Our Last Dinner with Skebenga

Tuesday January 14, 2013

Tonight we had our last dinner with Luki and Elmari for what could be the last time ever.  After one more front passes through tomorrow, they’ll be on their way to Cuba, and up to Cape Canaveral to sell Skebenga and move back to South Africa.  Their adventure is soon to be over.

In true Skebenga style, they invited us over to their boat where one last extraordinary meal would be prepared and we’d all act like this was just a short term separation, because there is no way the fates could keep us away forever.  We’ve become family now, a bond formed by the sea, and it won’t be an easy one to break, even when each of us is once again stranded on land.

For our last night together I had Luki share with me his absolute to die for recipe for spaghetti and meatballs.  I remember eating this meal for the first time on the roof top deck of Luis’ boat back in Guatemala, and ever since I have been desperate to find out how to make it myself.  Armed with my camera and a notebook, I followed Luki around the galley, scribbling on my paper each time he made a movement.  When the balls of meat had been placed in the pan to simmer, and the tomato sauce was added shortly later, there was nothing left to do but sit and wait for it to cook, enjoying a glass of wine in the process.  Now there’s something I know how to do very well.

Matt, still trying to knock 80% off the price of Skebenga so we could buy it ourselves, kept remarking on how well built it is, even having me take photos of the floor because ‘Our next boat needs to have them’.  Putting on our sweetest faces, we tried to get Luki and Elmari to give it up for charity (us), but they’re pretty keen on actually collecting the money so they can start their new life on land.

When the food was ready we all moved up to the cockpit and enjoyed great food and conversation under the stars.  Since Luki and Elmari were no longer going to the Med to leave their boat stored for six months of the year (their original plan), they loaded us up with all their guide books and recommendations of places to go.  We found that we can take the boat up a river in Italy to get just outside of Rome, and Mallorca is such a beautiful place that it’s hard to get there and not set down roots.  We were also entranced with stories about Morocco and camel rides through the desert.  Once again, the desire to keep moving and see new things was bubbling up, and a three to four week trip across the Atlantic seems well worth the spoils.

After dinner we savored a few sips of wine that Elmari only brought out on Special occasions.  Once that was gone we knew we needed to follow suit, although I was ready to cuddle up in Skebenga and stay there forever.  We said partial goodbyes, but knew we’d get the final one just before Luki and Elmari leave for good on Thursday.  I’m already beginning to formulate a plan to see them in Florida since I know I won’t even be able to make it a month without seeing them.  Besides, it would be completely rude of us not to take them out to dinner to repay them for the fifteen guidebooks that were just handed over to us.

 They’re not even cooked and they look delicious!

 Matt and his Nalgene bottle of Coke.  He can’t go anywhere without it.