Our First Internet Friend
The story of how we met Bobby. Including 2 YouTube videos.
Liss and I had been sailing Roam just the two of us since Andy and Holly moved off the boat at the end of last season’s sailing. They have since returned to their respective onshore lives. In the time since, we had become quite used to having the space to ourselves. Sailing the boat on extended passages had worked out well and we had even sailed the Tasman double handed. We could have carried on sailing just the two of us… but that was never the plan. It’s not why we built the boat. Sharing this experience with family and friends has been the dream from the start.
We have had a steady stream of family and friends onboard joining us for trips everywhere we have sailed which has made the travel so much more that it would have been and taken people to places they could never have gone otherwise.
However meeting someone via email, having someone onboard that I have not met before and known away from the boat has not been something I am very comfortable with. This was new territory.
…I'm hoping to purchase a boat in the next year but of course I need to learn to sail first. I'm wondering if there are any opportunities to come onboard and help out in exchange for the chance for me to learn to sail…
Liss said she got a good vibe of this email and suggested that we make contact with Bobby. My reaction was NO WAY.
My stranger danger alarm went off, I could feel myself becoming uptight at the thought of having someone I didn’t know “in my house” and being responsible for them.
But I’m slowly learning to say yes to more people’s ideas and Liss is usually pretty spot on in reading people. Emails and a call later we thought decided to invite Bobby onboard Roam.
As things turned out the dates he was free to come sailing lined up with Liss and I making our passage from New Zealand to Polynesia. But Bobby had not sailed offshore before. We were apprehensive and concerned he might not know what he was getting himself in for. So we had a good chat and made sure he had done his homework at least.
To cut a long story short, despite our safety, experience, seasickness, stranger danger fears we are happy to report it turned out great and we now have a great friend we would not have if Bobby hadn't reached out to us via the internet.
I remember Pat from Bumfuzzel encouraging everyone to document and share their travels in some way and as your trip will be the better for it. He sure is right.
What I am also learning is that meeting new people is helping me become a better person. To be more accepting of different ways of doing things. To be more open to other peoples ideas. To learn form others. To be relaxed in the company of strangers. These are not things I have always done well but something I must always look to improve.
Bobby is currently putting together a SailSurfROAM video to give a different prospective of what its like to passage make on ROAM. I can't wait to see it and share it with you. In the mean time hope you enjoy two videos Bobby made for his YouTube channel about his time with us and if you are into his music check out his Vlogs!
Regards
Mick