[ral-ee] noun, a drawing or coming together of persons, as for common action, a get-together of like-minded enthusiasts. verb, renew strength, revive spirits, inspire anew.

5:45am presents a beautiful orange daybreak in Curaçao. It is our last. Excitement builds. There is no quiet cup of tea and lazy scan of digital news. Today we are energizer bunnies flush with adrenaline—clean, stow, return rental car, laundry, repair… Today is the day we have been waiting for. November 21, 2018—the official start of our rally.

The rally unofficially began several weeks ago when the first of 40 sailboats began descending upon this Dutch Antilles Caribbean island of Curaçao. Planning for the rally began several months and maybe years ago when Suzanne and David Chappell aboard Suzie Too, their lovely Beneteau 57, collaborated with port authorities, government officials, and many, many locals to lay the groundwork for a 6-month sailing itinerary that would take us from Curaçao to Belize.

Take our anchorage, for example. Just months ago, this little inlet of water in Curaçao’s Spanish Bay sat mostly uninhabited. Through the efforts and cooperation of many, Anchorage C became home to 25 sailboats, complete with an underwater rope line to safely attach our boats, a dinghy dock, well-lit parking for rental cars, dumpsters, and the nicest 24-hour security officers.

Beach yoga, afternoon barbecues, musical jamborees, Beer and Bobs (aka happy hour in the water), wine tastings, and group taxis to the supermarkets became regular events on our calendars. Each day started with a 7:45am morning net where we synchronized our radios to hear weather reports, emergency announcements, and new activities. We welcomed new members and often, old friends, as they arrived into the harbor. We traded and bartered and helped each with repairs. We learned the names of each other, their boats, their children, their dogs. Friendships formed as we swapped stories of our passages and shared common woes in this life far away from our land homes in the UK, Canada, the US, Sweden. And there it was, the common thread—like-minded enthusiasts renewing strength, reviving spirits, inspiring anew becoming not just a rally, but a community. Not just a community, but a family.

Join us over the next six months as we explore more of our planet with the Suzie Too Rally, er…family.

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