Jeff and I just hosted our first company aboard Kismet. After seven days sharing approximately 200 sq. ft. (that’s less than 50 sq. ft. p/p, if you count the 2 boat dogs), I am happy to say that it was a successful endeavor.

Sharon, an old friend from our early Atlanta days, was ½ of the couple that introduced us to cruising. (Her husband passed away several years ago). Together, we chartered catamarans in both the BVI’s and Windward Islands in the Caribbean back in the early ’90’s. Over the years our contacts waned, but we would always share the memories of wonderful sailing days past.

Sharon’s partner John joined us on this trip. He is also a sailor, so we had plenty of experienced hands onboard. We met him briefly the year before, and he seemed like a good fit, both for Sharon and as a sailing buddy.

They flew in to the miniscule airport at Staniel Cay, the only passengers aboard their equally diminutive Watermakers Air flight. They were schlepping along an extra bag of items that we ordered from Amazon. (This seems to be the norm for visitors of cruisers.)

After hugs and kisses, we got down to the mandatory rum punches and introductions to the boat.

Minimal water usage, please. We don’t have a watermaker on board and have to fill our tanks with one 5-gallon water jug. Used toilet paper in the basket. Quirks of lighting the stove and grill. Yadda yadda yadda.

After a beautiful sunset and Indonesian pork on the grill, we were ready to begin our adventure.

Shroud Cay is an achingly beautiful island, laced with mangrove-lined tidal creeks that beg to be explored at high tide. We puttered Dingo the dink as far as we could before the water became too shallow. We dug our little Danforth anchor into 8 inches of water and continued on foot to the easternmost shore.

Due to the force of the current and waves, tons of flotsam and jetsam wash up on the exposed shores of many of these islands. At first I was really upset at the thoughtlessness of boaters, but upon further inspection of the debris, it became obvious that it wasn’t just local, but likely from many corners of our world. Asian food containers, South American soda bottles, and various boat parts and lost cargo littered the shoreline. Most was plastic in some form.

Never one to ignore a shopping opportunity, I scoured the isles for salvageable goodies, and returned to the boat with a pair of swim goggles, an unopened bottle of sunscreen, and a fine-toothed comb. (The comb was for removing burrs from the dogs.)

The water was perfect for paddleboarding around the mangroves, and John and I took turns racing against Dingo.

Little Farmers Cay is a tiny, poor settlement in the Central Exumas. After walking the length of the Island, we settled on the Farmers Cay Yacht Club for dinner. Not the type of Yacht Club we have back in the states, this was a weather-worn shanty surrounded by a few questionable piers. (No boats were tied here). We placed our orders at 3:30, and were told to return for dinner at 7:30.

As we walked down the sandy lane, we saw a frail Bahamian woman carrying a pan of what I presumed was our peas and rice. At the Government dock, a truck pulled up and received a cooler of freshly caught seafood. Ahhhhh… dinner!! We returned at 7:30 for a tasty feast of fresh fish and lobster.

Next morning, on the dock, we saw a sign advertising conch salad. We ordered four of various types. A local fisherman rolled up his pantlegs, hopped in the water and pulled four live conchs from a pile below. Within a half-hour, we had the freshest, tastiest conch salad I’ve ever eaten.

Snorkeling at “Thunderball Cave” is a must-do. This is the famous site of the movies Thunderball (James Bond) and Splash. Once inside the shallow grotto, the sun shines in from holes above the rocks, and a colorful array of tropical fish surround you, perhaps hoping for a feeding.

After every days adventures both ashore and sailing the turquoise waters, we returned to Kismet’s roomy cockpit for refreshment and refueling.

She is small, our home on the sea, but she is reliable and solid. And she will continue to surround us with memories old and new.