Our sailing journey can be divided into two distinct phases - before and after finding our tribe.
In our first year, we mostly sailed alone, rarely encountering other sailing families. Perhaps our isolation was due to our lack of community-seeking skills, or maybe such a community didn't exist where and when we were sailing.
Everything changed last hurricane season when we encountered a group of family boats happy to welcome us into their fold. Suddenly, we had a tribe—people to meet up with onshore, friends for our kids and us to visit, and a sense of belonging.
What I cherish most about this group is the acceptance—it doesn't matter where you're from; you're valued. If you need alone time or assistance, there's no issue; help is readily available. Parents watch over all the kids on the beach, offering help without even being asked.
Life has become simple and uncomplex: kids paddle between boats, borrowing milk or fuses is easy, movie nights or beach bonfires are regular, and they enjoy togetherness.
Anchoring and moving from bay to bay became cumbersome since plans now involved multiple boats, not ours. Yet, the feeling of moving as a tribe and transitioning together to the next spot is incredibly thrilling.
Since joining this tribe, we have belonged to our boat and the sea and to this small community we've built.
We're constantly together yet apart - sailing, separating, meeting again, and planning rendezvous for special events, then moving on.
Our last meetup a few days ago, now just four boats, was particularly moving for me. I knew we'd reunite in the Bahamas after returning from Israel, but the sense of belonging when we hugged was surprising.
There's no substitute for our family back home, but this community has become our chosen family, making us feel at home wherever we go.
So, we'll be together and apart for the next month, after which we'll split for good—we'll continue another hurricane season on this side of the ocean while the other three boats return to Europe.
There are people we carry with us for life; on this journey, it's a whole community.
I've dedicated many posts to this topic, but I felt compelled to share again because finding the right tribe truly transforms the sailing experience.
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