One of the saner spots along the Canal des esclaves, with Kantala and Strider, in Martinique.
Written March 13,
Simpson Bay Lagoon, St. Martin
I feel like we’ve been very lucky with the people we’ve met as we travel. A nice little cruising gang took shape in Martinique, half by chance. It was made up of sailing vessels Strider, Cape Crusader, Kantala and ourselves.
I say half by chance because it was never really intentional. But we were all heading north, and we would cross paths periodically, at different anchorages on different islands. And it would always feel like a wonderful reunion when you would dinghy past their boat, or they yours, and you would swap stories about the last passage. This turned into doing land outings together — hiking up a volcano or along a centuries-old aqueduct, or to a rainforest waterfall, or an old military fort. Or we’d share a beer or coffee, or a meal.
A wee shout-out to our friends:
We met Strider last year in St. Martin, and saw them again in the boatyard in Grenada. They are a boat with teenagers, a rare gem in a sea of free-wheelin’ retirees. Of course the kids hooked up and we always knew where Strider was, and when we next catch up to them.
We spent many a fine evening with the Striders. And it was a sad day when we saw them disappear over the horizon as they sailed up one side of Guadeloupe, and we the other.
We met Cape Crusader at the boatyard this year. On the hard, they were strategically located right by the bathrooms, showers and laundry, so they knew everyone and the lo-down on everything.
We lost track of Cape Crusader after Grenada, but found ourselves anchored just off their stern in Fort-de-France, Martinique, where we’d gone to seek shelter from some strong winds. Hilarious, entertaining and warm, Jaro and Vivianne gave us a welcome taste of Québec (and Brno!) in the Caribbean.
S/V Kantala made her Caribbean debut (for us) in St. Pierre, Martinique. Kantala has been sailed by the same power duo, Sheila and Michael, for 27 years. They impressed us with their warmth, energy and wonderful stories of travelling the world at a beautifully civilized pace.
We kept up with Kantala for a few islands, and had the good fortune to enjoy their company in Dominica, Guadeloupe, and again in St. Martin. They were gracious hosts and guests, shared their books and yogurt cultures, and then high tailed it off to Cuba to catch the free Stones concert.
It always seems sad to me when we have to say good-bye to good people we’ve met. But … I guess it will just make the reunion, when- and wherever that may be, all the sweeter.