12:38:15N 61:23:42W

 

Tobago Cays

 

Sometimes you make a decision or meet a person and your life changes completely.  If you saw the movie Sliding Doors, with a brilliant Gwyneth Paltrow, then you will know the feeling (and hence today’s movie title).  We feel that way about Aschanti, or to be more precise, skipper Kalle Ebner, who David first met in 2000 in Palma, Majorca.  Meeting Kalle presented us with opportunities that gave us the confidence, skills, experience and finance to pursue the cruising lifestyle we have since adopted.  

 

Back in 2000 when Kalle was skippering a classic schooner Sea Gypsy and David was pounding the docks in Palma looking for work, Kalle took David on as first mate/engineer.  They became firm friends, being only a few days apart in age, having similar interests and sharing the same bizarre sense of humour!  I joined Sea Gypsy for a month late in the season, sailing from Sardinia to Majorca.  A few years later Kalle asked us to join him on Aschanti for a two month trip from Italy to Martinique in the Caribbean.  We did, had a fantastic time and struggled to settle down back in Marlborough.  In 2005 Kalle offered us permanent jobs on Aschanti and we didn’t hesitate, re-joining the classic schooner in Brazil as first mate/engineer and cook.  We had an amazing 18 months - taking part in Antigua Classic Race Week, the Rolex Maxi yacht series in Sardinia, did two Atlantic crossings and even managed to score VIP tickets to the Monaco Grand Prix. 

 

Not only were our lives changed but that of two of our children – Ryan and Ping – who both worked on Aschanti. Ryan joined us for the sail from Rio de Janeiro to the Caribbean and ended up as deckhand for three months, giving him the experience and confidence to get a job on another boat.  He joined Australian motor yacht Keri Lee in the Caribbean and sailed her across the Pacific to Brisbane before doing a season on another motor yacht in the Caribbean.  Ping spent a year on Aschanti, joining the boat in Spain, crossing the Atlantic and sailing up the eastern seaboard of the USA before going down the east coast of South America, rounding Cape Horn to Chile.  At Antigua Classic Week she met Stefano, a long distance relationship followed and the two are now happily living in New Zealand for the summer.

 

As I write this, Aschanti is anchored beside us in the Tobago Cays and we’ve had a great night on board with Kalle, his wife Lily, their children and the crew.  It’s taken us five years to connect on the sea.....and it was wonderful when we finally saw the familiar wooden masts and gleaming black hull of Aschanti.  Oddly enough – we were here on Aschanti in 2006 with Ryan on board.  Kalle and Aschanti have been good to us and it was fantastic to have a wonderful night on board with lots of laughs, lots of silly stories retold and plenty of reminiscing. 

 

Long may the friendship last.