Cruising Buddies

Cruising can sometimes be a lonely pursuit – especially if you’re stuck in a harbour for days on end, waiting out high winds. We’ve been in Staniel Cay since last Sunday, when we hid out from the first storm, had 2 days of calm, and have now been hit with a second more powerful blow. This kind of wind even makes it difficult to dinghy anywhere, as the water is rough. So people tend to stay on their boats, watching weather forecasts.

But we’ve had a couple of great days, due to the proximity of the sailors’ beach, and our lovely new German friends on sailing vessel Toodaloo.

Yesterday we took our dinghy to the sailors’ beach nearby – so named because the sailors have furnished it with lawn chairs and picnic tables and decorated it with pieces of driftwood bearing their boat names. It’s used for “sundowners”, where people gather to socialize over shared snacks and drinks they provide. We went there during a beautifully sunny (if windy) day, and spent a quiet couple of hours lazing on the beach, swimming and giving our dinghy a good scrubbing.

Then back to the boat, where the phone was ringing with an invitation from Toodaloo to join Jonas, Jane and Kim (all in their late 30’s) for dinner on their boat at 6:00. And what a dinner! It turns out that the two men are gourmet chefs, and with Jane’s help, filled the cockpit table with overflowing dishes of fresh conch salad, fresh-caught grouper sashimi, torched to perfection in front of us, garden salad, white and sweet potatoes, grouper pieces cooked with butter and lime, fish heads cooked in an amazing Thai curry sauce, and endless glasses of pina colada, made on the spot. The best meal and conversation we’ve had since we arrived!  Unfortunately, these cruising buddies are heading back to Europe soon, but maybe we’ll see them again in Berlin, Toronto or New Brunswick. Meanwhile, it’s great to meet new friends in this beautiful place.