Back in September a woman on a Canadian boat we were anchored next to in Atlantic City yelled over to Jack, “I know that boat! That’s Chocobo!” At the same time we got an email from the previous owners of our boat — ex-Chocobo — telling us we were anchored right next to their friends on La Jeannoise. A few days later La Jeannoise anchored next to us in Back Creek, Annapolis, and when the boat show ended and everyone left that’s the last we saw of them. Until yesterday. After we got the anchor down securely we looked around to get our bearings and who should we be anchored alongside? Yup. La Jeannoise.
We like to think we’re forging our own path but truth be told we’re part of a community of long-distance cruisers and we recognize more and more boats as time goes on. There are definitely waypoints that change the mix here and there. Many boats sail to the Bahamas for the winter then go back to the states. Some go as far as the Virgins or St Martin then head back. We’re now in the group spending hurricane season in Grenada or Trinidad. And when November comes many of the boats here will migrate back up island for the winter months while we plan to continue toward Panama and the Pacific. That will put us into a whole new subgroup and we’ll lose the lose contact with the boats we’ve become friendly with. It’s a strange life. We make friends, we miss friends, and we’re always enriched by the experience.