Old and new friends
22 February 2012 | Lake Worth - near West Palm Beach, FL
Randy - low 80's, SSW winds 10-20
Steve and Michelle Papile, cruising friends we met in the Bahamas in 2009 were in the area and got in touch with me. Steve had sailed his boat John Ray, an IP38 sister ship to Kristinly, down this way from New England and was in Titusville. Michelle had flown in on vacation. After numerous calls, we were able to meet up in Lake Worth on a boat named Tanquility, owned by Cameron and Leighia Murray. New Zealanders, they are long time cruisers and are raising two kids on the boat, about the ages of 6 and 8. I forget the kids names, but all very nice. The boat is in the 60' range with 16' beam, steel hull, and they work from the boat, providing renewable energy services to boaters, among other things. Cameron has a shop complete with lathe and welder. He's no joke! They also started a foundation called Sailors Without Borders, and have dedicated themselves to bringing everything from computers, books, shoes, etc. to Haiti for the last five years or so. They do this on their boat! To hear him describe it, there is barely room to walk sideways when the boat is loaded, and it sits lower in the water by about 8". They are on their way back to New Zealand via Haiti with another load for the Haitians and I wish them fair winds. So there you have it: reuniting with old friends and making new. In many ways, that is a lot of what cruising is all about.
It was a brief visit though as I did not even get to the anchorage until sunset at 1815 and after a long day of BRIDGES (AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!!), I was spent and also had things to get done for the next day. The really good news is the water temperature is getting close to the mid-70's!