A couple weeks ago we bought a motor for our dinghy from some cruisers we met on Facebook. We rowed out to their boat, and they invited us onboard for a drink and to chat. Their names were Robyn and Barry and they were beyond helpful and informative. They were giving us the lowdown on the "dos" and "don'ts" of the sailing world, talking about their favorite islands and kept telling us to "put ourselves out there". They were actually retired architects from Utah and worked on a lot of UVU, so we had plenty to talk about. By the time we left they had given us a used cruising guide book and a pair of bluetooth headsets we can use when we drop anchor. They were so kind, warm, and willing to share their wealth of knowledge with us inexperienced sailors.
Then this past weekend, a gentleman from Australia and a woman from Germany sparked up conversation with us while we were out walking on the beach. We told them the synopsis of our predicament being stuck on land, and they immediately offered to come help us wet sand and paint. We told them they didn't need to do that, but they insisted. Sure enough, come Monday morning, Kevin shows up with his own bucket, scraper, and towel ready to work. This was super helpful because we have been waiting three weeks to be moved to the "working" side of the marina (we were told we couldn't sand on our side because we were too close to the restaurant), but Kevin showed us how to wet sand so we didn't create any dust. He stayed all day long to help us, and then invited us onto his boat for dinner.
Dinner was magnificent. His wife, Erica, had made avocado, fish, brussel sprouts, and pumpkin mash. Then she made homemade creme bru le and pie for desert. And then tea and hot chocolate to top it all off. It was incredible. This couple has sailed from the Caribbean to Australia six different times. They always sell their boat in Australia, fly back and buy a new one. They were also very informative on places to go and to not go, and what kind of tricks of the trade there are when going through the Panama Canal.
If this wasn't enough, they showed up bright and early the next morning to help us tape and paint our boat. Erica even came by again later with more homemade avocado for us. These all are truly some of the nicest and most thoughtful people we have ever met. It is incredible how much hospitality and love we have received from cruisers from all over. I am loving being a part of a sailing culture where people take care of you and care about you- even if you only cross paths for a little while.
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