There are a lot of single-handed sailors out there sailing alone either by choice or forced into it. As a family of four we have human interactions on a daily basis which still has us needing to meet new people.  The great thing about living on a boat is that you can easily choose to sail alone or mingle with others. More often than not we realize that the sailors we have met along the way create the great memories we keep and can even lead to lifelong friendships. Keep in mind that the cruising community is a very small world and it is easy to keep running into old friends again and again.There are a few options to avoid being alone which I will share with you.

Choosing the right destination

Secluded islands with your very own private anchorage and beach has a huge appeal as they are pristine and quiet. However, after a while this loneliness can have you wanting to mingle with others. This means choosing your destination accordingly. For example if cruising the Bahamas traveling to San Salvador Island or the Raggeds means that you may be more alone. If you are a solo sailor and wish to have many interactions with others, pick an area which is known to attract many boats such as Georgetown in the Exumas. A few towns even have their own cruiser net on VHF radio every morning which makes it so much easier to connect with others. Do a little bit of research and it won’t be hard to find where other cruisers go to. This means there might be more community events or people looking for someone to go do an activity with during the day.

Happy Hour/ Sundowners

Sailors love their rum, so goes the saying. It might not always be rum but they definitely enjoy happy hour or sharing a drink around sunset. Certain areas will have a bar which offers the famous Happy Hour where people converge. Alternatively, when on an inhabited island there might be a hut where everyone meets at the beach around 4:30 for example. This makes it easy to choose whether or not you want to meet others. 

Buddy boating

This is what we currently are doing cruising around the Bahamas with another sailor who has two young boys. We get along with the parents and all 4 kids love playing together. This is a great way to always have friends around for activities, share the task of meal making and provide safety if something goes wrong while sailing. We have met numerous sailors who travel that way sometimes just for a few days or months depending on travel plans.

Finding Crew

There are websites and groups for finding crew to tag along for a duration and destination of your choosing. Just keep in mind that you never really know what kind of person you may meet. We have heard great stories as well as bad ones. Having someone onboard which you already know or comes recommended is also another option.

Knocking on a boat

After spending a few weeks sailing San Salvador and only meeting one other boat once we sailed back to Long Island we were very excited to see a monohull pull into our anchorage. Simply because we went knocking on their hull and introduced ourselves it lead to sailing along side for a few months before parting ways. Two years later we ran back into them and it was as if we never had split up. So remember just breaking away from your comfort zone and putting yourself out there might mean meeting amazing people. We also do a lot of spearfishing and when the freezer is full and we have too many fish we will invite all the boats in the anchorage for a fish fry at the beach. It is a great way to break the ice and have a good meal with others. 

Join a club

Look around your marina as there often are some racing nights which might be a great way to hop on someone’s boat or have a hang out after the race is over. There also are some regattas in many islands and even rallys.

Human interactions are so beneficial and we have found that it enhances the experience. Stories are told, knowledge is shared and lifelong friendships are formed. By mingling we have learnt about islands to travel to and numerous tips. It also helps when something breaks onboard as there is always something to fix. More heads are better at troubleshooting than only one. Many are also worried about our kids lacking a social life. However we are often running into other boat kids. With modern technology there are now apps like NoForeign Land and Seapeople where you can quickly connect with fellow boaters.

Anne Alexandra Fortin

Cory and Alex share their adventure with weekly videos on their YouTube channel “Wildly Intrepid Sailing”. Their dream is to travel the world and to live without any regrets.