Friends we've met along the way

The special thing about cruising is the friends we meet along the way. The fun of meeting new boats, in out of the way places, with dreams the same as ours. Often we'll join together for excursions, meals or just catch ups. It's always a little sad when our paths diverge and we have to say goodbye, but we rejoice when we see them at some anchorage further down the track. Each friend plays a special part in our cruising dream and indeed have in some way contributed to our success and the enjoyment we get out of the cruising life.

Below are a list of web links of some of our friends we've met along the way. If you have the time, feel free to browse some of their pages and you'll see their dreams and adventures come to life in their own words.

S/Y Mehari www.sevensailors.us

These guys are an amazing family. We met them in Marmaris, right at the beginning of our journey and we grew to love them immediately. They told us anecdotes of their adventures and gave us so much love and inspiration. Some families you just click with and know you'll always stay in touch – this is one such family.

S/Y Time Warp www.sailblogs.com/member/timewarp1

Peter, Ruth and Will were another great family we met in Marmaris and have stayed in touch with. Although we didn't spend a great deal of time with them, we're looking forward to seeing more of them as we cross into the Caribbean. Will spent hours playing with Nick and taking him for rides in the dingy.

M/Y Wind Horse www.setsail.com

We met Steve, Linda, their daughter Sarah and her friend Vera while in Soto Grande, Mallorca, when they clipped a poorly marked reef. They have sailed around the world and I was enthralled by Linda's stories of sailing in the high latitudes (above 80^o north)

S/Y Sunburnt www.sunburnt08.com

We met Tony and Annie in the marina in Gibraltar. There were only a few Aussie boats in the marina, so they invited us over for a few drinks one night, where we enjoyed some friendly banter, as only Aussies can do. We also met their friends on board Dream Catcher, another Aussie boat.

S/Y Barefeet www.NotAllThoseWhoWanderAreLost.com

We met Erin and Chris as we were preparing to leave Gibraltar. We both set sail the same day and stayed in contact as we went through the straits of Gibraltar and down the Moroccan coast.

S/V Glass Slipper http://web.mac.com/svslipper

We met John and Cindy early in our adventure, when we had anchoring woes in Serifos. We met them again in Morocco and had a great time catching up. John has just published his first book about a young boy called Tommy Tiller, who is sailing around the world with his family. It's a work of fiction, but is a fantastic book based on their experiences, and those around him.

S/V Bondi Tram http://blog.mailasail.com/bonditram

We met these fellow Aussies in Mahon, Menorca when their anchor was dragging and Steve went to help them. We've seen them

S/V Wigwam http://wigwam.flyandsail.de

We met Gundala and Thoralf on the ferry when we were travelling from Mindello to Santo Antao in the Cape Verdes. We played cards on the ferry and chatted, then met them again in Roseau, Dominica.

S/V Interlude http://sailinginterlude.com

We first met Kurt and Katie in Isla Graciosa, Canary Islands. They're currently completing a 9 year circumnavigation. We met them again in Guadeloupe where Nick enjoyed an extended guitar lesson with them and came back to the boat with lots of new music and songs to practice.

S/Y Squander http://blog.gav7.com

We met Gavin (owner), Simon, Andy and Caitlin in Bonaire. They're another example of Aussies having fun. These three young guys are sailing from America back to Australia and making the most of every minute.

S/Y Guppy www.lauradekker.nl

Laura is a 15 year old solo sailor we have been crossing paths with since around Gibraltar when we first met her. She's born a Kiwi, but has lived most of her life in the Netherlands and is setting out on an around the world solo sail to become the youngest girl to circumnavigate solo.