Adventures of the S/V Cool Runnings

The bottle that went around the world.
From left to right: Dave, Gudrun, Gaby, Ben, Brenda and Gary aboard S/V Cool Runnings.

As mentioned in an earlier post, we first met the Hibberd family over two years ago in the Dry Tortugas. They were just launching their circumnavigation aboard their catamaran S/V Cool Runnings, and we had  recently purchased Pandion and were on our learning curve about cruising.

After meeting Dave, Gudrun, and their kids Ben and Gaby (then 12 and 10 years old), we took a bottle of champagne that we had onboard and gave it to the Hibberds in celebration of their coming adventures.

Little did we know that we would have the opportunity, two years later, to share that same bottle with them, as they close in on completing their journey around the world.

Their blog (see http://svcoolrunnings.blogspot.com/) allowed us to virtually follow them on their adventures as they navigated their way to amazing and remote places like the Chagos Islands in the Pacific (take a look at their blog posts).

The Hibberd family aboard S/V Cool Runnings (from their blog).

They swam with Manta Rays in Bora Bora, hiked the islands of the Galapagos, explored steaming mud pools in New Zealand, visited temples in Bali, and shopped for fresh fruit in Tonga.

We always appreciated the fact that the Hibberds took the road less taken, exploring and discovering islands, wildlife and cultures that most of us will never see. It's what we love to do, too.

It was through their blog that we reconnected with them, as they were sailing through the Bahamas on their way back to Florida, and we were just launching our own journey. Dave and Gudrun had saved the champagne, and when we crossed paths again in the Berry Islands, the bottle was popped and we celebrated their incredible adventures and our renewed friendship (Ben and Gaby had tea:).

Ben, now 14, has grown considerably since we last saw him, and helps his Dad with every aspect of sailing. And Gaby has become a dedicated environmentalist, writing about marine debris and now interested in a career in marine biology. Dave, Gudrun, Ben and Gaby are on an extraordinary adventure; one that has changed their lives.

Their journey has also inspired others, including Brenda and I, to go adventuring. Life is short!

At sunrise on Monday morning, we watched as the intrepid crew of S/V Cool Runnings weighed anchor and headed west.

Safe travels, Cool Runnings!