Family

A long voyage stands or falls by your friends. The friends who make it possible in the first place. The friends you meet along the way, bit-players in each other's lives. The friends who help you without question in your moment of need. The friends who help you sail your boat for parts of the voyage. The friends who you grow closer to as the voyage continues, seeking out each other's company time and again.

There is too little space to thank everyone but these are among the people who deserve our special gratitude:

Tom and Roz Cunliffe for all they taught us, for sharing their immense knowledge and experience of the sea, sailing and life aboard as a family. Wouter Steusel, Johan Vels and everyone else whose vision and energy created La Novia to begin with. Chris and Christine Swain, for crewing with us to the Canaries and for teaching us so much about entertaining children aboard on the way. Yacht Bridget, for their encouragement and advice. FKG Rigging, the best engineering facility in the Caribbean, for the fantastic work that they did for us. Yacht Promise for their help encouragement and hospitality. Fiona for her heroic efforts crewing on La Novia on the way to Cuba. Leigh, for crewing la Novia with me from the USA back to the Caribbean and for maintaining an even strength through four days of pretty large weather. Ocean Breezes, Ohana, 3T, Sea Fever, Dolphins, Wetnose and the other kiddie boats whose support and friendship made 2005 such a joy. Eva on 3T for giving art classes on the beach (click here to see her work). Harold on Tanivani for sharing his remarkable electronics skills with us and with everyone else. Everyone that we met in New Zealand for their welcome and hospitality. Chris Smith for his commitment and skill during La Novia's New Zealand refit and for crewing Novia with me from New Zealand to Thailand.

Thank you all.