Special Friends...

One of our discoveries (and not so surprising) is that while the few places we've been to are really beautiful to look at and explore, it truly is the people that make the experience and help create the best memories. We've been so very fortunate to have fallen into favor with a wonderful small group of people in St. Maarten. Each of them has made our time here special and is making it harder and harder for us to move on. They've come from different corners of the world, are all friends with each other and have an almost symbiotic relationship in some ways. They spend much of their time poking fun at each other and getting laughs at each others' expense, but at the end of the day, you'd be hard pressed to find a tighter group of people who would go to the ends of the earth not only for each other, but for the likes of us too.

Patrick and Sofia – Our introduction to St. Maarten, ruthless Domino players, and the couple who sold us EXODO who have been so helpful and accessible each time we've had a question about the boat (and there have been many), or anything else about anything else for that matter. Without their help, we'd surly still be trying to figure out how some of the boat's systems work, and we would definitely have bought and a new fridge and a new windless by now! Patrik still wants to be a 4 year old and Olivia loves Patrik – so they are quite a pair together– we are just waiting to start hearing Olivia recite some colorful new vocabulary with a Swedish accent.



Lindsay and Margy – Friends that we met through Patrik and Sofia. Lindsay runs a workshop at Bobbie's Marina and has the heart of a saint. A kinder, more generous, knowledgeable, capable yachtsman you'll never meet. Lindsay kindly allowed Ron the use of his shop space, chandlery discount, tools and know-how each time there was something to repair (almost everyday) in exchange for a good laugh when Ron provides the entertainment (shocking himself on an outboard engine, falling off the shop roof, etc.) Margy is everyone's friend and animal lover extraordinaire. She takes in strays from dogs to people and makes the best ribs ever and has fallen in love with our Olivia. Sorry Margy, we love you, but we're keeping our girl forever.



Mike and Del – We first met Mike and Del (Delphaine) at a dinner at Lindsay and Margy's house. A kind and generous couple from Texas that now call St. Maarten their home for most of the year. Mike makes beautiful furniture (he made the extension for our cockpit table and his own 'floating' dining room table) and Del is a very talented jewelry designer who has also fallen in love with Miss Olivia and is sure she is the princess daughter she was meant to have! Del is also a fabulous cook who hosted the whole crew for a spectacular Easter dinner. We are told by reliable sources that we should be back in the neighborhood for Christmas dinner – hmmmm...



Royce – American Airlines pilot on leave to enjoy his passion of wind surfing and sailing the Caribbean for 5 years. Also happens to be the Redd Bull Sales rep for the Caribbean. Comes and goes faster than the wind, but always more than willing to lend a hand (or a smart remark about Patrik) Royce was our own personal pilot escort the first time we took Exodo out of the lagoon for her shakedown sail.

Kate – Marine Biologist AKA The Queen of Statia – Kate just landed a great job as the Director of Park Services for the Island of St. Eustatius (Statia) and has promised that when she takes the throne at the end of April, she will still remember all the little peons and periodically allow us to visit her in her new kingdom. We have always planned to go to Statia and now we'll know a friendly face there!



Joe – AKA Porno Joe. Don't know all the stories behind that yet, but Joe is a regular in this crew while he culminates his own dream of circumnavigating and kindly went up the bosun's chair for us when we needed someone to feel a line through the top of the mast. Joe and Kate have this crazy on again, off again kind of thing going and I think it's on again...no, off again...no, on again....wait a sec....


There are others too and I could go on all afternoon, but time and tide are waning and we do have to make some attempt to finish the chores to get underway at some point. We will surly miss 5:00 at Lindsay's.

Pictures to follow...