S/V Earthling: Among Friends

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Among Friends

Tua Tua in Rodney Bay

One might think that cruising on a boat and island hopping could be lonesome! But I’m almost never alone! We always meet new and interesting people from cruisers to locals.
In the cruising community flags attracts flags, If you are flying a U.S flag, it’s more likely to reach out to other Americans. When I see Swedish flags, I get excited! Germans hang out with Germans, French with French and so on!
As an Earthling, you talk to everyone everywhere! Like our friends Pontus and Malee, who are true Earthlings. One day during the visit in Dominica, Nico and I went ashore and as we were tying up the dinghy, a guy on the dock noticed the 30yr old Chrysler outboard on Earthling 8.8 and admired it! One conversation led to another and Pontus turned out to be from Sweden! After our brief interaction in Dominica, he was planning to sail to Trinidad so we parted hoping to see each other next year. Last Friday at the “Jump Up” in the town of Gros Ilet; Nico, Mike, Rebecca, and I were dancing and mingling with the locals on the street as somebody suddenly appears and it’s Pontus! The wind wasn’t in their favor so they had to turn into Rodney Bay for an overnight! Pontus and Malee are on a Laurin 28ft named “Tua Tua” with an interesting history. The first Swedish single handler around the world sailed on “Tua Tua” in 1972 and the book is in many Swedish boats’ book shelves. Pontus’s family are cruisers and he has grown up on sailboats more or less all his life! I have realized that children that grow up on boats, turn out bright, social, mature faster, easy going, and they are more adaptable to change.
The last few days, we have been hanging out with Pontus and Malee. The four of us sailed Earthling down to Marigot bay, anchored by “Zero to Cruising”. We all are going to Anse La Raye for the Friday Jump up as another friend of mine is flying in from the U.S to join Earthling.