Hats Off to New Friends!
04 December 2014 | Richards Bay, South Africa
Lorecan, Lawrence and Anne of s/v Sea Shoes
Hats Off to s/v Sea Shoes!!!
Lawrence, Anne and Lorecan of s/v Sea Shoes are an incredible family who welcomed us into their country with open arms and open hearts!
From the moment that we threw our lines into their waiting hands on the dock, we were in the best of care. Laurence, Anne and Lorecan are passionate about their country and a fountain of knowledge about South Africa, Richards Bay and the needs of newly arrived cruisers. They are the ambassadors of the area!
No question is too small, no request is too large. The day after we arrived, when I mentioned that I had a dentist appointment, Laurence said, without a moment’s hesitation, that he would drive me there. He took Michael to the mall while I was at the dentist, came to pick me up, stopped by the marina to pick up Anne and two other cruisers and drove us to the mall. There they guided us to the various shops to find what we needed and then we all met for a delicious lunch.
From there we went to a grocery store that took my breath away. It has been many countries and many years since I’ve seen a grocery store with so many fresh and luscious looking fruits and vegetables. I wanted to buy everything and worked hard to restrain myself. It might be hard to imagine and it is certainly hard to describe, what it feels like to see such bounty, especially when one is not able to just jump into a car and run to the grocery store at whim. It really makes one appreciative.
Michael and I knew we needed to haul Gromit out of the water and asked Laurence if he knew about the travel-lift at Zululand Yacht Club. Of course he did!!! He was already aware of the fact that we had contacted the Club and drove us over to put the haul-out into motion.
That was Friday; a full, full day! We fell into bed that night!
So, hats off to the Crew of s/v Sea Shoes; Laurence, Anne and Lorecan, who have shown us a welcome beyond anything we could have dreamed of!
Thank you.
Also, I would like to mention that Lawrence is an author and his books can be found on amazon.com under the pseudonym ‘Don Darkes’. Check him out!