The day had arrived for Chilor, our new visitor and crew member, to fly into St. Kitts and come aboard Hope. We picked him up at Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport, just northeast of the capital city of Basseterre. Thankfully, clearing customs was quick and easy, and within no time we were greeting Chilor with warm smiles and excitement for the memories we would make over the next ten days of his visit.
Since none of us had eaten lunch, we stopped off at Michael’s Burgers & Gelato to get a bite to eat. Although I read that it was a popular burger joint on the island, we were the only ones there at the time.
After lunch, we made our way through the steep winding roads on St. Kitt’s Main Street. We stopped off to take pictures of both the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. I think Chilor was as enthralled by the sights as we were.
Our dinghy was locked to a dock at Christophe Harbour Marina. We loaded Chilor’s bags into the dinghy and headed to the boat. This would be his first time on a catamaran, his first time sailing, and his first time in the Caribbean Sea. He was eager to learn all about sailing, and we were happy to teach him. Chilor has great character, and we knew he’d be an excellent crew member during his stay!
After showing Chilor around the boat and giving him a quick safety briefing, we hopped in the dinghy to take a sightseeing ride around White House Bay. Kory handed over the throttle of the 25HP Yamaha motor to Chilor, and he picked it up like a pro.
Back at the boat, Chilor unpacked an entire suitcase full of boat parts and other Amazon items we had ordered. It was so kind of him to dedicate an entire suitcase to our “stuff”. What we didn’t know is that he packed something extra special in the suitcase — a wooden plaque that he carved and stained himself. The craftsmanship is phenomenal, and it will be an honor to hang this in our boat to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Hope — and the Sure and Steady Anchor of our boat!
We enjoyed burrito bowls for dinner, fresh chocolate chip cookies for dessert, great conversations, and a beautiful sunset. It was a long day of traveling for Chilor, so we made it an early night and were lulled to sleep by the gentle swaying of the sea with the brilliant stars shining overhead.
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
Psalm 4:8
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.