It’s interesting how many new people we meet as a result of cruising… We left Newport in October and went down Long Island sound and in Port Washington we met our good friends Mike and Jane, but also were introduced to Erica and Jos Coobs, a really nice Dutch couple on Endless Summer – who we met again in Hampton Virginia, the start of the Salty Dawg rally. There, we joined 83 other boats in the rally – some of which we initiated close friendships with – Patty and Peter on Serendipitous, Tess and Al on Ingomar, Rick and Julie Palm on Archer, Mike, Cindy and Steve on Integrity, Chris on Bristol Head, Reinhart and Mindy on Rockhopper, Lee on Hippocampus, Hank and Seal on Flash and many other folk we met, drank and ate with and will recognize again when we see them along the way – giving us another chance to form more close friendships.

Reinhart & Mindy (Rockhopper) and Lee (Hippocampus)

Tom (s/v Courage), Tess and Al (s/v Ingomar

Laurie leads Patty and Peter on a shopping mission

Since we’ve been in the Caribbean, we’ve met more – Ken and Judith on Badger’s Sett, Bas and Agnes on Di Sento, Tom and Susan aboard Nomad, Matt and Kathleen on Kindred Spirit… as well as a host of other new faces – some of which we’re bound to see again as we ply the seas hither and thither… We also hope to bump into Rob and Julia a delightful couple we met at the Bubbly Pool on Jost van Dyke – hoping you guys will contact us!

This cruising way is an interesting way – in some regards the friendships we form are very temporary – but in others ways, they are very lasting as we are sure we’ll see many of these new friends along the way and will have many stories to share over a sundowner – the infamous yotie religion!

Cheers!