The cruising community, while very spread out, is a pretty small one and the vast majority of them are very open and easy to get to know. Maybe it's the fact that we have so many things and experiences in common or maybe it's just that those who make it out there all have some similar traits in common. In any case, after awhile, where ever you go, friendly faces are always popping up. A case in point is us. We only met in person once, that time in 2004 in Monterey when I recognized the name of your boat from the sailing forum and came by to see if it was the same boat. Our wakes haven't crossed since, but I know that when they do, we'll have a bond from shared experiences (by the way, we no longer own our Tayana, Tricia Jean. We now have Loose Pointer, a Kelly-Peterson 44).

Another example that typifies this happened when my son and I were delivering our boat up from New Zealand. We had stopped at Amerian Samoa to pick up some packages we were having shipped down. We came into the harbor at Pago Pago just as it was getting dark, so couldn't see who else was there. When I woke up the next morning, there was s/v Panache anchored next to us. We had spent a few months with her skipper, Joe (a single hander) in El Salvador some years back. I really enjoyed being able to spend some more time with him.

One of the hardest aspects of cruising is that you're always having to say goodbye to friends. One of the best parts is that you are always reconnecting with them unexpectedly.