Campfires with Sailors

Excerpt from Sherbet Skies

“Free Winds this is Vagabond, do you copy?” I heard Oscar calling Jesse on the radio.

“Aye, Vagabond this is Free Winds,” Jesse’s voice came over the speaker. “I found good anchorage up here on Hummocky Island. Quiet bay.”

“Right, Free Winds, we are not too far from Hummocky. We will meet you there.”

I jumped up to check my fishing line. Tugging the wire, I was delighted to feel heavy resistance at the end. “Oscar! I think I got a fish!” I called. He came bounding to the stern with a pair of gloves.

“Here, use these,” and handed me the gloves. “Wouldn’t want you to cut ya hands.” After taking the gloves, I started pulling in the 100 feet of line. My heart started to pump as the line got heavier and my anticipation heightened.

“There!” I screamed as a silver fish came splashing in the wake of the yacht. Emma came running to partake in the excitement. Pulling it on board, I could not contain my excitement. “Look at my fish!” I cried. I set it on the deck in great satisfaction. It was over three feet long and undoubtedly the largest fish I had ever caught.

“Aye, it’s just a tuna marcel,” Oscar said, “No good eating that one.”

“Well, I don’t care,” I said. “I’ll cook and eat it myself. I bet Jesse will help me cook it.” My heart sang as I set my fish to trail behind the boat. I felt so accomplished.

We quickly approached Hummocky Island. The deep swells and wind still rocked Vagabond, but after furling the sails, we motored into the quiet bay. The island was spectacular—steep cliffs jutting out of the water, completely blanketed by thick pines and brush. A small beach lay tucked into the north side of the island, and I spotted Free Winds anchored near the left side of the bay. After dropping anchor, Oscar, Emma, and I set out to find Jesse and explore Hummocky.

“Jesse!” I called out as we neared Free Winds, “I caught a fish! I need your help cooking it.” Jesse poked his head out of the cockpit. A big smile swept over his face.

“Good on ya, missy! I have a fish knife. I can help you with it tonight.” We all made our way over to the beach to scope it out for a fire that night. Jesse and I scanned the beach for shells, hoping someday to finally find a large one. Pumice lined the edge of the beach and thinking they might somehow be good gifts in the future, I collected some to take with me. The golden evening sun beamed down onto the beach, and I breathed deeply as I watched more birds fly overhead.

Another yacht had anchored near Vagabond, and I could see another dingy full of people making its way to the beach.

Upon arrival, a whole family climbed out of the dingy—two small children, a mom, dad, and a teenager. Their skin was deep tan, their hair dark. The children jumped and frolicked like newborn colts in a field. Curious, we walked over to meet them.

“’Ello!” Shouted the father, stretching his hand high in the air to wave. His British accent vibrantly stuck out to me after hearing Aussies every day. His wife quickly followed behind him; she was white, and her eyes sparkled with joy. He eagerly reached out to shake hands with all of us. “My name is James,” he said. “Tis my wife, Hannah, and children—Kate, Joshua, and Jim. Children! Come say hello!” He waved, and the kids came racing toward us, obviously excited to meet new people. They smiled and greeted us politely. “We are from Saint Helena,” he informed us.

“Where is that?” I inquired.

“It’s a small island off the coast of West Africa,” Hannah replied. “I’m a Kiwi, and we met while going to school in London. We started dating in Uni, and after getting married and having our children, we wanted to realize our dream of circumnavigating the globe with our family.”

My jaw dropped. “You’re circumnavigating the world in your yacht?! With your children?”

“Yes!” James exclaimed, adventure in his eyes. His skin was weathered, tan, and his energy for life radiated from his smile.

“I’m homeschooling the children on Carpe Diem,” Hannah gestured to their resting monohull. “We’re learning the mechanics of boats and are building model vessels to test in the water at our next anchorage tomorrow.”

“Wow, that's really incredible!” I exclaimed. I watched the boys retreat to explore the beach; surely grateful to get on some solid ground.

“Aye, I love your accent,” Hannah said to me. “Are you Canadian?”

“No, American actually. I’m Tess,” I replied and reached out to shake her hand. Her face exploded in delight.

“Kate!” She knelt down in front of her five-year-old daughter. “Look! Tess is an American!” Kate squealed and jumped to embrace me. I laughed and was in awe of her delight.

“I’m solo backpacking,” I informed them, patting Kate on her head. “I’m traveling up the coast with Oscar and Emma on Vagabond.”

“Aye, what an adventure,” Hannah replied.

“Yes! I even caught a fish today. I was so excited. I need to cook it, but it’s been ages since I gutted a fish.”

“Ahh, you don’t need to gut the fish,” James piped in. I can show you how to cut the filets off.”

“Tess, why don’t you bring your fish back to the beach?” Jesse piped up. “I can bring my long fish knife back, and we can make a fire and cook it right here.” My heart jumped in excitement.

“Sounds great!” I exclaimed.

Back on Vagabond, I wrapped my fish in foil and grabbed lemons, salt, pepper, and saltine crackers for the feast. Oscar and I made our way back to the beach where Jesse had already started a fire and the children were throwing a ball about- playing cricket in the sand.

“Here it is!” I called

“Great, bring ‘er over here.” James called back. We set the fish down on a flat log, and the tan sailor went to work taking the long thin blade and cutting off the massive filets on either side of the fish. Discarding the spine and head, he seasoned it with salt, pepper, and lemons. He then wrapped it back up in foil and placed it on the hot coals.

My heart felt alive and open. I sat by the fire in the sand and chatted with Hannah about her family’s travels. They had unexpectedly spent extra time on a remote island where they had helped build a school for the locals. She told me about the time they caught a swordfish, and the great battle James had been through for that feast. My fish was soon white and flaky and ready to eat. I passed out more foil and crackers to the group. Breaking off pieces of the fish, everyone ate their fill of my tuna.

Sand scrunched under my feet, and the fire warmed half my body. The sun went to rest for the evening, casting more pink and gold sherbet skies on the horizon. I quietly observed the group all talking and laughing, sharing the fish, and swapping sailing stories. It made me think of Jesus and how He cooked fish on beaches with his friends. Really, He did that more than anything else.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” I prayed under my breath. “Thank you for sharing in this adventure with me.”

Always with you.

The beauty of the moment filled my mind and heart, and I was completely dazzled. I realized at that moment that although I might travel to faraway places, God went with me. He is in the sand, the sea, the wind, the clouds, and the fish—vibrantly present. He is more vibrant out there than in any church I had ever attended.

Though I did not know what was ahead for the journey, I knew I had a protective covering all around me. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and listened to the water rushing onto the sand, leaping and rolling in laughter, and then receding only to start all over again. I smiled and ate more of my tuna.