club; we lost track of each other. Getting a surprise text from Caroline saying they were in George Town on their new-to-them boat (a Balance 44 named Headquarters) meant we had to get together - so we did!

*After a Chat-N-Chill lunch with Caroline and Duncan from the Balance 44 Headquarters*

Last winter in the Eastern Caribbean we had a blast with Mimzy, a Dean 44 with Kim, Jason, Benji, and pets Wiley and Nikki. They picked up some desired provisions for us from Martinique (cough rhum cough) on their way north and we made it a point to be in George Town when they arrived. This photo, from our final evening with them before we left to get north, is one of my favorites of the season. We’re laughing so hard it’s blurry . . .

*Blurry laughter and much much love right here*

We pulled into Lady’s Island Marina, in Beaufort, SC, a couple of days ago, curious about this marina where a friend of mine (Kimberly from Pegu Club, a Bristol 29.9) is now the dock master. Ivy, from Abner E (a Pacific Seacraft 44 who we met at Oak Harbor) caught one of the docklines.

I could go on and on about connections in the cruising community. The hopscotching nature of the life means that it’s very, very likely you’ll run into each other again. Goodbyes are hard. Luckily they’re more like “see you down the road.”