Meeting Up with Wind Wanderer Again

One of the joys of cruising is meeting new friends in a port and then meeting up with them again and again and again. We first met the Wind Wanderer crew, Sandy and Vic, in the Cocos Keeling Islands near the beginning of our Indian Ocean transit. Their Australian-flagged, 1982-vintage CT54 ketch was anchored close to Cups off Direction Island. As cruisers often do, we met up with them again in Port Louis, Mauritius and then again in Durban. We'd chat amiably each time we met, but it wasn't until our time together in Durban that we really got to know each other and spend some time together and since then we've been in frequent contact, but never in the same port.

Since we had a hire car and the First Mate convinced the Captain that we were due for a play day, we gave the Wanderer crew a call and headed to Simonstown. We spotted Wind Wanderer as we turned the corner heading into the port. She was snugged up against the outside of the pier at the False Bay Yacht Club.

After hugs and a coffee at the yacht club, we headed off to lunch. It was Vic and Sandy that first told us about Live Bait in Kalk Bay and we decided our farewell lunch should be celebrated there. There's never a dearth of conversation between the four of us. One thing about hanging out with Wind Wanderer, she seems to have as many issues lately as Nine of Cups. Misery loves company! They've had generator issues and engine issues and now transmission problems and a broken bobstay. Whenever we chat, we always have much to commiserate about.

One of less pleasant parts about cruising is saying goodbye to friends you've made. Vic and Sandy will be staying in South Africa awhile to sort out their boat problems and then will head back to Australia when Sandy's first grandchild is born. We will be heading across the Atlantic. Perhaps, we'll see them in the Carib or meet up in New Orleans … we've talked about that possibility. In the meantime, it's goodbye for now with lots of pleasant memories. I've promised to leave a package of goodies for them at the Royal Cape YC desk for them to collect:  a couple of Australian courtesy flags and a slightly-tasted jar of Vegemite.