Pitufa.at

Cruisers traditionally have a strong sense of community, but big anchorages are like big towns–you don’t know your neighbours and you don’t greet people on the streets (e.g. in Tahiti, Marina Taina). In the Gambier there are usually not too many boats around during cyclone seasons, so we tend to know most of them, but with new boats arriving and leaving it’s hard to meet everybody.

This year the COVID-19 lockdown has changed the situation completely: no inter-island travel is allowed, so there’s no fluctuation and by now we know all the crews who are confined to the archipelago with us. Many boats arrived with storm damages after the long trip from Mexico, Panama or Chile and of course there are no new parts available and no repair facilities ashore. Everybody’s helping out with treasures of the bilge, know-how is shared and creative solutions found. Fresh produce is shared, recipes get swapped and dinghies buzz between boats all day long. A crisis can bring out the worst, but also the best in people.